Ruins of Aerojet: The abandoned rocket plant of South Florida

Building of the old Aerojet rocket plant in Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Building at the end of the Aerojet Road, Florida - License our images here.
        
The access road to the abandoned rocket factory is close to the Homestead entrance to Everglades National Park. This abandoned complex was owned by the company Aerojet General, now part of Aerojet Rocketdyne. 

The Air Force paid for this place in 1963 to test solid fuel motors for traveling to the moon. It's said that Aerojet built the largest solid fuel motor of the world. 

Old traffic sign in the Aerojet Road, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Old road sign engulfed by the vegetation. 

The rockets were so big that Aerojet had to dig a canal to transport them on barges to the Atlantic Ocean - this canal. This facility closed in 1969 when solid fuel was dropped in favor of liquid. 

Aerojet Rocket facility southwest from Homestead, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Exploring the rocket factory. 
  
The trailhead of the access road to Aerojet is on Ingraham Highway. The road is closed to vehicles, only biking or hiking are allowed. Some people go to fish to the Aerojet Canal. We also crossed a hunter.  

The Aerojet Canal in South Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
The Aerojet canal - someone shot an arrow here. 

There are four fishing piers on the Aerojet Road. They have picnic tables.      

Our bikes resting in a fishing pier to the Aerojet Canal - Photo: Still Gravity.
Break on a fishing pier. 

The rocket factory starts around 2.5 miles from the trailhead. It's composed of multiple buildings interconnected by roads. 

Aerojet plant facility building silo - Photo: Still Gravity.
Rocket silo? 

Graffiti covers most of the walls. The interiors are full of trash. 

Graffiti in abandoned Aerojet Rocket plant near Homestead, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Many street artists roamed in this place. 

Some folks have shot their guns here. Empty shell casings were everywhere. 

Trees growing on Aerojet buildings, Homestead, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
The trees are back. 

After visiting the plant, we rode south to the end of the paved road. This point is roughly 5 miles from the trailhead.

End of Aerojet Road southwest from Homestead, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Our bikes at the end of Aerojet Road. 

The road turns east here towards the canal but was flooded. Electric wires were down and tangled on the ground. At the end of this road, the old Aerojet ramps survive on the banks of the canal. This is two miles east from the spot we stopped - I marked the old ramps in this map. 

Dirt road at the end of Aerojet Road, Homestead, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
A dirt road continues for a while.          

It keeps going south, but not for long. It reaches the end of the Aerojet Canal. 

This is a remote and desolated place, always scorched by the heat of South Florida. Remember: no facilities and there are dangers in the dilapidated plant facilities. Use common sense down here. Help is far away. 

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