Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Daytona Beach
An early getaway for well-to-do northerners, Daytona Beach was founded in 1870. Soon after the first automobiles arrived, drivers discovered the hard-packed coquina sand made it easy to go fast.
Once the idea of speed trials and racing began, car and motorcycle enthusiasts made their way down primitive roads tunneling through lush hammocks to get to the “World’s Most Famous Beach.”
Racing shifted off the beach and onto the famous racetrack along International Speedway Boulevard in 1959.
But follow that same highway west and you’ll enter Tiger Bay State Forest, a vast conservation area protecting both high ridges and the marshes that feed the Tomoka River basin.
Daytona Beach and its neighboring communities of Ponce Inlet and Port Orange have extensive public lands.
These protect archaeological sites, ancient oak hammocks, and the edges of the estuaries between coast and barrier island.
To its north, Ormond Beach and Holly Hill offer paddling and camping opportunities.
Trails and Parks around Daytona Beach
Bulow Creek State Park At Bulow Creek State Park, walk among the ancients in Bulow Hammock, starting with the imposing Fairchild Oak, one of Florida's largest live oak trees.
Bulow Creek Trail A linear hike between state park day use areas at Bulow Plantation Ruins and Bulow Creek, the Bulow Creek Trail parallels the flow of a freshwater creek near the sea
Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park History and natural beauty meet on a 1.4 mile hike under a dense canopy of ancient live oaks to the ruins of one of Florida's oldest sugar mills.
Bulow Woods Loop In a primordial forest of sluggish, fern-lined waterways amid a dense forest of massive, ancient trees, the 5.2 mile Bulow Woods Loop is one of North Florida's most scenic hikes.
Buncombe Hill Hiking Trail At Tiger Bay State Forest near Daytona Beach, the 2.1-mile Buncombe Hill Hiking Trail interprets habitats at the location of one of Central Florida's first Boy Scout camps.
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens Bromeliads, cacti, and dinosaurs, oh my! Step back in time venturing verdant Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, with a historic sugar mill and a natural hammock edged by lush gardens. 
North Peninsula Coastal Strand Trail Spanning from mangroves to scrubby hilltops with glimpses of the ocean, this 2.3 mile footpath near the Atlantic Ocean provides quite a workout along hilly terrain.
Ocala National Forest Established in 1908 as the first National Forest east of the Mississippi, the Ocala National Forest is a mecca for hikers and campers, and the birthplace of the Florida Trail.
Ormond Central Park Encompassing 149 acres well hidden between US 1 and Nova Rd, the four segments of Central Park in Ormond Beach interconnect along a network of accessible paths.
Ormond Memorial Gardens Spilling across the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Ormond Memorial Gardens leads you into a contemplative world mere steps from a major highway
Pershing Highway Interpretive Trail Tunneling into a vast swamp forest now protected as Tiger Bay State Forest, a mile-long strip of preserved brick highway from 1917 provides a peek into early Florida auto travel.
Ponce Preserve Just south of Daytona Beach, Ponce Preserve protects a cross-section of barrier island habitats, with nearly 2 miles of trails connecting the beach and the Halifax River
Smyrna Dunes Park At Smyrna Dunes Park, this 2.4-mile hike scenic coastal hike is largely along an accessible boardwalk, with side trips off to the sea and inlet via more rugged approaches.
Tiger Bay State Forest Surrounding more than 42 square miles of the Tomoka River watershed, Tiger Bay State Forest provides nearly 20 miles of interpretive and multiuse trails between Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and DeLand.
Tomoka State Park Walk in the footsteps of the Timucua beneath the ancient oaks at Tomoka State Park, where the village of Nocoroco was a thriving community on a bountiful set of rivers.
Tomoka Woodham Woods Trail Weave through a dense coastal hammock on this scenic mile-long linear paved trail that connects the main entrance of Tomoka State Park with Ormond BeachRelated Articles
Ormond Memorial Gardens (6/22/2019) Spilling across the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Ormond Memorial Gardens leads you into a contemplative world mere steps from a major highway
The new 50 Hikes in Central Florida (10/5/2018) We launched a new full-color edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida at the National Trails Festival in Deland the first weekend of October. Take a peek inside.