Outstanding area to hike - could have used some maps so you knew where you were when you started…read morebut was very enjoyable - also no restrooms so you have to go in the woods

Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve…read more.. Follow this address for more accurate location to the East Trailhead.. https://maps.app.goo.gl/2UPZ7UksnXXcfTFe9 Driving into this parking lot, the first thing you'll notice are Disc Golfs situated everywhere. Plenty of parking space. There is a bike washing station and pavilions. This trail offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, playground, canoe launch, boardwalk and an observation tower.  East end of trails are easy trails, mainly flat, which are open to biking, hiking and horseback riding (just follow the signs accordingly). The trails are mainly blue rated West end trails are more advanced, rooty sections. All in all...this is a hidden gem of a trail most mountain bikers are not familiar with. It is well maintained and the locals here are super friendly.

Interesting history here. I can't go somewhere without checking out some of the sites. There's not…read morea ton of things to do in Daytona but when I saw 'Lighthouse Park', I knew we had to go. One of the workers in the gift shop gave us an intro when we bought our tickets. You should definitely start across the street at the hotel/museum. That hotel/house has history all its own aside from the lighthouse. The family that lived there and ran it. I loved the house and it seems to have stayed in great condition after hundreds of years. In the hotel/house, you start with a short movie in the side room and then you can tour the house at your leisure. The house has multiple items displayed from over the years. There are also boards with a bit of history as you make your way through. Outside of the hotel/house is a relaxing area by the water. You could relax there or it'd be a perfect place for a wedding or special occasion. Once finished there, you can make your way back across the street to the lighthouse. On the lighthouse side, there are other buildings where people that took care of the place stayed. There's also a small storybook trail. It's not long at all but it has these storyboards around it talking about this cat named Nelly. That's all fun and stuff... but at the end of the trail, you see a little cat graveyard with cats that have been on the property over the years. When we walked up and I noticed Nelly was already buried! THE HORRRRRRRRRRORRRRRRR! On to the lighthouse; You can climb up to the top of the lighthouse. I think there is a sign that mentions 222 steps or something. It gets very steep near the top. Great exercise and it made me forget all about the cat graveyard. It's a cool place. I was intrigued by the Cincinnati Reds connection too. Other notables: Across the street is a restaurant and ice cream place. I don't think those two spots are related to the lighthouse itself but it's nice that they're there. We tried out both and they weren't bad at all. We didn't venture further down the road but we were told more restaurants/locations are further down. If you like history or inlets or just lighthouses, check out this place if you're in the area.

I visited the beach here one afternoon. It costs $10 to get in, so come prepared for that…read more There are bathroom facilities and outdoor showers, which I appreciate, though the bathrooms are pretty gnarly, so I'd avoid those if you can help it. The beach itself was pretty small, and it was crowded. The water wasn't too rough. There were a lot of kids and families, so clearly a good place for the kids to swim. My favorite part were all of the dogs. There were so many puppers on the beach! Overall, I'll give it a 3. It was fine, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here for a beach day.

I love everything Mew Smyrna Beach has to offer. Well maintained , great surfing ... beautiful…read moreplace to spend the day

Such a fun park! We made the mistake of walking a little too far instead of stopping at the initial…read moredog beach area but that ended up giving us a really nice spaced out area for our whole family! Beautiful calm water and very pet friendly

Love this park to take my dog. They have balls for the dogs and poop bags and trash bins. They keep…read moreup w the park!

Brought the kids here (12 - 8). They loved it. A little bit of everything including a water splash…read morepad to help cool off!

The Pacetti Hotel and Museum opened to the public in November 2024. I'm so glad I overheard someone…read moretalking about the museum when I was visiting the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. It is across the street from the lighthouse but be on the lookout because you may miss it as you can't see the house from the street. You can walk over from the lighthouse or drive as there is a parking lot. You enter the museum from the front of the house by the water. Stepping up on the porch and looking out over the water helps to better understand why the house was built in this location as it is a gorgeous waterfront property! Be sure to start by watching the video as it will give you some background before you take the self-guided tour. You could spend hours inside reading and checking out all the different rooms. One of the things that stood out to me the most were the gorgeous wood floors;) And something that struck me as odd were the two sets of staircases. The museum volunteer explained that the front part was the original house and the back was an addition for the hotel. They were originally two separate buildings but were combined to one. The two rooms upstairs in the front would have been the best rooms to rent as they had the most gorgeous views. The hotel was a fishing resort at one time and later hosted the Cincinnati Reds as the last owner also owned the team. If these walls could talk lol! I highly recommend checking out this museum as it is also one of the oldest structures in Florida. So much history! Your entry fee to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse also includes entry to the museum.

I used to ride my motorcycle out to this Lighthouse just for the ride, then grab a quick bite…read morebefore heading back home. It was on the list of places to explore while in the area with Nancy. Then we finally planned a day where we could shop/play in the area and also visit the Lighthouse. It's definitely worth the stop. The Lighthouse is Florida's tallest lighthouse and is one of the best preserved in the country. The $7 Admission gets you access to the lighthouse and the museum. For $5 more you can gain access to the General Pacetti Hotel Museum. If you're a Ponce Inlet Resident, admission is free. Its 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse and once there you have a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, Ponce Inlet, the Intercoastal waterway, and Daytona Beach. The museum allows visitors to explore the grounds and keeper homes. The Fresnel Lens is on exhibit which is a great way to lean how curved lenses generate powerful clear beams of light with minimal distortion. There are plenty of great photo op areas just be sure to bring the family on sunny days so you get the best outcome. All-in-all, a great experience all around and I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

The boat ride with the conservationist. The made sure you understood the diversity and what is…read morebeing done to preserve

Had a good time on our recent boat ride. Saw lots of dolphins and all types of birds…read more The tour guide did an awesome job describing the history of New Smyrna Beach. We also had the opportunity to taste some honey made by the local bees!!!

Stopped by with my family and used their picnic area to eat our fast food and enjoy the view. It…read morewas nice to see kids enjoying the playground while other families loaded and unloaded their boats near the river/lake. The waterfront view was beautiful.

A park with…read moreviews Riverfront Veterans Memorial Park is a nice park with a cool playground, picnic areas, benches and pavilions. Not a whole lot of space for hiking but with views that are stunning. The best part of the park are the fishing pier and boardwalk. Allows for great views of the intra coastal waterway, boat traffic and huge aquatic birds that inhabit the area. There are manatees that frequent the waterway but actually seeing one of these gentle critters relies more on luck than anything else. A lovely little park with great views of the water and of Daytona Beach looming in the distance and even a plaque honoring veterans. A very convenient and nice place to launch a small boat or just stop and spend some time admiring the water.

Great boat and friendly crew! Taught us first timers what we needed to know and helped us out when…read moreneeded. Entire family had a great time!

The crew was great. I took my grandpa, who has limited mobility and uses a walker, everyone was so…read morehelpful and accommodating. We had a great time, and if we had longer here in Florida, I would definitely take him again.

This is an absolutely great place to launch a kayak from. Easy access to spruce creek--a beautiful…read morepaddle with a view of a lot of interesting houses. We always see a huge alligator when we're out. There are also mountain bike, hiking, and equestrian trails. Last time I was there, they had taken away all the port a potties, so there was no where in the whole park to go.

Nice nature reserve and park. Has trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Disc golf course…read moreand fenced dog park. Picnic pavilion and port a potty.