Ormond Beach, Tomoka State Park/ Bulow Creek State Park

After writing my last entry and looking at all the pictures taken from the parks I visited I realized that I did not post them here and there was so much more about this place to share that it deserved its own entry. The first stop on Ormond Beach was Tomoka Sate Park, Native Americans once dwelled here, living off fish-filled lagoons. Today, these waters are popular for canoeing, boating, and fishing. The park protects a variety of wildlife habitats and endangered species, such as the West Indian manatee. Tomoka is a bird-watcher's paradise, with over 160 species sighted, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Visitors can stroll a one-half mile nature trail through a hardwood hammock that was once an indigo field for an 18th century British landowner. A boat ramp gives boaters and canoeists access to the river. The Park Store offers snacks, camping supplies, and canoe rentals. For overnight stays, the park has full-facility campsites and youth camping. Located three miles north of Ormond Beach on North Beach Street.

This park really does offer a little bit of everything, from hiking, fishing, to off-road driving and scenic areas to just enjoy a good picnic.

Next up was Bulow Creek protects nearly 5,600 acres, more than 1,500 of which are submerged lands. The highlight of Bulow Creek is one of the largest remaining stands of southern live oak forest along Florida's east coast. The reigning tree is the Fairchild Oak, one of the largest live oak trees in the South. For more than 400 years it has been a silent witness to human activities along Bulow Creek, including the destruction of the neighboring Bulow Plantation during the Second Seminole War in 1836. Several trails allow hikers to explore the interior of the park, where visitors can see white-tailed deer, barred owls and raccoons. The Bulow Woods Trail, nearly seven miles long, takes hikers to Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. Visitors can picnic in a shady pavilion or at a table on the lawn within view of the Fairchild Oak.

* Note: Before you keep on reading and enjoying the pictures (hopefully) let me clarify that the descriptions of both parks were borrowed from the state's website for each park, and I would like to encourage you to stop by the state parks website at http://www.floridastateparks.org/ and maybe even plan an adventure for yourself.

After this park there are still more than 40 miles of scenic drive to go and miles of trails to hike and just not enough time in a day (or a week end for that matter, lol) also there was a north entrance to Tomoka state park that I still wanted to check out.

On the way out of Ormond Beach there was the Ormond Beach Yacht Club, that is now a historic site and museum.

I really hope you enjoy these pictures, take care and be safe!