Lighthouse Point Park

Located north of the Ponce de Leon Inlet, Lighthouse Point Park Beach is a large white-sand beach with nearby beach grasses. This beach is situated along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and it is part of a 52-acre park named Lighthouse Point Park. A rocky jetty named Ponce Inlet Jetty is present near the beach. Lighthouse Point Park was listed as one of the best beaches in the United States by renowned academic Dr. Stephen Leatherman, who is also known as Dr. Beach in 2007. It is important to note that while Lighthouse Point Park Beach has a lifeguard station, lifeguard deployment on this beach may not be permanent. 

Lighthouse Point Park Beach and the area near it have many other amenities including boardwalks, nature trails, restrooms, picnic areas, and an observation area. Lighthouse Point Park Beach offers accessibility to people with disabilities. Dogs are not allowed in Lighthouse Point Park Beach. 

Lighthouse Point Park Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, fishing, surfing, swimming, bodysurfing, skimboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, snorkeling, water-skiing, boating, wakeboarding, and parasailing. The water near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, especially the portion around the rocky jetties, is popular among surfers as it offers fun surfing waves. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. In addition, the presence of sharks has also been recorded in the water near Lighthouse Point Park Beach. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of birds around Lighthouse Point Park Beach including gulls, razorbills, and cormorants. The water around the rocky jetty near Lighthouse Point Park Beach is a great fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations.

Lighthouse Point Park has a vibrant forested coastal landscape, which you can explore via a nature trail. This nature trail ends at an observation tower that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Volusia County shoreline. You can also see many kinds of animals in the park including skunks, raccoons, gopher tortoises, armadillos, and a wide variety of birds. It is important to note that while the park is named Lighthouse Point Park, the Ponce Inlet Light Station & Museum is actually present outside of the park’s premises. This museum has a 19th-century lighthouse known as the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light and it also has many other historic structures including the lighthouse keepers’ quarters and the oil storage building. The museum also offers many fun educational programs. 

Getting to Lighthouse Point Park Beach is easy - Lighthouse Point Park is present near 5000 South Atlantic Avenue, where a parking lot is also present. However, it is important to note that you need to pay a fee to access Lighthouse Point Park.

There are many attractions near Lighthouse Point Park Beach. The Marine Science Center is a research center that also focuses on the rehabilitation of injured reptiles and birds - this center has many interesting features including a boardwalk offering views of a bird rehabilitation area, a classroom laboratory that offers interesting presentations, a 5,000 square foot visitor center which has multiple aquariums and interpretive exhibits, an observation tower, a touch pool, and turtles hospital pools. The center also has a nature trail going through a maritime hammock habitat and it also offers many fun educational programs. Ponce Preserve is a 41-acre large waterfront preserve that has a vibrant landscape consisting of many habitats including - maritime hammock forests, sand dunes, and palmetto forests. You can explore the preserve’s vibrant landscape and biodiversity via the hiking trails and a boardwalk in the preserve. The preserve also has the Green Mound State Archaeological Site (that is a Native American midden) and it also offers many other amenities including kayak/canoe launch areas, pavilions, picnic areas, a playground, and restrooms. If you are looking for another attraction near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, Sunglow Fishing Pier is a pier that has many amenities including benches, restrooms, fish cleaning areas, a bait shop, and rod-and-reel rental shops. In addition, the pier also has a restaurant and it is also an amazing fishing spot; you can catch many kinds of animals in the water here including sail cat, Spanish mackerel, pompano, and flounder. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Lighthouse Point Park Beach within a 25-minute drive. Chart House is an upscale waterfront restaurant that is primarily known for serving amazing seafood. Down The Hatch Seafood Company is a popular waterfront restaurant that has a relaxed vibe. In addition, this restaurant serves excellent seafood, soups, salads, pasta, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pork chops, and poultry dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, Tim’s Corner Restaurant serves amazing dishes for breakfast and lunch including sandwiches, French toasts, eggs, pot roast, pasta, fried chicken, and seafood. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star The Shores Resort & Spa offers many amenities including a pool, a tiki bar, a seafood restaurant, a spa, a fitness center, and oceanfront fire pits with complimentary s’mores ingredients. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hyatt Place Daytona Beach - Oceanfront which offers many amenities including a gym, convenience shop, a pool, and a restaurant. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Lighthouse Point Park Beach, the 2-Star Days Inn by Wyndham Daytona Oceanfront offers many amenities including a hot tub, a pool, a games room, and access to a nearby gym.