Ponce Inlet Trail

The Ponce Inlet Trail stretches down Florida's eastern seashore from the southern outskirts of Daytona Beach to the small coastal town of Ponce Inlet. The trail begins at Major Street and follows S. Atlantic Avenue through neighborhoods dotted with palm trees and swimming pools. After a half-mile, you'll enter the town's largest park, Ponce Preserve, which offers ocean dunes, wetlands and stands of palmettos and other trees. A mile further south is Winterhaven Park, a quiet beach with a boardwalk and picnic areas. At Lighthouse Drive, the trail turns southwest with densely packed foliage along either side. This is Lighthouse Point Park, a 52-acre area offering a treasure trove of recreational opportunities. Here, you'll find places to swim, fish and picnic, as well as nature trails and an observation deck and tower. The park's Marine Science Center features educational programming on sea turtles and the Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary, which has treated thousands of sick birds, also offers learning opportunities. Another highlight of your journey will be the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, just west of the trail's end on S. Peninsula Drive. At 175 feet, it is Florida's tallest lighthouse and one of only 10 lighthouses in the US that is designated a National Historic Landmark.

Parking and restrooms can be found near the northern end of the trail at Ponce Preserve (4400 S. Atlantic Drive) and Winterhaven Park (4589 S. Atlantic Avenue). At the southern end of the trail, you can park at Lighthouse Point Park (5000 S. Atlantic Avenue), but note that there is a nominal vehicle admission charge to enter the park.