TOMOKA STATE PARK

By  Mike Miller July 27, 2025

Tomoka State Park, located in Ormond Beach, Florida, spans 2,000 acres between the Tomoka and Halifax rivers.

It offers camping, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and birdwatching. The park preserves wetlands, forests, and wildlife.

Visitors can paddle the river, walk trails, or visit a small museum with Native American artifacts. It’s a peaceful spot for nature and history lovers.  

Paddling at Tomoka State Park

The Timucua people lived here 1,000 years ago in the village of Nocoroco. They fished and gathered shellfish from the rivers.

Spanish explorer Alvaro Mexia documented the Timucua in the 1600s. In 1764, British merchant Richard Oswald started the Mount Oswald indigo plantation on the site.

Enslaved workers ran the plantation. The area became a state park in 1945. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

A 1957 statue, “Legend of Tomokie,” stands in the park, though no records confirm a Chief Tomokie.

It depicts an Indian legend that was manufactured by Doris Marie Mann Boyd, daughter of Florian Mann, founder of The Halifax Journal. 

Tomoka State Park is at 2099 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach, FL 32174, three miles north of downtown.

From I-95, take Exit 268, go east on SR 40, turn left on North Beach Street, and enter on the right.

The park is open daily from 8 AM to sunset. Road resurfacing affects the park drive and campground entrance until spring 2026; follow the signs.

Kayak and canoe rentals are available at Tomoka Outpost, (386) 673-0022. The half-mile Nature Trail and one-mile Woodham Woods Trail are open.

Pets are allowed on leashes. Visit the Park's website for event schedules and park updates.  

• The park hosts over 160 bird species, including bald eagles and warblers, during migrations.  

• Ancient Timucua shell middens, made of oyster shells, are visible along the riverbanks.  

• The 13-mile Tomoka River Paddling Trail runs from SR 40 to the Halifax River.  

• Manatees and their calves use the Tomoka River as a summer refuge.  

• The Tomokie Fountain, finished in 1957 by Frederick Dana Marsh, depicts a legend about Chief Tomokie’s fatal drink from a sacred spring.

TOMOKA STATE PARK WEBSITE