NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) May 24, 2019
Peppered with wet and dry trails, the New Smyrna Beach area is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors can choose from paved, easily accessible pathways or explore more remote areas on foot or by kayak. Here’s a look at some of the area trails:
The East Coast Regional Trail: a paved 12-foot wide path that will one day span 52 miles. This wooded trail is a great place to spot area wildlife like deer and birds. Pack a lunch to enjoy along the way or make a slight detour for some down-home cooking at Osteen’s Diner. Hop on the trail at Rotary Park in Edgewater.
Smyrna Dunes Park: Perched on 73 acres of pristine land, Smyrna Dunes is surrounded by water on three sides. A recently renovated, 1.5-mile boardwalk takes visitors across the sensitive sand dunes. Pets are also allowed in the park. There is a small fee to enter.
Castle Windy Trail Guide: This trail is tucked inside Canaveral National Seashore, so visitors will need to pay the park entrance fee to access it. The trail traverses the barrier island, allowing hikers to see how the plant life has adapted to wind and salt spray from the ocean. Hikers will go through coastal hammocks and across dunes topped with a variety of plant life, from Yaupon to Redbay. Gopher tortoises and armadillos can often be spotted.
Prefer water over dry land? Rent a kayak to explore these water trails:
The Mosquito Lagoon Paddling Trail: Perfect for first-time paddlers, this blueway is just over 2 miles long. Visitors will want to keep their eyes peeled as they weave around the mangrove wetlands—manatees and dolphins call this area home.
The Spruce Creek Paddling Trail: a 16-mile round trip that starts at Spruce Creek Park in Port Orange. Paddlers travel over a large water body and salt marshes to a tree-lined creek upstream. Prehistoric sites, including a major earthen mound, can be spotted on the trip.
Hunter Creek Paddling Trail: Perfect for those who want a quiet, backwater escape, this 5.42-mile trail winds through mangrove forests filled with heron and egrets. Sandbars emerge at low tide, allowing paddlers to see conch, fish eggs, stingrays, and more. The launch can be found behind the Marine Discovery Center at 520 Boulevard in New Smyrna Beach.
Indian River to Smyrna Creek Paddling Trail: This 6.55-mile trail is recommended for advanced paddlers. Put in at the public floating docks at 162 North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach, and then paddle east to encounter birds, dolphin, and manatees during warmer months.
Sleepy Hollow to Lighthouse Paddling Trail: The beginning portion of this blueway takes you through backwater stretches with heron, egrets, dolphins and other wildlife. The route then crosses the Ponce de Leon cut and the Intracoastal Waterway, ending at the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, where visitors can pay to tour the lighthouse, restaurants and other attractions. Recommended for advanced paddlers because of the inlet currents near the lighthouse.
No matter if you’re on water or dry land, you’re always on the right path with an outdoor adventure in NSB.
About the New Smyrna Beach Area
The New Smyrna Beach area includes the communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Osteen and Port Orange in east Central Florida. New Smyrna Beach is an eclectic mix of old and new; of subtle sophistication and bohemian soul that is as “real” as Florida gets. It occupies a notable place in history as the second oldest city in Florida, site of the largest single attempt at British colonization in the new world. In 2018, New Smyrna Beach celebrated its 250th birthday. The city’s barrier island is recognized worldwide for its incredible surf with Surfer magazine recently touting it one of the “Best Surf Towns in America” and National Geographic magazine including it in its “World’s Top 20 Surf Towns”. Accommodations range from charming bed and breakfast inns to family-size condominium units and oceanfront hotels. Natural attractions include 17 miles of sandy beaches from Ponce de Leon Inlet to Canaveral National Seashore and North America’s most diverse estuary – the Indian River Lagoon. Two distinct downtowns along Flagler Avenue and Canal Street and connected via the Waterfront Loop welcome visitors with independent restaurants, unique shops, artisanal coffee shops and art galleries.
For more information, please visit http://www.VisitNSBfl.com or call 386-428-1600. Follow @NewSmyrnaBeach1 on Twitter, http://www.Facebook.com/VisitNewSmyrnaBeach or @visitnewsmyrnabeach on Instagram for the latest news. Download the free New Smyrna Beach Mobile App for iPhone and Android to receive this information on-the-go.