Interesting history here. I can't go somewhere without checking out some of the sites. There's not a ton of things to do in Daytona but when I saw 'Lighthouse Park', I knew we had to go. One of the workers in the gift shop gave us an intro when we bought our tickets. You should definitely start across the street at the hotel/museum. That hotel/house has history all its own aside from the lighthouse. The family that lived there and ran it. I loved the house and it seems to have stayed in great condition after hundreds of years. In the hotel/house, you start with a short movie in the side room and then you can tour the house at your leisure. The house has multiple items displayed from over the years. There are also boards with a bit of history as you make your way through. Outside of the hotel/house is a relaxing area by the water. You could relax there or it'd be a perfect place for a wedding or special occasion. Once finished there, you can make your way back across the street to the lighthouse. On the lighthouse side, there are other buildings where people that took care of the place stayed. There's also a small storybook trail. It's not long at all but it has these storyboards around it talking about this cat named Nelly. That's all fun and stuff... but at the end of the trail, you see a little cat graveyard with cats that have been on the property over the years. When we walked up and I noticed Nelly was already buried! THE HORRRRRRRRRRORRRRRRR! On to the lighthouse; You can climb up to the top of the lighthouse. I think there is a sign that mentions 222 steps or something. It gets very steep near the top. Great exercise and it made me forget all about the cat graveyard. It's a cool place. I was intrigued by the Cincinnati Reds connection too. Other notables: Across the street is a restaurant and ice cream place. I don't think those two spots are related to the lighthouse itself but it's nice that they're there. We tried out both and they weren't bad at all. We didn't venture further down the road but we were told more restaurants/locations are further down. If you like history or inlets or just lighthouses, check out this place if you're in the area. read more

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I visited the beach here one afternoon. It costs $10 to get in, so come prepared for that. There are bathroom facilities and outdoor showers, which I appreciate, though the bathrooms are pretty gnarly, so I'd avoid those if you can help it. The beach itself was pretty small, and it was crowded. The water wasn't too rough. There were a lot of kids and families, so clearly a good place for the kids to swim. My favorite part were all of the dogs. There were so many puppers on the beach! Overall, I'll give it a 3. It was fine, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here for a beach day. read more

Great customer service and info! Souvenir shop and restrooms available as well. Beautiful and WELL worth the hike to the top! read more

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great little dog friendly beach just south of Daytona beach. They have restroom facilities and small shelters a few outdoor grills. it is secluded and appeared to be a favorite fishing spot as well. plenty of room for your dog to run and play. There is a small fee to enter the park. read more

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Fun place to burn an afternoon with the family. There's a great park there and lots of water nearby. Lots of history here, just north of here is where the original beach races (what became the Daytona 500) were held. Interesting stuff read more

Very well restored and full of history. Offers a great view of the area from the top. Well worth the admission price. Bathrooms were clean too! read more

Lighthouse Point Park - Native American historic image - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Honestly with such a beautiful experience. My cousin just recently ODed and we did her celebration of life over at the lighthouse in the Park section. It does take $10 to get into the area but you can go in and out twice. When we were there we use one of the picnic areas close by the water to throw in flowers. Moments later we saw a bunch of dolphins swim by! read more

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This was a pretty cool place. Lots of history and the view form the top of the lighthouse was amazing. The one thing that we didn't get to do was have a guided tour. Other than that it was really cool to see how people used to live and how they dressed etc. read more

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Cute little park with a doggie beach for the four-legged friends. The dog beach is a bit small so I could see that being an issue during the summer when the beach is very busy. As is, since we visited in December, we were the only ones there for our time and the dog loved every second of it. Would absolutely take him back. read more

Lighthouse Point Park - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Asking for my 21 yo son is in a power wheelchair. Is it wheelchair accessible and is handicap parking available here? We are coming this winter thank you! read more

I can not believe I have never brought our dogs to this beach. It is a 45minute drive from our house but well worth it especially if you stop for lunch at racings north turn on the way. Our dogs are NOT water dogs but they do like walking and there is plenty of boardwalks to walk as well as the beach area itself. Keep your dogs on there leash and enjoy the day. The dog beach area is the inlet side only and thus not a lot of waves but several boats to watch while walking. The only thing I would like is that the entrance to the dog beach seamed odd. You walk past the beach to walk around the rocks to then walk back to the beach you were just looking at. The other issue would be to get some water for the dogs out to the pavilion at the beach entrance. There is no water close to the beach for your dogs so bring water for them. read more

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A place to relax, have fun with friends and family! Oh yea bring your pet too! Enjoy the boardwalk trails. Stop and heat up a grill for some delicious barbecue too. read more

Made a day trip out of coming here and loved it. Very clean and fun! Got to see lots of kite surfing

Naturally, I seek dog friendly areas when planning an outing. This dog friendly beach hit the very top of my list. My criteria for this choice was close parking proximity to the beach since we were going to set up a tent and welcome the summer in style. We took the chance of arriving around 11:00 am. A little late for a busy holiday weekend, but nonetheless we spun the dice. Immediately through the gate we were told that parking was almost to capacity. Our plan was to drive up close and off load then park. As luck would have it as we spun around the parking lot closest to the beach a spot was open. We should have played the lotto. There are shower and bathroom facilities. Although, each men and women bathroom is single occupancy which create long lines. But it is a perfect place to engage in conversations. Showers are outdoor. Around the restroom facility are several picnic benches and grills. Next to the shower and along the beach are more grills and benches. These are on first come, first served basis. On the beach there is a larger picnic tent available by reservations only. Dogs are allowed everywhere as long as they are on a leash, even in the water. Jet ski rentals and boat rides are available on the beach. The beach is a mixture of sand and rocks. There are patches of nice soft sand and sharp rocks. Several coves and secluded areas lend to privacy. It is easy to stake claim to an entire section of the beach. What better way to start off the summer frolicking in the water with friends, family and our four legged companions. My entire photo album on Flickr. read more

Lighthouse Point Park - Dog Friendly Beach - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Daytona Beach is 26 miles long, but this stretch is my favorite (tied with Ormond By-The-Sea). The park is located at the southern tip of the beach, and consists of a large area of protected dunes adjacent to Ponce Inlet. The beach is car-free for the last couple hundred yards. You can poke around in the dunes, walk out onto the jetty, watch boats cruise into the inlet and generally get away from the hustle of most of Daytona. In addition, there are some nature trails back across A1A, a picnic area and the Ponce Inlet lighthouse is just a short drive away. This is just about the only place in Daytona that I would spend a day at the beach. There's a small admission charge per vehicle, which I must sheepishly admit I've never paid--there's a few free parking spots if you turn right just before the gate :) read more

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Review for the beach area in the park... This place is like a dream for dogs. Well, as long as your dog likes to play in the water and sand. Just so you know this is a park that allow dogs on a leash to roam and play. If you don't have a pet, it's probably best to stick to the other public beach at Daytona or New Symrna. As far as our experience was here, it was great (Tagged along friends with a miniature golden doodle)! The beach area is not as nice and parts can get a little rocky. There some areas that are secluded but you'll have to walk a bit to get there. Also there aren't much waves here due to the inlet. The beach was also pretty clean and well kept. There was a ship that was moving the sand back and forth so it made a lot of noise. Also, lots of boats and some were going at what seemed really fast so that was concerning to me. A cool thing was there was some wildlife that you can spot here. From a distance we saw dolphins and also manatees that swam very close to shore. read more

Nice small park just north of Daytona Beach. Lots of fishing, surfing, and beach combing opportunities. The pier stretches out into the ocean and gives you a nice view of the Daytona shoreline / cityscape. Didn't check out the lighthouse or the Marine Science Center (was closed). The park closes fairly early, so be sure to get there at latest early afternoon to allow yourself a couple hours to roam. read more

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The best place for an evening sunrise walk with friends the fam and/or the pup! Love love love going here. It's typically extremely well taken care of and never over crowded. Direct access to the Ponce Inlet Jetty and Beach as well. read more

Lighthouse Point Park - Dog on beach - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Well worth the trip!! All the museum buildings have been renovated and in mint shape! Learned a lot about the history of Ponce Inlet. We hiked the lighthouse- it's a steep, long hike and the views are terrific! We truly enjoyed it all!! read more

Haven't been here in years! So glad it's still as calming as always!! Will definitely be coming back more often!! read more

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Still lovely, but male staffers are not so warm & fuzzy. We love this beach. Fyi--since the ladies left, the cat colony needs nibbles. We lv a couple of scoops near the cans, parking stops, & mini lots. Poor starving cat colony...this Earth is big enough for all living things. You bearly know they live in the rocks...beautiful. read more

We loved this entire area! We toured the light house and the surrounding grounds. The park was super cute and the kids had fun playing. Everything was well kept and the public restrooms were clean. read more

Is there really 26 miles of beach around Daytona? That's more beach than the whole of The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ("The Ocean State") and they have great beaches, too. But really, how can you go wrong with an Atlantic-facing beach in FL? And that beautiful breeze and the sound of the surf? Nebraska does not even have an INCH of beach, nor Colorada fer that matter. Five bucks to park, long boardwalk which is half concrete but who cares, squishy squeeky sand. Came here after the tower of terror aka the Ponce lighthouse (kids screaming cos their parents are idiots), and while it was sunny at the lighthouse, the clouds came in at the 4pm beach! bummer! This part of the beach has no cars, but you can see or walk over to the part of the beach where people can park which I think is just fucking awesome. There was a cool snack van and they sold absolutely EVERYTHING, big up to the snack van. I really wanted some ice cream. Lotsa teenage kids hanging around the beach, how cool, I woulda loved to be a teenager hanging out at the beach. read more

Note to dog-owners: to the left, you will find a beautiful, white sand beach. Dogs are not allowed here. To the right, you will find a small, rocky, crowded beach. This is where your dog is allowed to swim. I'm appreciative that they make considerations for dogs at all, but it was a little disappointing. I saw a boy cut his foot pretty bad on the rocks, so be careful! The facilities are nice, with showers, restrooms, and soda machines. read more

This park rivals my favorite in Cocoa because of how large, quiet and clean it is. The sand is soft and powdery and the surf is awesome. The fishing out here is supposed to be good - I have only fished here once and didn't bring in anything to brag about, but the surroundings were so beautiful that I didn't mind it at all. There is NO bait shop however, so remember to bring your own bait and gear, because if you forget or don't have enough of something, you're SOL! Still, with the park being as large, clean and quiet as it is, the fact that it doesn't have much in the way of facilities really isn't a big deal and shouldn't stop anyone from giving this place a try. The boardwalk, picnic tables and bathrooms are all nice, clean and quiet. It is also pet-friendly and only $5 to get in - half the cost of the other beach park I visit! Also, if you do go fishing off of the jetty here, be aware that the waves DO crash over the jetty and wash across the concrete, especially when the tide is coming in. We saw a family lose a cooler and a few other items to this, and we got soaked! So make sure if you are going to be walking along the jetty or hanging around on it for a while that you DO keep anything that is sensitive to water in a waterproof container and that all of your things are weighed down or held on to so that they don't get swept away. This area is also awesome for getting snagged, so popping bobbers and other non-bottom rigs are recommended. Rigging for the bottom WILL get you snagged up quite a bit. I can't wait to get back out here and check out the lighthouse and maybe bring the dog! read more

I really like this place, I went today and had a good time. A week or two ago I came and I ended up stepping on something in the water, it wasn't a oyster. I was in agonizing pain and my foot swelled up. Not sure what it was but I ended up getting really light headed and my muscles were aching as I was walking back to the car. I ended up going to the ER because my foot was just getting worse and so was the pain. The doctor didn't know what had got me but we both agreed that it was something poisonous and it wasn't a oyster. My experience i'm sure was rare and it probably doesn't happen frequently, if you do end up going here i would wear water shoes because the water is murky and you don't know what's at the bottom plus there are a lot of oysters. read more

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I used to come here with my dad when I was a kid. Back then, there was no lighthouse point park, no parking lot, no boardwalks. It was unspoiled salt marsh. Millions of fiddler crabs tunneling into every inch of sand. I once caught a baby octopus in the waters. I was excited when I heard that it was to become a park and be spared development... except the development of the park itself. Paved roads were put into the land, boardwalks, and an enormous parking lot. If you walk into the marshes the crabs are still plentiful, but the wildlife as a whole is not what it once was. I still visit here occasionally, and enjoy the day. If it's only the beach that I'm looking for, Wilber by the Sea offers more seclusion, is closer to town, and has no entrance fee. read more

I love taking my dog to this park! Dogs are to be kept on a leash, but my little girl doesn't mind a bit. It's hardly ever crowded and the beach goers are always friendly. The first time we went it was a bit confusing as to where the dog beach was located, but as you enter and you have the option to turn right or left the dog friendly coastline is directly in front of you. It's currently $10 to enter, however, if you're a local or staying for an extended period of time the season pass is $20 and well worth it! read more

Lighthouse Point Park - On the dog friendly shoreline - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Great park with great views. Do the seasonal pass to save entry fees. You just need to go twice in one year to make up the initial cost.

Such beautiful place for a day at the beach, fishing, surfing and cookouts. I can't think of a better spot for a day in the sun in the county. read more

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The other night I stopped at the park maybe 7:15 pm 1/2 the gate was closed and a cone in front of the pay booth.... lady on a cart doing garbage detail said we couldn't come in. No one can enter after the tool booth closes. No signs to that anywhere! Park says it's open till nine.. they closed it at 7 what's the deal ? another sign on gate said closes at 9pm... I'm not going back.. been going to the park since 1998...I don't need this B.S. 7/1718 update: still haven't been back.. and they published in the N.J. that they can't understand why 1/2 as many people show up at the beach and county park... too many jerks working there.. and it cost more than I want to spend for nothing... that's why.. read more

Great dog-friendly beach in Ponce Inlet! Friendly dog owners, great location! And it's next to the Lighthouse and dog-friendly Hidden Treasure restaurant with great eats on the water. read more

Lighthouse Point Park is VERY dog friendly. yes there are some rocky areas, but go right and towards the point and there is plenty of sandy beach and gentle surf. Our Golden loved it! Easy parking close to the beach path. The $5 admission allows you to drive onto the regular beaches in the same day (without your pets) We will definitely go back. read more

Lighthouse Point Park - Major enjoying the sand and gentle surf at Lighthouse Point park. - Parks Near Me - Ponce Inlet, Florida

I want to remove stars for this park being over an hour from my home, but I guess that's more my fault then theirs so I shall resist. It's a beautiful park, kept quite clean, and very reasonably priced at $5 for admission for our car. That alone is not enough reason for us to travel the distance, but the fact that there's a dog friendly beach certainly is. Hooray for being able to take the dogs to the beach! There are signs posted around to keep your dogs on leashes at all times, and I would say the large majority of people did this, and the ones that did not had well behaved dogs and there were no issues. There are numerous poo bag stations in the event that you don't have anything to clean up after your furry friend. This also meant it was slightly shocking how little dog crap was left, at least that I saw. Again, hooray for responsible pet owners! On some areas of the beach there are these odd tree branches/roots sticking up through the sand. Normally that kind of thing would bug me, but they made perfect posts to temporarily tie dog leashes to. I wouldn't leave them there long, but that's not because they aren't study, we just weren't staying put for too long. Beach day! The dogs experienced sniff overload while there, having to check out every little thing, and getting to see some new things at the same time. One of the pooches even got to check out some crabs which startled him but amused his owner. While I wouldn't drive to this beach without the dogs, if we lived closer this is exactly the kind of beach I would like to frequent. There are quite a few grill stations set up, it's not too busy, and there's tons of room to explore. read more

Parking is very close to the beach ($5 and they only accept cash). Nicely maintained facilities with 8 gender-oriented, family-style rest rooms. Majority of the area on the inlet in this park is dog-friendly. If you want to walk on the sandbars in the inlet on the west end of the park, then make sure you arrive just before low tide. Also if you are there on a day when the wind is strong out of the west/northwest, then you must take a walk out on the jetty pier (awesome splash zone). Our kids had a blast getting soaked by the big waves, but got cold quickly because of the wind. Best to have all your stuff in a water-resistent backpack. read more

What a wonderful place to visit, lots of nature walks, beach is so peaceful and for 10.00 a day cant go wrong.

If you area a dog lover this is the park for you. A 1/4 of the park area is a beach for the dogs and their owners. The rest of the park includes the jetty and fishing pier and the Atlantic Ocean. Excellent for surfing or just relax in the sand. read more

While visiting Daytona Beach we wanted to go to a different beach each day. This by far was our least favorite. We paid $10 to get it and we literally drove around for 10 minutes trying to find a parking spot. Finally found one and we went to check out the beach. It was dirty and packed :( read more

Pretty nice little spot. My mum and I enjoy walking up here during the summertime and relaxing in the shade on the picnic tables. They have some vending machines too. If you look closely while you're on the boardwalk ramps, you can see wildlife like little turtles and crabs scurrying around. It's also a nice place to take our little doggy. He loves the park! read more

I found in a local paper all the dog parks for Volusia County. This one stated that dogs can play "on the beach". I go to the park and on this particular late afternoon there is to be a shuttle lift off happening in Cape Canaveral . There is a beach on the bay side, a jetty with a walk way and a beach on the Atlantic ocean. I walked my dog all the way from the parking lot to the beach on the Atlantic because when I visited the Sand Dunes across the bay in New Smyrna the water gets deep very fast and the currents are strong so for the safety of my dogs I thought I would go to Atlantic beach side which is much safer. Once I get to the beach there is a sign stuck in the sand "NO ANIMALS". Why was this sign not at the beginning of the trail near the parking lot instead????? So I thought I'll walk my dog on the boardwalk to see the shuttle only to have some VERY rude people inform that is also prohibited. I guess you are just suppose to know that automatically by a sign that is posted 15 ft away in the sand. Why is there not a sign that states dogs are ONLY allowed on the bay side in the parking lot. I guess it's because the people that go to this park enjoy policing it like it's their private backyard and try to make themselves superior by talking down to someone who has never been there before. Also; while walking in the area; I have never witnessed so many miserable people near a beach area before in my life. Wow is all I can say. If you want to hang out with snooty, self-entitled people who are rude and mean than by all means go to this park. read more