Take a short stroll through scenic Ponce Preserve in Ponce Inlet to view this majestic 350-year-old live oak tree, which sits at the foot of the Green Mound State Archaeological Site, an ancient Native American midden. Don’t miss it!
Ponce Preserve
Ponce Inlet
Lighthouse Point Park Revisited
After a great lunch at DJ’s Deck in Port Orange (I highly recommend the rare Tuna Sandwich basket with fries!), we headed to Ponce Inlet to wander around. We parked at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and strolled to the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park. We got there just in time to catch the end of a surfing competition, so the place was bustling with activity! We headed back via the boardwalk in a quest to view some gopher tortoises, but no such luck this time. All in all, a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, wouldn’t you say?
Ponce Inlet Revisited
We arrived at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet early on Friday to attempt some beach time before the crowds started descending for Memorial Day Weekend. However, when we arrived just after 8 AM, the parking lot was full. So, we parked at the Marine Science Center (which has been closed temporarily to help slow the spread of the coronavirus). Fortunately, the beach was nearly deserted because just about all the cars in the parking lot were owned by surfers (at least 100!) already out on the water. And let me tell you, there were definitely some huge waves on this day! The rip tide was intense as well and we saw a couple of young ladies get rescued by a lifeguard. Also, we roamed around the boardwalk and saw six Florida gopher tortoises in the dunes. On the way back, we hit DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a great lunch (it’s all outside and tables were a good distance apart). Bottom line: An awesome way to start the long holiday weekend!
Hike #36: Ponce Preserve, Ponce Inlet
Hike #36: 52 Hike Challenge: Ponce Preserve, Ponce Inlet. The 41-acre Ponce Preserve, the largest park in Ponce Inlet, stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Halifax River and encompasses the Green Mound Archaeological Site (ancient Native American midden). The amazing live oak at the base of the Green Mound is estimated to be more than 350 years old. A highly recommended hike! Distance: 2.4 miles.
Did You Know …
The 175-foot Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet served as inspiration for Stephen Crane’s famous short story, “The Open Boat”? First published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1897, “The Open Boat” was based on Crane’s ordeal of surviving a shipwreck off the coast of Florida earlier that year. Crane and three other survivors used the lighthouse to navigate their small boat to shore: “A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats.” According to none other than H. G. Wells, “The Open Boat” was “beyond all question, the crown of all [Crane’s] work.” Originally known as Mosquito Inlet Light Station, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the third tallest lighthouse in the United States.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse
At 175 feet, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse at Ponce Inlet is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the third tallest lighthouse in the United States (behind Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina and Cape Charles Lighthouse in Virginia). Take the 203 steps to the top of the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse for spectacular views of Ponce Inlet and the surrounding area. Built in 1883, the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse was originally known as the Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse.
Hike #32: Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet
Hike #32, 52 Hike Challenge: Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet. The perfect day trip for hikers, Lighthouse Point Park ($10 entrance fee) lies at the southern end of Ponce Inlet. I wandered around the beach, jetty and boardwalk of Lighthouse Point Park, then headed toward the Marine Science Center and Ponce de Leon Lighthouse. Both Lighthouse Point Park and the Marine Science Center offer short nature trails, the latter which leads to an observation tower. We topped the day off with a visit to DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a later lunch and viewed some dolphins frolicking in the distance. Distance: 2 miles.
Wandering Florida 