Places to Check out

Greater Daytona Beach Bird Watching Guide

Here are a few of our favorite places that make up our local "patch". We visit these localities often!

Distances to destination are measured from the intersection of US1 and International Speedway Boulevard.

Download a hard copy of the information here

Directions start from  the nearest major intersection near each location. Clicking on an address will bring up a map to view. Links are included for more information.

1. Tomoka State Park/Bulow Creek State Park

2099 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach

11 Miles 22 Minutes

Drive east on SR 40 (Granada Blvd.) to Beach Street, 2nd traffic light. Go north 4 miles to state park entrance. Extensive marsh areas and coastal hammock featuring large live oaks. Excellent in winter for ducks and other water birds. Oaks mean good songbird habitat.

https://floridabirdingtrail.com/trail/trail-sections/east-section/tomoka-state-park/ 

https://www.floridastateparks.org/Tomoka

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bulow-creek-state-park

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L832186

2. Sanchez Park

329 Sanchez Ave. Ormond Beach

7.5 Miles 16 Minutes

From North Beach Street and Granada, go north on Beach Street 1.2 miles to Sanchez Ave. Turn left and drive .3 miles west to the park.Tall pines and live oaks make for good birding year round.

https://www.ormondbeach.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Sanchez-Park-56

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2610650

3. Ormond Central Park

601 Division Ave. Ormond Beach

6.2 Miles 13 Minutes

From Nova Rd. drive east on Division Ave. .3 miles to the Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center. Access trails north and south. Excellent birding during migration. Water features insure lots of waders.

https://www.ormondbeach.org/edc

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L132478

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4840996

4. Tiger Bay State Forest

4316 W International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach

12 Miles 20 Minutes

From US 92 and Tomoka Farms Road, go west on us 92 approx. 6.1 milesto Forest headquarters bldg. on the right. Entrance to the Forest is .8 mileswest to sign indicating Tomoka WMA. Make a sharp right onto old brickroad and drive 300’ to the check in station. Brown-headed Nuthatch, PineWarbler and Bachman’s Sparrow are here year round.

https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Tiger-Bay-State-Forest

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L677081

5. Museum of Arts & Sciences

352 S. Nova Rd. Daytona Beach

1.8 Miles 6 Minutes

From Nova Rd and Beville Rd. go north 1.3 miles to Museum Blvd. Turnleft then quickly bear right along the north side of the canal. Turn right into Museum parking. Tuscawilla Preserve surrounds the Museum. Excellent during migration.

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L9718765

https://www.moas.org/

6. Sugar Mill Gardens

950 Old Sugar Mill Rd. Port Orange

12 Minutes 6.1 Miles

From Nova Rd. and Herbert Street in Port Orange, go east on Herbert St. Just past 1st stop sign, Jackson Street, bear left onto Old Sugar Mill Road. Gardens are 200’ east on the left, parking on the right. Excellent in migration. Look for resident Barred Owls.

http://www.dunlawtonsugarmillgardens.org/index.html

7. Buschman Park

4575 Spruce Creek Rd, Port Orange.

14 Minutes 6.4 Miles

From Nova Rd. and Dunlawton Ave., go east on Dunlawton 2.8 miles to Spruce Creek Road. Turn right on Spruce Creek .8 miles to park entrance on the left. Wading birds, songbirds, Barred Owls.

https://www.port-orange.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Buschman-Park-4

8. Spruce Creek Park

6250 S Ridgewood Ave, Port Orange

17 Minutes  8.6 Miles

From Nova Rd. and US 1, drive south on US 1 .8 miles to the park entrance. Excellent for waders and ducks in winter. On the fishing dock look across to the west for Bald Eagle perched in trees.

https://www.volusia.org/services/community-services/parks-recreation-and-culture/parks-and-trails/park-facilities-and-locations/ecological-nature-parks/spruce-creek-park.stml

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L463159

9. Port Orange Causeway Park

93 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange

12 Minutes  5.6 Miles

From US 1 and Dunlawton Ave. drive east on Dunlawton .6 miles. Turn right at the foot of the bridge on Seabird Island Drive and then immediately turn left to drive under the bridge to access parking area.Excellent at low tide for all kinds of shorebirds, waders, etc.

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1133325

https://www.port-orange.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Port-Orange-Causeway-Park-22

10. Frank Rendon Park

2705 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores

11 Minutes  4.7 Miles

From Dunlawton and A1A, drive north 2.2 miles on A1A to the park entrance. In winter the beach here hosts one of the largest concentrations of gulls in the country.

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L499004

11. Lighthouse Point Park

5000 S Atlantic Ave, Ponce Inlet

24 Minutes  12 Miles

From Dunlawton Ave. and A1A, drive south on S. Atlantic Ave. 5.5 miles to park entrance. Road dead ends at this point. Coastal hammock is good for songbirds. Beaches are good for Sanderling, Willet, gulls, terns, skimmers, etc. In Winter look offshore for diving Northern Gannets and along the Ponce Inlet jetty look for Purple Sandpiper.

https://floridabirdingtrail.com/trail/trail-sections/east-section/lighthouse-point-park/

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127376

12. Tomoka Landfill

1990 Tomoka Farms Rd, Port Orange

18 Minutes 8.8 Miles

From Tomoka Farms Rd. and US 92, drive south on Tomoka Farms Rd. 2.7 miles to the Landfill entrance. Turn right into entrance and drive to the office on the right. Check in there BEFORE driving into the landfill. This is a working area with fast moving large trucks. Be sure when you park you’re off the road. Watch for Bald Eagles, gulls, shorebirds in any wet areas and vultures, crows, etc.

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L373196

https://www.volusia.org/services/public-works/solid-waste-and-recycling/garbage-collection/overview-and-guidelines.stml

OTHER IMPORTANT BIRDING AREAS OUTSIDE OF GREATER DAYTONA BEACH

Going North

Washington Oaks State Gardens State Park

6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast

46 Minutes 35 Miles

Excellent in migration with beautiful formal gardens. Drive across A1A to the beach for shorebirds, gulls, terns and one of Florida’s only rocky beaches.

Fort Matanzas

8635 A1A S, St. Augustine

53 Minutes  41 Miles

From Washington Oaks continue north on A1A for 10 miles. The park is on the left not far past the bridge at Matanzas Inlet. Be sure to take the ferry to the fort.

Going South

Smyrna Dunes Park

2995 N Peninsula Ave, New Smyrna Beach

35 Minutes 18 Miles

Take US 1 south to New Smyrna Beach, to the first traffic light south of the airport, Wayne Ave. Turn left and go to the end of the road and follow the curve onto N. Riverside Drive. Turn left at the next traffic light, N. Causeway. Follow the road across the bridge and turn left at the traffic light at the end of the bridge, N. Peninsula Ave. Follow the road to its end at the entrance.

Canaveral National Seashore

7611 S Atlantic Avenue, New Smyrna Beach

41 Minutes  25 Miles

Take US 1 south and turn left onto the South Causeway to A1A. Follow the road 2.6 miles till it turns into A1A. The road ends at the entrance to the Seashore.

Merritt Island NWR

Scrub Jay Way, Titusville

57 Minutes 55 Miles

Take I-95 south to Exit 220, Garden St./SR406. Turn east and follow the road across the Max Brewer Bridge. Continue east and when the road curves bear right. The Visitor’s Center is several miles east. The wealth of habitats attract great numbers of birds all year but especially in winter. A Mecca of birding.

Going West

Lake Woodruff NWR

2045 Mud Lake Road, DeLeon Springs

38 Minutes 27 Miles

Take US 92 west from Daytona Beach to US 17, in DeLand. Turn right and go north 4.7 miles to West Davis St. Turn left and go west to Grand Ave. Turn left and go south .3 miles to Mud Lake Road. Turn right. The Headquarters/office is on the right just after you turn. Continue west on Mud Lake Road. It ends in the parking lot.