Exploring Tomoka State Park

This past weekend we went camping at Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach, Florida.  It was cloudy, rainy, damp and chilly; the sun never came out and the temperatures barely reached 60F degrees but we tried to make the most of our trip.

About Tomoka State Park

The 1,800-acre park, located along the Tomoka River, is home to Nocoroco, a Timucuan Indian village which was inhabited over 1,000 years  ago.  It was the first Native American village south of St. Augustine noted by Alvaro Mexia during his east coast expedition of 1605.

Today, the park protects a variety of wildlife habitats and endangered species, such as the West Indian manatee.  Tomoka State Park is part of The Great Florida Birding Trail since it is home to over 150 species of birds including the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier and the American White Ibis.

There's plenty to do at the park.  You can hike, view wildlife, camp, fish, canoe and kayak.  Tomoka State Park is also designated as a Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail.

Park Adventures

We set up camp on Thursday afternoon and enjoyed Ma's cooking in the evening - Dutch Oven Lasagna cooked in the fire pit.  Yum. 

Friday was cloudy and cool, a perfect day for exploring the park.  We headed out from our campsite after breakfast and immediately came upon animal tracks in the road.  There were all kinds of tracks - deer, armadillo, raccoon and even bobcat! 

We made sure to check out the monument to Chief Tomokie, the head of the Timucuan tribe, who was killed over a golden cup.  Legend has it that Chief Tomokie haunts the park as a reddish mist.  We didn't see anything but it sure made for a spooky story around the campfire.

We walked and hiked through hardwood hammocks as well as along the shell-strewn river banks.  

We only took breaks a few times during our 5-mile adventure since it was nice and cool.  Daddy-dog had my water bowl for when I was thirsty and I knew Ma had a pocket full of Zuke's Power Bones so I could eat treats as we walked to keep my energy up. 

It Helps to Take a Civil Engineer Camping

Saturday's forecast was for rain, rain and more rain.  Despite this, Uncle Robbie was determined to go canoeing; Ma and Daddy-dog begged off for a walk around the 100-site campground instead.  So off everyone went on their separate adventures.

It wasn't too far into our walk when Mother Nature let loose with some rain; Ma, Daddy-dog and I ran for the cover of the restrooms.  Once there, Ma remembered that Uncle Robbie had left his tent windows open so we ran back to the campsite.  What we found was "A River Runs Through It"...ALL the runoff from the campground road was streaming through our campsite and right under our tents!  As if our camping trip could not get any soggier?!?

Then, it was Daddy-dog the Engineer to the rescue!  He found his little gardening spade and started building a little dam across the campsite.  Once the dam was up, he dug out canals through the campsite, directing the water to where HE wanted it to go...which was AROUND our tent, not under it.

Final Thoughts on Tomoka State Park

Tomoka State Park is a beautiful park located in Central Florida that protects both wildlife and a bit of Florida history.  On a sunny day, there is a lot to do and see within the park.  However, if you are tent camping, I would stay away from campsite # 5 (unless you are an engineer or in water management) as the site seems to be the water retention area for the whole campground.

What new places will you be exploring?  
Do you need treats for your next adventure? 

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*High Paws* to Zuke's for providing the giveaway prizes 

and for Fueling My Outdoor Adventures in Tomoka State Park!