Tomoka State Park is an
Florida State Park
There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists.
Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...
located along the
Tomoka River, three miles (5 km) north of
Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach is a city in central Florida in Volusia County. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan ...
on North Beach Street.
Fauna
Among the
wildlife
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...
of the park are
West Indian manatee
The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the eastern US to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on un ...
s,
alligators
An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additionall ...
,
white-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
,
gopher tortoise
The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide ...
s,
bobcats, and 160 species of birds. Seasonal birds of prey include the
bald eagle,
peregrine falcon, and
northern harrier
The northern harrier (''Circus hudsonius''), or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA.
The northern harrier migrates to more southerly areas ...
. The park's wading birds include
egret
Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
s,
herons,
wood stork
The wood stork (''Mycteria americana'') is a large American wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks), the only member of the family to breed in North America. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", though it is not an ibis. It is found ...
and
American white ibis.
Historic status
Within the park is the site of the
Timucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The v ...
n village of
Nocoroco, located on the
Tomoka River. Researchers suggest that the land containing the Tomoka Mound Complex just south of the Nocoroco village site was occupied as early as 5000 B.C.
It was also the location of a plantation owned by Richard Oswald, a wealthy Scottish merchant, who owned the plantation throughout the British rule of Florida. It became a state park in 1945.
[ On May 7, 1973, it was added to the ]U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Recreational activities
Activities include canoeing, boating, and fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
, as well as hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
, camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...
, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Other amenities include a one-half mile nature trail
An educational trail (or sometimes educational path), nature trail or nature walk is a specially developed hiking trail or footpath that runs through the countryside, along which there are marked stations or stops next to points of natural, techn ...
, a paved 1 mile multiuse trail, a boat ramp, five picnic areas, ample areas for fishing, and one hundred campsites.
Hours
Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and Midnight every day of the year (including holidays).
Gallery
File:Ormond Beach FL Tomoka SP sign01.jpg
File:Ormond Beach FL Tomoka SP entr01.jpg
File:Ormond Beach FL Tomoka SP Chief Tomokie sculp01.jpg
References
External links
Tomoka State Park
a
Florida State Parks
a
Absolutely Florida
Tomoka State Park
a
Wildernet
a
National Register of Historic Places
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
*
Volusia County listings
*
Volusia County markers
*
Nocoroco
a
{{authority control
State parks of Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Volusia County, Florida
Museums in Volusia County, Florida
Art museums and galleries in Florida
Protected areas established in 1945
Parks in Volusia County, Florida
Ormond Beach, Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Florida
1945 establishments in Florida