If you enjoy a little history with your camping experience, you'll find exactly what you need at Florida's Tomoka State Park.
About 80 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center and the same distance south of Jacksonville, Florida on a peninsula of land that juts out into the confluence of the Tomoka Halifax Rivers is the Tomoka State Park. This 1800 acre park is named after the Timucuan Indians, a group of Native Americans who inhabited the area (as well as most of Northeast Florida) centuries ago. In the early 1600's Spanish Explorers found the Timucua living on this peninsula in a village called Nocoroco, which no longer exists. The most prominent reminder of this Native American people are shell middens; mounds of oyster and snail shells (a primary staple of the Timucuan diet) that can reach 40 feet in height at the banks of the rivers.
Today, visitors to this Florida State Park can hike, camp and picnic beneath the same shade of Live Oak trees (the largest stand of old growth Live Oak in Eastern Florida) that the Timucuans did. The Fred Dana Marsh Museum houses works by artist Fred Dana Marsh as well as exhibits on the ecology and history of Tomoka State Park.
Outdoor activities at the park include:
Camping - 100 campsites with picnic table, grill, electric and water.
Nature Trails - Trod the same ground that ancient Native Americans did hundreds of years ago.
Picnicking - 5 separate picnic areas throughout the park with covered pavilions and grills.
Boating - Caution is the word of the day when boating on the nearby rivers and tributaries because all of the waters in the vicinity of Tomoka State Park are designated as manatee sanctuaries. Idle and slow speeds are strictly enforced by park rangers and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers.
Canoeing - Rentals are available.
Fishing - 90 different species of fish have been identified in the Tomoka River.
Tomoka State park offers a unique opportunity to combine outdoor activities in a historical environment.
