Tomoka State Park
Exploring Florida One Campground at a Time
We drove by signs for Tomoka State Park countless times as we drove up I95 past Daytona Beach and finally made reservations to stay at the park. We had heard great things about the park and were surprised to find open spots. Florida State Parks book up so quickly, so we could not help wondering if there was something wrong with the park. Now that we have visited, we can confirm that this is a great park and you should put it on your list to visit. This park is filled with outdoor adventure and great camping.
The Campground
The first thing that you will notice about this campground is the long dirt road filled with big holes on your way to the campground. It had been raining excessively and it was a very bumpy road to the campground. We had that initial sunken feeling wondering if we had finally found a bad Florida State Park. But then we arrived at our campground site and our fears were quickly forgotten because the campground is beautiful. The sites are wooded which creates privacy from your neighbors and a lovely campsite. The park has 97 sites with water and electric, and one dump station for the park. The dump station did have a hose, but no place to hookup your own hose so no tank rinse. The max RV length is 34 feet, which we think contributes to the park not filling up as quickly as most state parks. Although the park has a max length, we thought the sites were good sized. We love to be tucked away in our campsite and not to see our neighbors, which is exactly how these sites are designed. This was one of our very favorite Florida State Park campsites we have stayed in over the past two years. Our helpful hints to everyone, bring bug spray and be prepared for dirt in your camper. The dirt is sandy and finds it way into everything especially if you have dogs to help that process along. But no worries, you will hardly notice with all the fun you will have until you are leaving and trying to clean up.
Things To Do
When I think about this park, I think of it as a “traditional” state park. Not sure if that is a thing? It has a rough, heading out into the woods feel. This is the type of park you go to if you want to have that real camping feel, even if you are glamping in your RV like us. This park is a dream for campfires, fishing, exploring, and boating. You can launch your motorboat or kayak at the boat ramp located at the head of the Tomoka River. You can launch your kayaks from almost any point around the state park and paddle your way around exploring the waterways. There are a ton of places to pull up a truck right to the edge of the water and set up a fishing camp for the day. There are a ton of roads you can bike, drive or hike, but not many full hiking trails. You can add in a little educational experience learning about Chief Tomokie and the Timucua Indians. When you are ready for a break, The Tomoka Outpost is ready for you. It is a really cute general store that has all of your camping needs, including lunch, ice cold beverages, souvenirs and stickers, kayak rentals, farwood, and ice. Our favorite part was the refreshing Tomoka EPA and bundles of farwood that we made good use of each night! If you want to get out of the park and explore the surrounding areas, the state park is located close to Ormond Beach, Daytona, and Flagler Beach.
We enjoyed our stay at this park. It might have been because the park was AMAZING, it could have been that we just needed a relaxing weekend to get away from the stresses of life, or it could have been that we had friends join us for the weekend. Perhaps it was the combination of it all. Whatever the reason, this park quickly became one of our favorites and one that we will return. We spent a lot of our time in kayaks exploring the Tomoka River. We went on a morning kayak run down the river for a total four-mile round trip paddle. The river was peaceful, beautiful, and a relatively easy paddle. We recovered with a Tomoka EPA from the Outpost. We also went on an evening paddle with our kayaks exploring the little islands around Tomoka as the sun was setting and our friends were fishing. They were fishing, not catching… but still having a great time. We spent a lot of time enjoying our campsite, cooking meals, and enjoying the fire. We recommend you give this park a visit to see if you enjoy it as much as us.
