Volusia park among top 5 most sought-after New Year's Day nature walks, website says
Unlike Christmas, there aren’t many established traditions to celebrate New Year’s Day.
But given that we start the year off with a holiday and we're expected to see some cool weather this weekend, a nature walk might be a good idea.
Volusia County residents, in fact, have one of the most sought-after nature walk destinations in the country in the Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach — at least according to Sustainable Jungle.
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The website offers “tips, tricks, hacks, products, brands and inspiring stories all centered around sustainability.”
Recently, Sustainable Jungle commissioned a survey aimed at discovering the best nature walks for New Year’s Day.
Three thousand families participated, sharing which U.S. walks they would most like to experience at the start of 2024.
Here is what the results showed:
Tomoka State Park among the top 10 nature walks
Out of the several possible parks or natural areas that could have made the list, Volusia’s own Tomoka State Park came in fourth on the website’s list.
Tomoka State Park “offers scenic trails where families can enjoy a leisurely walk amidst natural beauty,” according to Sustainable Jungle.
According to the Florida State Parks website, the Ormond Beach park “is a bird-watcher's paradise, with over 160 species sighted, especially during the spring and fall migrations.”
Visitors can stroll a half-mile nature trail "through a hardwood hammock that was once an indigo field for an 18th-century British landowner.”
Icon of Ormond Beach: Tomoka Park, since 1918 a place to picnic and boat
The park is also home to and protects several wildlife habitats and endangered species, such as the West Indian manatee.
Tomoka State Park is open daily, from 8 a.m. to sundown, and is located at 2099 N. Beach St. in Ormond Beach.
For information, visit floridastateparks.org/Tomoka or call 386-676-4050.
Other trails, parks featured among top sought-after New Year’s Day nature walks
Only one state managed to figure twice in the top 5: Hawaii.
The two locations featured were the Lanikai Pillbox Hike and the Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens Trail, both located in Oahu.
Lanikai Pillbox Hike, in fact, came in at the top of list as the most sought-after New Year’s Day nature walk for next year.
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“Lanikai Pillbox Hike is a 1.6-mile hike offering panoramic views of Lanikai and Kailua,” according to Sustainable Jungle. “It can be a challenging hike with some rocky parts, ideal for families who hike often.”
Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens Trail was third.
“This 1.9-mile trail is more of a walk than a hike, passing through beautiful botanical gardens and ending at Waimea Falls.”
Second and fifth on the list were the Lookout Mountain Trails in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
The Tennessean trails vary in difficulty in an area that is “perfect for families.”
“The Guild-Hardy Trail is a popular option, providing a relatively easy and scenic walk through the forest with views of Chattanooga.”
Carlsbad Caverns National Park “offers a unique experience of exploring cool cave formations. The Big Room trail is around 1.25+ miles and has an option to take an elevator back up, which can be great for kids.”
Other parks and trails included in the top 10 are located in Georgia, Virginia, Texas and Washington.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tomoka State Park among top New Year's Day nature walks in U.S.
