City famous for its beach, where the hard-packed sand allows motorized vehicles to drive on the beach
General Information
The beach is open to vehicles from 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or sundown whichever is earlier from May 1 through October 31, and between sunrise to sunset from November 1 to April 30, tides permitting
There is a year-round $20 per day per vehicle access fee to drive on the beach; this includes one same-day re-entry. Annual beach passes are $25 for Volusia County residents and $100 for non-residents
Daytona Beach is "The World's Most Famous Beach," with 23 miles of white, hard-packed sand where cars can still drive in designated areas at up to 10 mph. It is the headquarters of NASCAR and home to Daytona International Speedway, and draws huge crowds for motorsports events, along with a classic boardwalk, pier, and oceanfront strip.
The firm sand attracted auto and motorcycle speed trials from 1902, and the first stock car race ran on the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1936. NASCAR's William France Sr. built the Speedway in 1958 to replace the beach course.
Major Events
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Daytona | January |
| Speedweeks and the Daytona 500 | Early February |
| Bike Week | Early March |
| Coke Zero Sugar 400 | August |
| Biketoberfest | Late October |
Things to Do
- Daytona International Speedway: guided tours and interactive exhibits on NASCAR history
- Boardwalk and Pier: arcades, rides, restaurants, and the Daytona Beach Bandshell (a 1937 coquina rock amphitheater)
- Beach: swimming, surfing, and beach walks
- Museums: the Museum of Arts & Sciences and the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art
- Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse: one of the tallest lighthouses in the country
- Nature: the Marine Science Center, kayak eco-tours, and Tomoka State Park
Top Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boardwalk and Beach Walk | Varies | Easy | Ocean views, shops, and restaurants |
| Ponce Preserve Trail | About 1 mile loop | Easy | Coastal hammock, dunes, and Halifax River views |
| Tomoka State Park Nature Trails | Varies | Easy | Coastal forest and river |
| Central Park Trail System (Ormond Beach) | About 7 miles | Easy | Wetlands and woodlands |
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for Daytona Beach, Florida, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
