A Day At The Park in New Smryna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
I’ve lived in Central Florida for three years and have visited New Smyrna Beach dozens of times, but I just recently discovered the fun and convenience of the 27th Avenue Park.
The way my family enjoys the Atlantic coastline may be forever changed.
Free Public Beach
When we normally visit New Smyrna Beach, we take advantage of being able to drive and park on the beach. Parking on the beach is convenient if you’ve packed a cooler, beach chairs, umbrella, sand toys and multiple beach bags loaded with supplies for a family of four. However, the parking spots on the beach are a good (safe) distance from the water, which means choosing between setting up camp away from your vehicle or taking multiple trips back and forth between the ocean and your supplies. If you have very young children, you also need to be particularly mindful of the traffic on the beach.
Another alternative is to park your vehicle for free at the 27th Avenue Park, located at 27th Avenue and South Atlantic Boulevard. Parking and admission to this beach-front park is free and available from sunrise to sunset.
Because you’ll be parking and walking to the sand, you should consider leaving the bulk of your beach supplies at home. Of course, if you’re vacationing in the area, you probably don’t have much more than swimsuits and towels anyway. Our recent trip with three adults and two children required just two beach bags loaded up with towels, sunscreen, cameras and a few dollar bills.
At the park, you’ll find a playground, easy access to the beach, restrooms, covered picnic areas (including grills) and outdoor showers. While the outdoor showers did not prevent the need for a trip to the car wash, we were all considerably less sandy than we usually find ourselves after a trip to the beach.
Playground at 27th Avenue Park
Public Restrooms and Showers
Picnic at the Beach
If you don’t have a cooler, a food trailer is just a few steps down the beach. You can find reasonably priced drinks, sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream. Because what’s a trip to the beach on a hot sunny day without ice cream?
Treats at New Smyrna Beach
If you’re vacationing in the Orlando, Florida area and have set aside time to see the ocean, the 27th Avenue Park in New Smyrna Beach is a convenient and cost effective place to spend the day. There are restaurants nearby if you want hardier fare prepared by someone else, as well as plenty of hotels if you decide to spend the night.
All photos by Britt Reints