Eustis FloridaBEACHES & WATERFRONT ESCAPES
Listed below are the best beaches and waterfront escapes near Eustis, Florida.
1. Lincoln Avenue Community Park
LOCAL LAKE ACCESS
Lincoln Avenue Community Park offers Eustis residents convenient access to lakefront recreation. The park provides a peaceful setting for swimming, picnicking, and enjoying water views in a community-oriented environment. Visitors appreciate the well-maintained facilities and the opportunity to cool off during hot Florida days.
2. Wekiwa Springs State Park
CRYSTAL CLEAR SPRINGS
Wekiwa Springs State Park features a natural spring with crystal-clear waters maintaining a refreshing 72 degrees year-round. Visitors can swim in the spring's large swimming area, rent canoes or kayaks to explore the Wekiva River, or enjoy picnicking and hiking on nearby trails. The park's natural setting and abundant wildlife make it a popular escape from the Florida heat.
3. Lake Louisa State Park
SCENIC LAKE RECREATION
Lake Louisa State Park encompasses beautiful lakefront areas with sandy beaches perfect for swimming and sunbathing. The park features six lakes where visitors can enjoy fishing, canoeing, and kayaking in a tranquil natural setting. Nature enthusiasts appreciate the park's diverse ecosystems, wildlife viewing opportunities, and extensive hiking trails.
4. Juniper Springs Recreation Area
HISTORIC NATURAL SPRINGS
Juniper Springs Recreation Area offers a pristine swimming area surrounded by lush subtropical forest in the Ocala National Forest. The historic site features crystal-clear springs bubbling up from underground aquifers, creating a natural pool perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Visitors can also enjoy the famous Juniper Springs Run, one of Florida's most scenic kayak routes through a winding jungle-like setting.
5. Blue Spring State Park
MANATEE VIEWING HAVEN
Blue Spring State Park centers around a first-magnitude spring that creates a vibrant blue swimming hole during warm months. The park serves as a manatee refuge during winter, where hundreds of the gentle giants can be observed in the crystal-clear waters. Visitors can swim, snorkel, tube, or kayak along the spring run when the water is open for recreation.
6. New Smyrna Beach
ICONIC ATLANTIC COASTLINE
New Smyrna Beach offers 17 miles of white sandy beaches along Florida's central Atlantic coast just an hour from Eustis. The beach is famous for its hard-packed sand that allows for driving on designated areas and its consistent waves that attract surfers from around the region. Visitors enjoy swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and exploring the charming beachside community with its shops and restaurants.
7. Smyrna Dunes Park
DIVERSE COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
Smyrna Dunes Park encompasses a 73-acre preserve situated on a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. The park features a two-mile elevated boardwalk that winds through five distinct Florida ecosystems, leading to pristine beaches where visitors can swim and sunbathe. Nature enthusiasts appreciate the park's unspoiled beauty, wildlife viewing opportunities, and dog-friendly beach area.
8. Honeymoon Island State Park
UNSPOILED WHITE SANDS
Honeymoon Island State Park features four miles of unspoiled white sandy beaches considered some of the most pristine in Florida. A scenic causeway connects the mainland to this natural paradise where visitors can swim, fish, snorkel, and look for shells along the shoreline. The park also offers a pet-friendly beach area, making it a favorite for families wanting to bring their four-legged companions for a day at the shore.
9. John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
NATURAL ATLANTIC BEACH
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park preserves a rare stretch of natural beach and tropical hammock along the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach County. The park offers swimming, snorkeling, and paddling opportunities in its clear waters and around nearshore rock reefs. Nature lovers appreciate the park's undeveloped coastline, abundant wildlife, and educational nature center.
10. Ormond Beach
HISTORIC RACING BEACH
Ormond Beach features hard-packed sands that once hosted the first automobile races in the United States, earning it the nickname 'The Birthplace of Speed.' Visitors enjoy swimming in the Atlantic waters, walking or driving on the wide beach, and fishing from the shore or nearby piers. The beach town offers convenient amenities including restrooms, parking, and nearby dining options making it a comfortable day trip from Eustis.