Lake Ashby Park - Park in New Smyrna Beach - 4150 Boy Scout Camp Rd, USA

Lake Ashby Park is a hidden gem in central Florida halfway between Sanford and Daytona Beach! It is FREE to access, and is a beautiful, well-kept, and peaceful park complete with a boardwalk over Lake Ashby, hiking trail, horseback riding trails, a playground, plenty of parking, an easy access road (all paved, no dirt road here), picnic tables, grills, and even a hidden beach! Yes, you heard me correctly: Lake Ashby has a hidden beach! You obviously need to be mindful of alligators, but head to the right of the boardwalk and you’ll find a little river flowing into the lake - at the mouth of the river, there is really nice white sand and a whole beach area you can relax at! The coolest thing about this river is there are actually a few rapids along it - this is one of the only rivers in the whole state of Florida that has any amount of rapids (keep in mind it’s literally only like 4 inches tall, but better than nothing) and it’s just cool to hear flowing water for a change!! Every other river across this state has stagnant water that barely flows - this is different!! Be sure to walk out to the boardwalk, because if you’re lucky, you might be the only one there…as I found! I came around 4 pm on a weekday in August right after it rained, so it cooled down a lot - I was the only person there. Such a beautiful, peaceful place! I love this place!

Suuuuper nice!! Great playground, great bathrooms, clean, and amazing unreal views. Had some picnic tables, grills, campgrounds, nature walks and a beach area (no swimming obviously allowed) great for sun bathing! GPS will probably want you to go straight into a home but when that situation arises, turn left and wait for the correct entrance on the right side. It currently does have an area under construction(board walk) but will not interfere with your day!

We have been here many times and love this park. Plenty of parking, lots of grills, picnic tables, multiple covered shelters, volleyball court, playground, bathrooms, campsites, and a beautiful boardwalk hike. So quiet and peaceful!

Such a peaceful walk. It's very short, and the dogs love it.

Meh , I could have used a nature walk but instead I found the only dirt boat ramp on the lake and thought that was all there was too it. A couple was fishing near shore said there’s a few alligators out there in the water so they didn’t venture out very far. Next time I will have to find the park and walk the trails.

Update - 11/6/22 - the nature trail and boardwalk are currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Ian. You can go through at your own risk past the closure notice. The boardwalk has lots of missing boards and some downed trees along it, though, so be careful. Great park with a huge boardwalk over the lake and wetlands. Massive old cypress trees are along the shore. There is a nice playground and restrooms.

Well kept and a beautiful walking experience. If you walk to the boardwalk, bring bug spray, there are a ton of mosquitoes in the woods. The grounds are nice and clean and there are plenty of trashcans and parking spots. The bathrooms were also surprisingly clean!

Beautiful park all around. Great boardwalk and view. At times eerily quiet as you walk along it. Helps to reset ones mind.