Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park

• 6656 South Atlantic Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
• 
  (386) 423-3300
  

Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park is located south of New Smyrna Beach. It is a beachfront Volusia County Park that has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers, BBQ grills and is also handicapped accessible.

The riverside park area features a lot of recreational choices like basketball, volleyball, and tennis.  They also have a playground for the kids, a fishing pier, and restrooms.  Like the rest of New Smyrna Beach, there are a lot of wildlife viewing opportunities at the park.  You might see manatees, dolphins, and pelicans among many other species.

The beach side of the park has plenty of free parking and almost 800 feet of direct beach sidewalk.  It also has picnic tables and nice restrooms with outdoor showers for cleaning off after a long day at the beach.

The park is named after Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.  She was a civil rights pioneer and an educator who was the founder of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida.  She recently had a statue unveiled at the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall.  She is the first Black person selected by a state to have a statue in the hall, which is a groundbreaking distinction.

One thing that visitors like is that Mary McLeod Bethune Park has a lifeguard on duty and that it is located on a quiet stretch of beach that people can’t drive on.  There are lots of seashells to collect if that is your thing, and it is also a good surf fishing spot.  People catch whiting, catfish, and pompanos right off the beach.

The six-acre park is a great choice for families because it is a little quieter than the New Smyrna Beach town beaches (especially near Flagler Avenue) while still having lots of activities.  Next time you are in New Smyrna Beach, definitely check out Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park.