Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park

Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park is located 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and 1 mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park. This beachfront, handicapped accessible county park has restrooms, large picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800’ of direct beachfront sidewalk. The riverside park area is located a short distance across S. Atlantic Avenue and has tennis, pickle ball, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river area around the park is an excellent location for viewing manatees, dolphins and pelicans. Bethune Beach stands out in the area's history as well as it was the only beach in the first half of the twentieth century that African Americans were permitted to use. It is named after Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, educator and founder of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.