Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet: Renaming and Boardwalk Plans
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
On Friday, October 23, 2026, Lighthouse Point Park is scheduled to become James Milton Hunt Lighthouse Point Park. Volusia County expects to start replacing and expanding the park's timber boardwalk on the same day. At the August 20 Ponce Inlet Town Council meeting, County Council Vice-Chair Matt Reinhart said the official renaming "will occur simultaneously with the beginning of construction."
Putting both events on one day fits the park's history. The 52-acre park at the north edge of Ponce de Leon Inlet exists because a campaign kept the land around the lighthouse from being developed. The new name records that campaign, and the new boardwalk is the county's latest investment in what it saved.
James Milton Hunt grew up in Daytona Beach. He graduated from Seabreeze High School in 1961, where he was student body president. He studied biology at Guilford College, earned an MBA at Rollins College, and served for many years in the Volusia County Lifeguard Corps.
His career is a big part of the story. According to his obituary in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Hunt was best known professionally as a licensed real estate developer who built many commercial buildings. That same developer launched and led the "Don't Condo Our Lighthouse" campaign. It took several years, but he persuaded the State of Florida to buy the land around the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in 1983, and that purchase created Lighthouse Point Park.
The Sierra Club honored him with its "Outstanding Achievement" award. He later wrote two books about the effort, Activism at Its Best and Don't Condo Our Lighthouse.
His family asked that memorial gifts go to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Endowment Fund instead of flowers.
The renaming started small, with public comment at a regular town meeting, and moved up through three levels of government.
The order explains why the name takes effect with the construction start instead of in its own ceremony. The county's park page describes the arrangement: the state owns the land, and the county runs the park under a lease. Hunt's campaign brought the land into public ownership in 1983. More than four decades later, the agencies responsible for it chose to put his name on the gate.
At the same August 20 meeting, Niles Cyzycki, construction manager for the Volusia County Coastal Division, described the project as a replacement, improvement, and expansion of the park's timber boardwalk. He put the construction cost at around $7 million, paid for by the Volusia County Port Authority and the county's ECHO program, and said the work is planned with minimal environmental impact on the surrounding area.
Earlier public descriptions give a sense of what the finished park will look like:
The ground was cleared first. Last winter, county crews and contractors cut and chipped dense Brazilian pepper thickets across the park. That work was partly funded by a 2025 Florida Coastal Partnership Initiative grant. County spokesperson Clayton Jackson told Spectrum News the removal would "improve the sightlines" and make it easier for crews to "expedite and facilitate the boardwalk project in the fall."
A separate piece is still listed as a proposal. In May 2025, the county described a proposed 400-foot westward extension of the concrete jetty, linked to the boardwalk project by an on-grade sidewalk, to create an ADA-accessible route. The research found no newer update on that extension.
As of October 4, the public record doesn't cover several things that matter to anyone who walks the park every week.
| Question | Status as of October 4, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Official renaming date | October 23, 2026, per the August 20 town minutes |
| Construction start | October 23, 2026, per the same minutes |
| Estimated construction cost | About $7 million, per the county's August 20 briefing |
| Contractor | Not named in county or town records reviewed |
| Completion date | Not announced |
| Which areas close during construction | No closure or phasing schedule published |
| Public ceremony on October 23 | None announced |
The funding numbers raise one more question. The ECHO plan approved in March 2026 lists $2.5 million requested and a $2.5 million match for the boardwalk. That adds up to less than the $7 million estimate the county gave in August, and the records reviewed don't explain the gap.
On closures, the county's Lighthouse Point Park page is the place to watch. Right now it lists the elevated boardwalks, the reservable picnic pavilions, the nature trail through the wooded center to the observation tower over the Halifax River, the 800-foot jetty deck, and the dog-friendly swimming beach on the inlet shore. It doesn't yet say which of those stay open once crews arrive.
Until a construction notice says otherwise, the park runs on its usual fall schedule. From October 1 through November 30, hours are 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Starting December 1, the gate closes at 6 p.m.
Entry costs $10 per vehicle. A $20 Inlet Parks Annual Pass is available online at parkvolusia.org or in person at the Park Volusia offices at 302 North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach and 2422 S. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach Shores. Annual passes are no longer sold at the park entrance.
The pet rules are worth knowing now that the boardwalks are being rebuilt. Leashed dogs are allowed on the inlet-shore beach. Dogs are not allowed on the elevated boardwalks after 10 a.m., and they are never allowed on the Atlantic Ocean beach. Alcohol is prohibited in the park under a Town of Ponce Inlet ordinance.
Several events in October happen within a short walk of the park, including one on renaming day.
Friday and Saturday, October 9–10. The Garden Club of Ponce Inlet holds its Annual Arts, Crafts & Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ponce Inlet Community Center, 4670 S. Peninsula Drive.
Friday and Saturday, October 16–17. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse & Museum at 4931 S. Peninsula Drive stays open an extra hour for Biketoberfest. The lighthouse sits just outside the park's boundary, not inside it.
Friday, October 23. On the same evening the park's new name takes effect, the town's Children's Halloween Party runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kay & Ayres Davies Lighthouse Park, 4931 S. Peninsula Drive. This year the town replaced the Haunted Hayride with a pilot "Haunted Heritage" theatrical program: two free 30-minute performances with a limited number of first-come tickets. The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Endowment Fund, where Hunt's family asked that memorial donations go, is tied to the landmark next door.
For people who live in Ponce Inlet, local history like this shapes how the town looks and feels day to day. If you have questions about the land around the lighthouse, the inlet parks, or how the town's past still shows up in its present, Allyson Wise-Bird is glad to talk it through. Contact Allyson.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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