Winterhaven Park — Attraction in Ponce Inlet

This park is just absolutely beautiful..They have a picnic/ grilling area, restrooms, and shower to hose the sand off.. If you want to go where the water is clear and such a great feeling of being at the beach this is the place to go.. With beauty and comfort however comes the risk of the shark issue..Roughly 2 years ago I was there having a great day with the whole family.. Unfortunately that beautiful family day turned into my worst nightmare.. It was then that I was in knee-deep water and I felt as I was walking into the water something poked into my foot.. Of course it felt like needles so I screamed my whole family rushed out of the water because of it..There was a lifeguard on duty at the time, so I rushed over with my family as well to the lifeguard to see what possibly could have gotten my foot.. It seems the Lifeguard was trying to persuade me into believing that I had stepped on a piece of metal, said that there was recent reporting's of metal pieces being in the water.. I had poke holes in my foot like I had been bit by something equally on top and bottom.. when I went to my doctor the next day he told me that I had been bit by a small shark, that it had appeared to be a shark bite.. Let's just say my family and I are now terrified of the beach, we still continue to go but with very Extreme Caution.. I understand completely this is their home, their territory, and I respect that.. I then did some research into the area of the Inlet and realize that there are many shark bites here every year..The Inlet is where all the sharks wash up into and get caught in there, and obviously come up in the shallow waters to catch fish to eat.. Although this was not a fatal incident it very much could have been.. I consider this a warning.. My whole family now has a bigger understanding that there is danger in that water and you have to use Extreme Caution when being there..At one point when we first moved here we were all out in over our head water swimming enjoying it, not caring about anything except the moment. Now this has turned into not wanting to go out past knee deep water.. We have been there many times before and never had anything happen, but unfortunately all it takes is that one time to change your whole view...

Winterhaven is not a traditional park. It has no playgrounds or sports courts, but what it does offer is a beautiful expanse of beach in the scenic town of Ponce Inlet.

This is the site of the original South Turn of the famous Ponce Inlet beach road course. The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was formed in 1948 and sanctioned automobile racing on this course from 1948 through 1958.

Sanctioned motorcycle racing was conducted on this course from 1948 until 1960. Vehicles racing on the 4.1 mile beach road course would travel north on the hard packed sand beach, turning left through the banked sand north turn, and then travel south on the two lane paved Atlantic Avenue until they reached the start/finish line at the banked south turn, thus completing one lap.

The entrance is not immediately apparent as it is set aside from the street and parking is minimal. The park has a limited number grill, benches, and a boardwalk that leads down the beach. This is a no driving area. Winterhaven Park is ideal for fishing, swimming and relaxation.

Facilities include: Ample parking spaces available Restrooms Picnic...

I arrived around 6 AM for the sunrise, on a week day. It was beautiful! There is a good amount of parking. By 10:30 - 11:00 AM, the parking lot was full! They have bathrooms, that are wheelchair accessible! There are ramps to get down to the beach! As you make your way down to the beach, on both sides there are flowering plants that are beautiful! The beach itself is well kept. When I got to the beach early, as I took a walk all I saw when the water receded, was hundreds of "Sand Flea's" of all sizes. They are really cool! It's not crowded that early in the morning. When I left around noon, it was pretty busy. Overall, it was a very nice park to visit. We will...