County Road 4011 leaves Plantation Bay's main entrance, crosses the I-95 bridge at Exit 278 and becomes something else on the far side. Old Dixie Highway is a designated Florida Scenic Byway and part of the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail. Plantation Bay sits less than a quarter-mile west of Exit 278, and the 34-mile oval of rivers, marshes, live oaks and dunes begins right across the bridge.
The oak-canopied stretch right outside the gate is open, mostly free, and has the fall programs. The beach leg is a work zone, and at Gamble Rogers the parking lot that serves its beach is closed. For anyone starting at Plantation Bay, the better half of the Loop is the closer one.
The Oaks Are Open, and the First Stop Costs Nothing
Head east on Old Dixie Highway and the first state park on your route is Bulow Creek State Park at 3351 Old Dixie Highway. It is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year, and charges no entrance fee. The park protects nearly 5,600 acres, more than 1,500 of them submerged. Florida State Parks says it holds one of the largest remaining stands of southern live oak forest on Florida's east coast.
The Fairchild Oak is the landmark. Florida State Parks calls it one of the largest live oaks in the South and says it is more than 400 years old. A tree that old, a few minutes from the gate and free to visit, is the obvious place to begin the Loop.
There is one current limit. Portions of the Bulow Woods Trail are closed because of storm impacts, and the park says cleanup is ongoing. When the whole trail is open, it runs 6.8 miles from the Fairchild Oak to Bulow Plantation Ruins. For now, it is easier to drive between the two parks than to hike end to end.
The Ruins Keep a Five-Day Week
At the far end of that trail, Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park keeps shorter hours than its neighbor. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Thursday through Sunday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, with a $4-per-vehicle fee. A separate walking trail leads to the ruins, and the park has a boat ramp.
If you plan a midweek outing to the ruins, plan it for Thursday. Bulow Creek's free 8 a.m. opening and the ruins' 9 a.m. gate pair well on any of the five open days.
The inland half of the Loop also includes Tomoka State Park, open 8 a.m. to sunset at $5 per vehicle. Its official page lists the boat ramp and full-facility campsites with no closure alert.
The Beach Leg Is a Construction Zone Through 2027
The trouble starts once the Loop reaches A1A. FDOT project 450946-1 is resurfacing 6.9 miles of A1A from north of Roberta Road to the Flagler County line. It is a $13 million job built by Masci General Contractor, Inc. Work began in spring 2026, and FDOT estimates completion in fall 2027. The project is in its construction phase now. The project page posts recent lane closures, including daytime single-lane closures for shoulder work and paving between Sunny Beach Drive and north of Roberta Road. Drivers coming down from the north will be in this work zone for the rest of this winter and, on FDOT's estimate, into fall 2027.
The finished road will drive differently. According to an FDOT update posted by the Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail, the plan includes:
- Three crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at Holland Road, Seabreeze Drive and Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park
- Fifteen more crosswalks, from Sunset Boulevard to Coquina Key Drive
- Two median islands, at Imperial Heights Drive and Sand Dollar Drive
- A 35 mph limit from north of Roberta Road to just north of Silk Oaks Drive, down from 40 and 45 mph
- A 40 mph limit from north of Silk Oaks Drive to Coquina Key Drive, down from 45 mph
- The existing 55 mph limit kept from north of Coquina Key Drive to the county line
The plan also leaves gaps in the curb for drainage flumes, which FDOT says may give gopher tortoises a way across the road.
One part of the beach leg is finished. FDOT lists both A1A buried seawall projects as complete. The Volusia project cost $82.5 million, and the Flagler project cost $21.4 million and runs from the county line to South Central Avenue. The walls are done. The paving is what remains.
Where to Reach the Water This Season
Gamble Rogers usually anchors the northern beach stop, and it is the hardest one to use this winter. Florida State Parks has had the beachside campground, day-use parking lot and restroom closed for an improvement project since June 23, 2026. The park still lists its regular 8 a.m. to sunset hours and $5-per-vehicle fee. The ADA beach ramp reopened April 3, 2026. The park warns that sand buildup may make it unsafe for wheelchairs, and it is not lending its beach wheelchair until repairs are made.
North Peninsula State Park is the free alternative. It is open 8 a.m. to sunset with no entrance fee, and its listing covers beach access, Smith Creek Landing and the Coastal Strand Trail with no closure alert. Smith Creek Landing also hosts the last outdoor event of this year's fall nature series.
The Fall Programs Run Through December 10
ReGrow the Loop began as a one-year Volusia County pilot in June 2023. That year it planted 123 trees and ran 21 educational programs for 332 participants. The Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail now leads it, with county support. Most events are free. The Ormond Beach Observer reported that the fall 2026 series includes six programs and four nature walks, with guided hikes at Tomoka, Bulow Creek and North Peninsula.
Remaining dates on Volusia County's schedule:
- Nov. 14, 10–11 a.m. "More Native Plants for Birds," with Katie Tripp of Natural Beauty Native Florida Landscapes, at the Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center, 601 Division Ave.
- Nov. 28, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. "Woodpecker – King of the Forest," with Joan Tague, president of Halifax River Audubon, at the Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St.
- Dec. 5, 10–11 a.m. "Winter in the Native Garden," with Katie Tripp, at the Environmental Discovery Center.
- Dec. 10, 10–11:30 a.m. "Wild Edibles Hike: Forage & Explore Nature's Bounty," with Florida Master Naturalist Missy Clauson, at Smith Creek Landing, 40 Highbridge Road. The hike is limited to 15 participants, and registration is required at 386-517-2086.
Several of these sessions cover native planting, which matters to anyone with a yard along the corridor. The series opened in October with Suzanne Scheiber, founder of Dream Green Volusia. She told the Ormond Beach Observer why the habitat matters:
"Volusia County is one of the most important connectors in the Florida Wildlife Corridor and is vulnerable to development pressure."
The Volunteers Who Keep Old Dixie Clean
The Old Dixie Highway stretch outside the gate gets regular attention from the Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail's volunteers. On March 21, 2026, a cleanup crew of 14 pulled more than 900 pounds of trash from along Old Dixie Highway. At the September 2026 International Coastal Cleanup, 25 OSLT volunteers collected more than 550 pounds, and each received two free trees. The group's ongoing volunteer roles include roadway cleanup and leading trail walks.
The OSLT's next big public appearance is in town. It will run a booth in the Kids Zone at Riverfest. Ormond Beach MainStreet lists the festival for Nov. 21 and 22, 2026, at Rockefeller Gardens and Fortunato Park, with free admission and free parking.
A Winter Route That Starts at Home
From Plantation Bay, the season's best route runs inland first. Start at Bulow Creek when it opens at 8 a.m. and see the Fairchild Oak. Continue to Bulow Plantation Ruins on a Thursday through Monday, then head to North Peninsula for the beach. The A1A stretch between those stops will look different by fall 2027, when FDOT expects to finish the new crosswalks and slower speed limits.
If the Loop is part of why you live where you do, or why you're thinking about a home along it, Victoria Simmons and the Coastal Pros team know this corridor from the gate to the dunes. Schedule a private consultation.
