Four Ways to Enjoy Oak Hill, Florida

Visitors to Oak Hill, Florida may think that they've come across Mayberry, USA. There's one traffic light in town and that is on the main highway, US-1. The town may be small, but a stop here is worthwhile. Oak Hill has a historic past, being originally settled by Native Americans sometime back around 2000 BC. Europeans arrived much later, in the 16^th century. But it wasn't until after the Civil War that Oak Hill was really settled. It became an agricultural and fishing community with live oak timber, citrus and fish harvested from the area. This riverfront community on the east coast of Florida has a lot to offer for either the day-tripper or a weekend visitor interested in recreation, history, dining or creative shopping.

One of the best ways to enjoy recreation in Oak Hill is at River Breeze Park. River Breeze Park is as its name implies located along the river, the Indian River. Citrus groves once flourished in the area and you can still see some surviving trees as you enter the park. Day-trippers and campers alike will enjoy the facilities here. They have tent camping sites, covered picnic areas (some of which have electric hook-ups), nice public restrooms with shower facilities, a paved boat ramp, a long wooden dock for fishing and a nicely maintained playground. All of these amenities are wheelchair accessible due to the paved walkways throughout. About 5 acres of the park front the Indian River. Unless you're in a boat, then you need to fish from the fishing dock only, not the riverbank. There are paved walking areas around the perimeter of the park. Many people come here to enjoy the fishing and boating. It's a good place to put either motor boats or kayaks and canoes into the water. It's generally less crowded than the neighboring boat ramps found in Edgewater and New Smyrna. A large billboard announcing "Riverwood Park" sits at the corner of H.H. Burch Road and US-1. Head approximately ½ mile down H.H. Burch Road (east) toward the river. The actual address is 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill, FL. The park is free and it's open 365 days a year 24 hours a day! Phone 386-345-5525 for more info.

Another way to enjoy the area is to take a trip to Seminole Rest. Seminole Rest is the site of several shell mounds or middens, products from the Timucuan and Ais Indians that once inhabited the area. You can understand why they chose this site when you see the lagoon. It was a great source for food with shellfish and other marine animals ready for the harvesting. Seminole Rest houses the former home of the Snyder family. The house and outbuildings were inhabited by members of the Snyder family from the early 1900's up until the late 1980's when the land was sold to the Nature Conservancy and later the Park Service. The Instone House and a caretaker's cottage overlook the waters of Mosquito Lagoon. You can tour the Instone House (downstairs). There are period piece furniture and an interactive display and an on-duty ranger. Today Seminole Rest is under the auspices of the National Park Service and is open year-round from 6 am until sunset. It is wheelchair accessible. Seminole Rest is located on River Road, in Oak Hill. The easiest way to get there is to go to the traffic light in Oak Hill at Halifax Avenue and turn east (toward the river). Then turn north onto River Road. If you see the gray colored restrooms, there's a paved parking area that you can pull in at. A paved walkway leads up to the Instone House. Admission is free.

A third way to enjoy your time in Oak Hill can be found just down the road from Seminole Rest at Goodrich's Seafood Restaurant (253 River Road, Oak Hill). Open for breakfast, lunch and supper, this is a casual, locally owned seafood restaurant. It is favored by both locals and visitors to the area. Goodrich's is open every day except Monday. Hours are 7 am until 8 pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday they stay open an extra hour (until 9 pm). Call 386-345-3397 for more information. They have a deck with several tables outside that overlook Mosquito Lagoon. It's nice to sit out on the deck on a sunny day and enjoy a fried mullet fish sandwich, shrimp and oysters or whatever else catches your fancy. Notice the fishing line strung across the top of the deck and the plastic bags filled with water hanging around. They serve the purpose of keeping seabirds from landing (or worse) on the tables and driving flies away due to the prism effect of sunlight on the bags of water. Goodrich's is a good place to hire a fishing guide for the outstanding Mosquito Lagoon. Several guides use the waterfront restaurant as a launch site.

And for a final way to have fun (for the shoppers in your family), you might want to stop at Oak Hill Flea Market. This flea market is an eclectic combination of trash, antiques, collectibles and treasures located right on US-1. They're open for business on Tuesdays and Friday through Sunday from 7 am until early afternoon (around 1pm or 3 pm). They have some food vendors with produce, jerky and honey. It's a fun place to spend an hour or two. Maybe you'll find some tools, hardware, an appliance or two or even an antique to take home with you! Call 386-345-3570 for more information. The Flea Market is at the northeast corner of N. US Highway 1 and Canal Avenue in Oak Hill, FL (351 US 1, Oak Hill, FL).

Although Oak Hill might have too much of a small town flavor for some sophisticated types, it appeals to plenty of fishing aficionados, history buffs, those seeking good seafood dinners and the inveterate shoppers among us.

Sources:

www.oakhillfl.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Hill,_Florida
http://volusia.org/parks/riverbreeze.htm
http://www.nsbfla.com/dining/overview.cfm/restaurant/627/goodrich-seafood-restauranthttp://www.roaring-twenties.com/oak_hill_flea_market__a_florida_shopping_experience.htm