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Spruce Creek Preserve Sleepy Hollow / New Smyrna Beach, Florida


A low-lying estuarine preserve where tidal creeks move through mangrove fringe and coastal scrub at the edge of surrounding residential development.




2026 02 19, 4:23 PM EST
29°04'48.8" N, 80°57'16.8" W
81°F, 27.22°C 52% RH /  Cloudy
Wind: 10 mph,  Gusts: 17 mph,  Direction: 225° SW  

Geographic Features
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Estuary, Tidal Creek, Mangrove Fringe, Coastal Scrub, Coastal Plain

Patterns of Land Use
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Conservation Land, Public Park, Recreational Trail, Watershed Influence, Low-Density Residential

Spruce Creek Preserve lies low along the tidal edge, where sandy trails pass through scrub before opening toward the creek. Mangroves crowd the shoreline. In the shallow water at low tide, a tricolored heron moves slowly, appearing to stalk with deliberate steps and a bobbing head.

Aircraft pass overhead from the nearby airport; the sound carries briefly before thinning out over the estuary. A white ibis probes among oyster beds that protrude through the shallows. The preserve remains busy with dog walkers — coastal habitat bordered by residential edges and conservation land.