Dunes Overlook sits along the A1a Historic Byway at an elevation of 6 feet, with land dropping 6 feet within 600 meters of the site. From this point, Ripple Effects Ecotours is visible to the south-southeast at 3.2 miles, and Marineland Dolphin Adventure lies in the same direction at 3.3 miles. Palm Coast is the nearest town, 11.1 miles to the south, with Ormond Beach 31.5 miles south-southeast and Daytona Beach 37.0 miles south-southeast. Sunrise and sunset times vary through the year: on the June solstice the sun rises at 06:26 and sets at 20:29, while on the December solstice it rises at 07:17 and sets at 17:31; the equinoxes fall closer to 07:14–07:30 for sunrise and 19:23–19:37 for sunset. According to the National Park Service, visitors can look for wildlife tracks in the sand, including the paw prints of raccoons, opossums, or bobcats, along with the fainter traces of lizards or black racer snakes. A racerunner lizard may also be spotted, though many animals in the area are more active at night due to heat and predation during the day. The next stop along the byway is the Observation Platform.
![In the background of the panel is a color photo of the Fort Matanzas National Monument’s darkening dunes landscape at sunset: the sky a dark orange; the land in dark shadows. At the far left and right sides of the panel, against the darkened background, white text in English and Spanish reads: Dunes Nightlight. Look for wildlife tracks in the sand. You might see the paw prints of a raccoon, opossum, or even a bobcat. Look carefully for the faint trace of a lizard or a black racer snake. You may see a racerunner lizard itself, but because of daytime heat and the threat of being caught by predators, many wild animals search for food in the dark of the night. End of Text In the center of the panel, between the 2 text columns, are 6 rectangular color photos: 3 on top and 3 on the bottom. Below each photo, white text in English and Spanish identifies the nocturnal animals. On the top row, from left to right: a grey marsh rabbit with black eyes sits in the underbrush, its small ears up. In the text below: These strong swimmers live only near water. End of Text Next, a brown raccoon with black fur around its eyes, dips its paws into a pool of water. In the text below: These masked mammals are most active at night. To the right, a light tan opossum with a pointed snout, hangs upside down on the side of a tree trunk. In the text below: North America’s only marsupials eat bugs, mice, and rats. End of Text On the bottom row from left to right: a grey and brown gopher tortoise climbs up a dune. In the text below: Their burrows shelter hundreds of other animal species. End of Text To the right, a “Black Racerâ€, snake with a cream-colored belly, slithers over a light brown rock. In the text below: When resting, these nonvenomous snakes mimic a fallen branch. End of Text To the right, a 6-lined brown Racerunner lizard with black and yellow stripes, poses on a brown rock. In the text below: 6 yellow or yellow-green stripes give these lizards their name. End of Text Dark green foliage surrounds the panel, overlook deck, and walkway. Below, dunes stretch toward blue water. Beyond, on a corresponding sandy shore, are trees and bushes. Mounted on the railing adjacent to the panel are 6 touchable bronze models of animal footprints found in this area: marsh rabbit, raccoon opossum, gopher tortoise, black racer, and 6-lined racerunner. Each model is identified in raised English, Spanish, and Braille letters. [End of message]](https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/place/import/248186e3-ef5d-491e-ab6d-a746d87503f5_image_350.jpg)
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:30 | 19:37 | 19:05 |
| June solstice | 06:26 | 20:29 | 19:54 |
| September equinox | 07:14 | 19:23 | 18:52 |
| December solstice | 07:17 | 17:31 | 16:55 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
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Look for wildlife tracks in the sand. You might see the paw prints of a raccoon, opossum, or even a bobcat. Look carefully for the faint trace of a lizard or a black racer snake. You may see a racerunner lizard itself, but because of daytime heat and the threat of being caught by predators, many wild animals search for food in the dark of the night.
Dunes Overlook sits at about 6 feet (2 m).
From Dunes Overlook: Ripple Effects Ecotours (SSE, 3.2 mi); Marineland Dolphin Adventure (SSE, 3.3 mi).
Palm Coast, 11 miles S of Dunes Overlook.
Observation Platform is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Dunes Overlook.
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Dunes Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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