Encore Sunshine Holiday Daytona

Located within a stone’s throw (or two) of I95 – Florida’s major highway artery running due north and south – you’ll come across Sunshine Holiday Daytona just due west of the main exit to Daytona Beach and the Daytona Speedway. Here you will discover a massive RV depot that has 2 distinct campuses to choose from with altogether 602 individual RV, tent camping, cottage and cabin spots to choose from. If you think this sounds like an overcrowded, RV parking lot too close to a major highway interstate with all of the fast food restaurants you can throw a rock at all within walking distance (and a Harley Davidson dealer to boot) then you would be correct! 

About Sunshine Holiday Daytona specifically, you’ll find that this RV campground is basically two very large concentric circles separated by a canal, with Circle A, the first encircled campground space that you will come to upon entry, where the main lodge, shower / restrooms, laundr-O-mat, market and swimming pool is located in the center, is organized by sites #1– 100, and on the outer periphery, you’ll find a dozen and a half or so sites designated for tent campers, but as a fellow tent-pitcher, I wouldn’t recommend this. For those that don’t have an RV or a tent, no problem, as there’s also a handful of scattered cottages and cabins that you can rent for the night. 

The second concentric circle, located just due west of the first large circle, which you’ll come to after first crossing a small canal, is organized in the same fashion as the first circle with a basic hub-like structure in the center with restrooms / showers (but no market or swimming pool here). Both circles have 4 - 5 expanding rings all with intersecting lanes that surround the center, so obviously, the outer rings provide the most amount of shelter and privacy, although you should note that the southernmost part of each external ring is closest to the 4-lane US1 highway from whence you came, so if possible, for Circle A, you’ll want to be on the northern or eastern side and for Circle B, you’ll want to be on the northern or western side. 

Amenities: Clubhouse / lounge, swimming pool, near Daytona’s beaches (biggest upside), pet-friendly, horseshoe pits, bocce ball, WiFi, dog park, playground, restroom / shower facilities, market / store, RV and boat storage, mini golf, badminton, shuffle board, tennis, basketball, bingo / card playing, activities center, volleyball, laundr-O-mat, designated dump station, propane refueling station, as well as full hook-ups for RV (30/ 50 electric amp, sewage, water). 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few:(1) If you love watching canines battle it out for who’s the fastest, then head on over to Daytona Beach Kennel Club for a good half day at the races along with some hefty pints of Guinness being poured; (2) If fast food isn’t your thing (and you’re not alone here), then check out Colt’s Pig Stand for some pretty great (not excellent) BBQ or if in need of a decent and quick no frills breakfast, then check out Honey Bee Café – both are located just down the street on US1 towards I95; (3) While en route to your destination and find yourself hauling some ATVs or 4X4’s, then you may have hit the jackpot as just down the road from Sunshine Holiday Daytona, you’ll come across Florida Cracker Ranch (and you just have to love that name, right?!), where for some small change, you too can get your off-roading muddin’ driving pleasures realized and if that’s not really your thing, they also have hiking, biking, horseback riding, skeet shooting and many other activities that will keep you out enjoying nature for as long as possible; and (4) When looking for some great trails to hike or ravines to navigate, head on over to Bulow Creek State Park, where you’ll have no shortage of Ancient Oak trees and submerged lands to navigate, complete with a pretty amazing primitive running trail and isolated campground. Further afield, you’ll discover Tomoka SP, which is one of my favorite little hidden gems in all of Florida, so be sure to give them both a look. 

Happy Camping!