At the end of a spit of sand jutting into the intercoastal waterway near Ormond Beach stands a 40 foot Indian named Tomokie. There’s not much information about this enormous piece of outdoor folk art at the State Park where it is located, so I dug up a few facts online.

The artist, Frederick Dana Marsh, was educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 19th century. Dedicated in 1957, the statue depicts the legend of Tomokie, a fictional Timucuan chief who pissed off some other Indians when he drank water from a mystical sacred spring. War ensued but, perhaps because he was imbibing magical waters, Tomokie seemed impervious to his enemies’ arrows—until the lovely princess Oleeta took aim and released an arrow that fatally wounded him.

The statue itself is in pretty rough shape. The princess, bows and arrows have all been damaged or stolen by vandals over the years and the surrounding reflecting pool is now dry, but it remains a striking and unlikely presence amidst the hammock.

Explore: Surrounded by highways and condos, Tomoka State Park is a little slice of “old Florida,” featuring water trails almost certainly used by the Native Americans who once lived here. The campground, which I understand is very popular during Bike Week, was blissfully quiet during our stay. You can hike, bike or paddle to see the chief. Launching our kayak from the campground, it took perhaps 25 minutes to reach the point where the statue is located.