- January 7, 2026
Every day, Dennis Clark makes it a point to walk through the walking trail at Bings Landing.
The walking path is one of the projects Clark, as a member of the nonprofits the Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway and the Scenic A1A Pride, had a hand in bringing to fruition, and one he is most proud of.
Clark moved to The Hammock in 2005 after he and his wife retired. They were drawn to the natural beauty of the area, he said.
"This was like a magical, unique place," he said. "So that's been my mission is to preserve this unique natural beauty and the sense of place that The Hammock gives you."
Clark, chair of Scenic A1A Pride and a board member of Friends of A1A and The Hammock Community Association, is the first to say he stands on the shoulders of previous Flagler County area residents that started the process of getting the State Road A1A scenic highway designations.
In his 20 years with the nonprofits, Clark said he has reviewed 76 different site developments for proposed projects in The Hammock. Not all the projects end up taking root, he said, but his goal — and the goal of Friends of A1A and Scenic A1A Pride — is to promote conservation of The Hammock’s natural beauty.
“We don't mind new businesses, as long as they complement the area and don't detract from it,” Clark said. “There are some businesses that fit much better than others.”
The A1A advocacy groups have been integral in how land has been developed in The Hammock, former Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed said. They worked to preserve The Hammock’s character.
Hadeed has known Clark in a professional capacity for 20 years. Clark’s role advocating for and preserving The Hammock often led him to meetings with county boards and staff.
“In my mind, Dennis Clark's most valuable contribution was that he was the archivist for the Scenic A1A effort,” Hadeed said. “He was an incredible volunteer leader.”
Clark is incredibly organized and focused, he said. Though much of the initial successes of the National Scenic Byway effort was led by the previous leader of the Friends of A1A, Anne Wilson, he said, without an organizational person like Clark to keep information together, “you can’t keep a volunteer organization going."
“Without Anne Wilson in the first instance and Dennis Clark in the second instance, there would not be a scenic byway and an All American Road as we know it today,” he said.
Most people will not know the names of the people responsible for ensuring the preservation of the 72 miles of State Road A1A in St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia Counties that make up the National Scenic Byway. Scenic A1A Pride member Richard Hamilton said that is how Clark is.
“He doesn't blow his own horn,” Hamilton said. “He blows The Hammock’s horn.”
Clark is an unassuming individual who is always polite and speaks on the facts, he said, working behind the scenes. Hamilton has known Clark for a long time as both friends and colleagues with similar missions.
One of Clark’s best attributes, Hamilton said, is that he has encouraged a lot of people to get involved in the Friends of A1A and Scenic A1A organizations. Clark does a lot of necessary work for The Hammock organizations he’s a part of — maintaining records and acting as a liaison with the technical review committee and the county planning board are just a few.
“He's really the glue that holds the Scenic A1A and The Hammock [association] together,” Hamilton said.
Clark said he hopes to see more people get involved with Friends of A1A and Scenic A1A Pride. With the recent connection of sewer services in The Hammock, and several large parcels still undeveloped, he believes the biggest challenges in their work still lie ahead.
Looking back, Clark said he is proud of the successes they've had, especially when it comes to the trails and parks the nonprofits have advocated for. Sometimes they lose, or feel more could have been done, he said, but he doesn't feel defeated. As long as he lives in The Hammock, he said, he's going to try to keep it nice.
“It’s like a duty," Clark said. "It feels like my mission in life right now is to protect this place, this beautiful place.”
