The deep history of the area is found at Canaveral National Seashore. Close your eyes....take a deep breath.....open your eyes and Ponce de Leon is standing before you !!!!!
We saw quite a bit of wildlife while we were walking along the trails - from tortoises and lizards to pelicans and dolphins when we got to the water - oh and don't forget the mosquitos !! Had the memory of them on my arms and legs for days afterwards !! Took bug spray which worked for my wife but anything I put on that is supposed to repel insects seems to encourage them to bathe in it !Had a picnic by the water which was beautiful and insect free due to the breeze.
I was looking forward to seeing this shell mound but I had a hard time seeing anything. We stopped at a small parking area that had a sign saying "Turtle Mound Archaeological Site". That was the one and only sign we saw about the mound. Nothing to explain what you are seeing. You walk on a boardwalk to stay above the actual mound. The mound is completely covered with trees, bushes, and vines so it is difficult to see any shells. I would think that the roots from the plants are damaging the mound more than allowing us to walk on the mound.We traveled 30 minutes to get here. Between no signs and no way to actually see the mound, it was very disappointing. Since it is a National Historic Site, I hope it's improved some day.
There wasn't much to see, but it was interesting to walk up the walkway that led to the top of Turtle Mound and to see the view from that vantage point. It is interesting that Native Americans made such a big mound of discarded shells that it is visible from the river and appears to look like the shape of a turtle!
We spent 2 days in the park walking the paths and beach drove both ends of the park south one day north the other their is a lot to see if you just take the time
If you want to explore some of "old Florida", and have a scenic view of both the intracoastal, and the ocean, at the same time then this is a place to hit! There are wooden boardwalks made that will guide the walker up through mangrove trees, and natural FL vegetation. As the foliage becomes more dense, be careful of spider webs that span across the boardwalk, with spiders sitting in the webs (this is their natural habitat ..). Also be sure to bring a can of mosquito spray as the intracoastal view is of, Mosquito Lagoon. Plus, the dense foliage allows a ripe breeding ground for mosquitoes.
…which gets you in to the park free if you carry a National Park Pass! We only had a little time after riding the Turtlemound Pontoon boat tour -- so we felt we needed to go see the Turtlemound itself -- a spectacular exhibit of an oyster shell mound. It is quite amazing that so much vegetation can grow on top of the shells. There is a beautiful view of the sea ashore (toward the river and toward the Atlantic ocean.) a nice boardwalk up to the top and renovations underway to make the path even more wheelchair accessible.
climb a small hill, walk through the path in the trees to get a nice view across the river and the ocean.
The Turtle Mound lies within the Canaveral Seashore National Park. Interesting to visit on the long seashore strip of the Park. Beautiful, clean, sandy, quiet beaches - totally natural with no condos, shops or loud attractions. Excellent Visitor Center at the entrance close to New Smyrna Beach - look up and see the very beautiful turtle paintings on canvas, they are enormous !! (This beach is a nesting site for Loggerhead Turtles.) Stay and watch the short video - excellent overview of the Park. And take your bikes - flat, long road along the coast - cars go slowly because of speed restrictions and there are plenty of entry areas on to the beach with restrooms.
I love this whole park. It is one of the reasons we love the area. The mound is unique in history and when you get to the top,it makes for some awesome pictures with the family. Make sure to read the history of the mound when you are there. It doesn't take long, so its worth the short stop.