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Minding the Mounds: Turtle Mound





 We visited Turtle Mound at the Canaveral National Seashore located south of New Smyrna Beach. This is the tallest mound in Florida that stands approximately 50 feet tall and 600 feet wide and for 2,000 years the Timucua people called this land home. It was a place for discarding food like oyster shells and other debris. Though it is unknown if it served any other purpose, archaeologists believe it could have been used as a lookout to detect enemies. Since it was visible 7 miles from the sea it was used as a landmark to help early sailors know where they were. It was once much larger but it was excavated prior to preservation to be used for road material. When we arrived, we saw the sign directing us to where the trail is for the mound. The trail is approximately 0.2 miles to the end of the bridge. The trail begins surrounded by bushes and the scene is absolutely beautiful as many butterflies are flying around. 

 
As we walked up the trail, I could see just how tall the mound was from where we were standing. At the top of the mound, we saw the breathtaking view of Mosquito Lagoon surrounding us. The next shell midden we visited was Castle Windy which is on the property 3.5 miles south of Turtle Mound. It was built around 1200 AD and is about 300 feet wide. Castle Windy has a trail and takes approximately 30 minutes to walk, we were surrounded by nature and scary insects. At different points, I could see shells on the ground and where the land started to elevate. Afterward, we went to JB’s Fish Camp for lunch, the food is very delicious and should be considered if you are ever in the area. We came back to the beach across from the Castle Windy trail. There were only a couple of other people there, which was nice and private. The top layer of sand is like finely crushed shells, which is referred to as coquina sand. Being at the beach and taking in the atmosphere made me feel a beautiful connection to the land and I am thankful to have been able to visit the Canaveral National Seashore. I will definitely be returning in the future for a vacation!

 



Sources:
“Turtle Mound at Canaveral National Seashore.” New Smyrna Beach, FL, https://visitnsbfl.com/explore/arts-and-culture/turtle-mound-at-canaveral-national-seashore.  
“Turtle Mound at Canaveral National Seashore.” Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage, 3 July 2018, https://www.trailoffloridasindianheritage.org/turtle-mound/. 

Photos and text by Julie-Marie Alvarez
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