The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

INDIAN MOUNDS Native American inhabitants of the United States often buried their dead in a tumulus or an earthen mound. Examples of these can be found across the globe, and Florida is no exception. In addition to burial, these mounds often were used for ceremonial purposes. Many of these mounds have been preserved by the state and set apart as state parks. More information can be found online at www.floridastateparks.org. on Museum Pointe and follow it into the park. Fees: $2.00 per vehicle (limit of 8 people per vehicle). Bus tour admission the lesser of $40.00 or $1.00 per person. Bus driver admitted free. This 61-acre site has burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a midden. For 1,600 years, it served as a ceremonial center for Native Americans, who traveled to the complex to bury their dead and conduct trade. The National Historic Landmark sits on the edge of a coastal marsh. Anglers may catch saltwater and freshwater fish, and bird watchers can observe a variety of species. Boat tour every Friday, weather permitting. NORTHWEST Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park 3600 Indian Mounds Road Tallahassee, Florida 32303 850-922-6007 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset Directions: Located off U.S. 27, two miles north of I-10 in Tallahassee. Take Crowder Road and turn right onto Indian Mounds Road. Fees: $2.00 per carload, up to 8 people. Extra persons, walk-ins and bicyclists are $1.00 per person. Native Americans inhabited the area around Lake Jackson, just north of Tallahassee, more than 800 years ago. This site encompasses six earthen temple mounds and one possible burial mound. The largest mound is 278 feet by 312 feet at the base and 36 feet in height. Artifacts found here have included copper breastplates, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and cloaks. Visitors can hike past the remains of an 1800s-era grist mill or picnic on an open grassy area near the largest mound. A ranger-guided tour is available with two weeks notice. SOUTHWEST Madira Bickel Mound State Archeological Site 3708 Patten Ave. Ellenton, Florida 34222 941-723-4536 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset Directions: Located off of U.S. 19 in Palmetto. From I-275 south, exit U.S. 19 south and turn right on Bayshore Drive. Entrance is about 1.5 miles from U.S. 19. Follow the signs. Fees: Free admission The first site in Florida to be designated a State Archaeological Site in 1948. A flat-topped ceremonial mound of sand, shell and village debris measures 100 by 170 feet at the base and is 20 feet in height. Excavations have revealed at least three periods of Native American cultures. Picnic tables are available. No additional amenities are available at this time. Mound Key Archeological State Park Letchworth-Love Mounds State Park 4500 Sunray Road South Monticello, Florida 32344 850-922-6007 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset Directions: From Monticello go west on U.S. 90. Turn left onto Sunray Road South and proceed .5 miles to the park entrance. From Tallahassee take U.S. 90 East for approximately 15 miles past I-10, then turn right onto Sunray Road South and proceed to the park entrance. Fees: Free admission This site features Florida's tallest Native American ceremonial mound 46 feet - built between 1,100 and 1,800 years ago. The builders may have been part of the Weedon Island Culture, a group of Native Americans living in North Florida between 200 and 800 A.D. The park offers picnicking, birding and hiking. The picnic area and platform viewing area for the mound are wheelchair-accessible. Estero, Florida 239-992-0311 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset Directions: Mound Key is accessible by boat only via the Estero River. Launch from the Koreshan State Historic Site boat ramp. From I-75, take Exit 123. Go west on Corkscrew Road, cross U.S. 41. Koreshan’s entrance is 1,000 feet west of U.S. 41 on the right. You can also launch from Lovers Key State Park on Estero Island. Fees: Free admission Mound Key may have been the ceremonial center of the Calusa Indians. The shell mounds and ridges rise more than 30 feet above the waters of Estero Bay. Prehistoric Native Americans are said to have created the complex of mounds with an accumulation of seashells, fish bones and pottery. The site was also home to a Spanish settlement with a fort and the first Jesuit mission in the Spanish New World. There are no facilities on the island. NORTHEAST Crystal River Archaeological State Park 3400 North Museum Point Crystal River, Florida 34428 352-795-3817 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Visitor center/museum 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions: From the town of Crystal River, travel north on U.S. 19 for two miles. Turn west on State Park Street; travel for one mile. Turn left 104 2009 FRVTA RVers GUIDE TO FLORIDA http://www.floridastateparks.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida Contents RV Friendly Logos Meet Roadie Behind the Wheel Region 1 - Southwest Florida Region 2 - Southeast Florida Region 3 - Tampa Bay Area Region 4 - Orlando & Space Coast RV Rentals Region 5 - Florida Panhandle Financing Your RV Region 6 - Northeast Florida Region 7 - North Central Florida Florida Regional Shows Region 10 - Out of State Members Indian Mounds in Florida Springs in Florida What’s Your Type? Lighthouse Tour Insurance, Who Needs It?

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