ortona indian mound park

We went to the cane grinding festival at the mounds. The wooden board walk was closed off. This site definitely needs help. The festival was great and should be taken in, if you are in the area. The price of the ticket includes a delicious lunch. Good entertainment for the afternoon. Would have loved to see the mounds.

There is a short trail that is not groomed too often. I thought it added to the charm of the place. Very rustic. The place is not spectacular, but worth the short trip from Labelle.

The native history of this place begs for better treatment. The Calusa dominated this area before the Spanish arrived, building mounds and digging canoe canals. Today a small moldy kiosk talks of that history, next to a rotting and broken boardwalk over a midden mound. The park is used for a rowdy festival, while the history is neglected. So sad.

I read about this place on the Florida Hikes website. I am a 7th generation Floridian and thought I knew much of Florida, but wanted to return to what it was like generations ago. We followed the exact directions (west of US 27 on SR 78) near LaBelle. It was easy to find. We turned down a dirt road and parked. It appears that a caregiver lives on the property, which is a good thing. There are restrooms there and a playground. No one else was in the park, which is exactly what I wanted. We walked the board walk into the oak and pine hammock. It was so lovely. The temperature was cooler on hot day. To me, it was nice experiencing what it might have been like for the Indians when they lived there. When we came out of the hammock, we came to an open grassy area and a lake. It was wonderful seeing all the butterflies flit about. There were also a few birds around, but they would quickly scatter. Bring your camera plus a picnic lunch and enjoy your visit! You should know it is isolated.

Visited the Cane Grinding Festival, primarily to see some local cloggers. Very interesting booths set up with local history and foods available. Tried some of the freshly ground cane juice and liked it. The various groups of cloggers were terrific and we really enjoyed them. Took a walk all around the park and onto some trails that led to one of the Indian Mounds. Great place to see wildlife. Beautiful old large live oak trees with extensive branches under which we sat to watch the cloggers and musical groups. Great afternoon in Ortona.