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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Swamp with cypress knees

Hontoon Island State Park

Criss-crossed by a network of trails, this island in the St. Johns River is worth the short ferryboat trip to explore a landscape with ancient echoes of a past civilization.

DeLand      ( 28.97479, -81.35757 )      

There are many public lands on islands in Florida, but Hontoon Island State Park is one of the few surrounded by fresh water and accessible via a free ferryboat.

It is notable as an ancient home of the Timucua, as documented by botanist William Bartram in his Travels after his paddle up the St. Johns River in 1773.

haunting river with cypress knees Haunting waters


A short ferry ride across a narrows of the St. Johns River takes you line of sight to the island.

Camp in the same shady forests as the Timucua, paddle their ancient waterways, and walk softly under a lofty tree canopy to one of their middens, topped by an enormous oak tree.

Hill with fossil snail shells Spill of shells on a Timucuan midden


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida 5 Star Trails Orlando Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover  
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: DeLand
Parking: 28.97624, -81.35690
Address: 2309 River Ridge Rd, DeLand
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the visitor center
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-736-5309
 
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed pets permitted in designated areas only.

Directions

 
From downtown DeLand, take SR 44 west, crossing SR 15 before reaching the turnoff to Old New York Ave on the left before the roundabout. Signs direct you along the remainder of the 7.2 mile back road route to the park. Bear right onto Beresford Rd (CR 4110), then left on Old New York Rd, paralleling the river. Turn left on Hontoon Rd, then right on River Ridge Rd, which leads to the state park’s parking lot along the river. Wait for the ferryboat at the landing.

About the Park

For more than three thousand years, the Timucua lived on this deeply forested island, sharing the lush palm hammocks and pine flatwoods with deer, otters, and owl.

In 1955, when a channel was being dredged between the island and the landside parking area, a totem pole was discovered, a massive carved owl, buried deep in the river muck.

Two more, an otter and a pelican, were found in 1978 while work was going on for the marina.

Wooden carved totem pole of owl Owl totem


In North America, these were the only totem poles of any significant age found outside the Pacific Northwest.

They are now in museum care, replaced by replicas that stand near the park’s picnic area.

The grassy waterfront is just the tip of what Hontoon Island has to offer. Miles of forest roads and a well-trammeled footpath lead into its woodlands.

white limerock road in shady forest Hard-packed forest road to campground


A visitor center adjoins a small camp store and a marina where boaters can tie up for day visits or rent a slip overnight.

A lesser known aspect of the park, about a quarter mile from the docks, are its camping cabins and primitive tent sites tucked away in the woods.

boat docks The marina


Hiking

There are miles of deeply shaded park roads to roam, but only one marked hiking trail. We’ve tackled it twice in the past twenty years.

Formerly the Indian Mound Nature Trail, it is now called the Hammock Hiking Nature Trail, but remains a 3.3 mile round-trip to a midden topped with an enormous live oak tree.

Footpath between palms Hammock Hiking Nature Trail On Hontoon Island in the St. Johns River, walk in the footsteps of the Timucua through an ancient forest to a midden topped with an enormous live oak tree.

The footpath is well-worn through palm hammocks and along the edge of the Hontoon Dead River. Expect to spot wildlife along the hike, and plan ahead for mosquitos.

The network of forest roads through pine flatwoods and shady hammocks can also be hiked. Be sure to have the park map with you.

Footpath through a palm hammock The Hammock Trail


Biking

Cyclists are welcome to bring off-road bikes across on the ferry to explore the forest roads of Hontoon Island.

These crisscross the hammocks and pine flatwoods, some following causeways through floodplains.

Five lead to landings along the St. Johns River and Snake Creek. Bear Tree Landing is the farthest from the campground, a 3.6 mile round-trip.

Floodplain forest Floodplain forest along the island’s edge


Paddling

Prefer to paddle to Hontoon Island? Put in at Blue Spring State Park to reach the park’s developed frontage along the outflow of the St. Johns River from Lake Beresford.

A meander up the Hontoon Dead River is a fascinating journey through the floodplain forest, where turtles pile up on waterfront logs.

From Blue Spring State Park, Snake Creek along the south edge of Hontoon Island is a primary destination for paddlers since it’s within view of the Blue Spring launch.

Floodplain forest Sandra paddling Snake Creek (Niki Butcher)


Camping

A half-dozen rustic cabins are tucked into the deep shade of a hardwood hammock about a quarter mile from the ferryboat dock.

You must bring your own linens, but each has a ceiling fan and screened porch. There is no A/C but there is electricity. A bathhouse serves the campground.

There are also a dozen primitive campsites sharing the campground, with picnic tables, grills, and water.

The marina can host overnight stays at a handful of boat slips. Boat slips, cabins, and campsites must be reserved online in advance.

The park has a small store at the marina with ice cream, camping supplies, and cold drinks.

A group camp for youth groups is near the campground. Contact the park directly to arrange a stay.

view of island The narrows the ferry crosses to the island


Trail Map

Hontoon Island State Park Trail Map


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos from Hontoon Island State Park


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Bartram Gardens & Trail Stetson Bartram Gardens & Trail Along the St. Johns River at Lake Beresford, discover the river anew through William Bartram's eyes as he recorded his observations of alligators, fish, and flora in 1774
St Francis Trail St. Francis Trail One of Central Florida's most scenic and easy-to-follow day hikes, the 7.9-mile St. Francis Trail traverses the southeastern corner of the Ocala National Forest
Footpath under tunnel of lush forest Lake Beresford Park Offering gentle trails for family fun and miles of paved bike paths to explore, Lake Beresford Park provides far more than just a peek at its namesake lake
Manatees in clear spring water Blue Spring State Park Blue Spring State Park is well acclaimed for being the best place in Florida to see manatees in the wild, and we don’t mean a dozen or two. Think hundreds.

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Cabin Official Website

Category: Biking, Camping, Canoe & Kayak Rentals, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Florida State Parks, Hikes, Paddling, Parks, TrailsTag: Accessible, Archaeological Sites, Boating, Cabins, Deland, Fishing, Florida State Parks, Group Camping, Primitive Camping, Rivers, St. Johns River

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