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 watersA 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.
Spill of shells on a Timucuan middenResources
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Overview
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.
Owl totemIn 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.
Hard-packed forest road to campgroundA 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.
The marinaHiking
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.
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.
The Hammock TrailBiking
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 along the island’s edgePaddling
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.
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.
The narrows the ferry crosses to the islandTrail 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 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 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
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
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.