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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.

Hontoon Island State Park  |  DeLand
( 28.974316, -81.357561 )      3.3 miles

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An immersive hike on Hontoon Island, the Hammock Hiking Nature Trail (Hammock Trail for short) makes a 3.3 mile round-trip to an ancient Timucua midden.

Formerly called the Indian Mound Trail, it follows the same route, an easy walk in the deep shade of majestic habitats.

Footpath between the palms Hiking the Hammock Trail


Meander through cathedrals of towering cabbage palms in a hydric hammock, beneath showy live oaks, and stately pines.

The footpath roughly parallels the Hontoon Dead River, which defines the north side of Hontoon Island.

Haunting river with cypress knees Hontoon Dead River


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
Length: 3.3 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 28.974316, -81.357561
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. Mosquito repellent is a must. If the river is above its normal levels, this trail may flood.

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.

Hike

Turn right as you exit the ferryboat landing and pass the visitor center and camp store. Walk past the marina.

The trail starts at a large sign at the far end of the marina, heading up a limerock road that parallels the river briefly.

limestone road in forest Road to the campground


Swing into the woods on the right to enter a floodplain forest of live oak, cabbage palm, and sweetgum.

This swamp forest of tall cabbage palms is thickly painted in lichens and mosses and draped with shoelace fern.

trail kiosk Kiosk at the start of the trail


A well-knit canopy of ancient live oaks shades the path, the limbs of the oaks furry with resurrection fern. A little over a half mile along the walk, cross a bridge.

As the trail rises into a forest of slash pine, pine needles carpet the footpath.

Tall pines adjoin trail Entering the pine flatwoods


Pass a bench at 0.8 mile. Keep alert for a sharp left turn at the base of a large sand post oak. The interpretive marker for slash pine indicates the correct path.

The trail again descends into swamp forest, crossing bog bridges past tall cypress trees.

Trail amid cabbage palms Cabbage palms


This cycle repeats, up and down through the two habitats, the trail riding the rim of both.

A corridor of tall cabbage palms creates a cathedral overhead. This trail is extremely shady, whether you’re in the uplands or the swamps, and thus prone to mosquitoes.

Looking straight up at tops of palm trees A break in the palm canopy


After 1.3 miles, reach an open clearing with a bench. Turn right and walk down the slope to the edge of the Hontoon Dead River.

This is a sluggish river, “dead” because it doesn’t make enough of a channel around the island for any boats wider than a kayak to follow.

Broad waterway behind a narrow fence The Hontoon Dead River


Rejoin the main trail, which edges the rim of a cypress swamp. To the left, the horizon opens into pine flatwoods.

Continue straight ahead as the trail begins its climb up the midden. Snail shells spill beneath roots underfoot.

Fossilized snail shells Fossilized snail shells


Watch for colorful and unusual forms of fungi on rotting logs and tree branches. As the trail becomes indistinct, keep to the dry mound.

After 1.6 miles, the trail ends at a bench beneath one of the largest live oaks we’ve ever seen deep in a forest. The circumference of the trunk is astounding.

outsized base of a tree Base of the enormous oak


It rises from a high spot on the westernmost edge of the midden, and is easily several centuries old.

From here, retrace your steps through the forest around the floodplain. Take a longer pause at the Hontoon Dead River overlook in search of turtles and alligators.

Floodplain forest On a bluff above the floodplain


Cross a bridge over a dark stream at 2.7 miles, an indicator you’ll reach the marina in another half mile to wrap up this hike.

Don’t forget to take a look in the small museum in the visitor center before departing the island.

Ferryboat passing Hontoon Island sign Crossing to the mainland


Trail Map

Hontoon Island State Park Trail Map


Explore More!

Learn more about Hontoon Island State Park

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.

Slideshow

See our photos of 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: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, TrailsTag: Archaeological Sites, Big Trees, Deland, Florida State Parks, Hontoon Island State Park, Islands, Notable Trees, Riverfront, Scenic Hikes, St. Johns River, Wildlife Viewing

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