A documented stronghold of the Calusa, this island in the middle of Estero Bay has a deep and rich history.
To visit Mound Key Archaeological State Park, you must boat or paddle to the island to explore its features along a trail bisecting the middens to connect two landings.
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Overview
Location: Estero Bay
Length: 1.5 mile round-trip hike
Dock: 26.418317,-81.865444
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the launch points
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 239-992-0311
Open sunrise to sunset. Do not remove artifacts.
Directions
It’s up to you to power your way to this island in Estero Bay. The launch across from the entrance to at Lovers Key State Park provides direct access to Estero Bay. Rental kayaks and paddleboards are available or bring your own. Koreshan State Park has paddler access via the Estero River. It’s a more scenic journey down the winding mangrove-lined channel, but definitely takes longer to reach Mound Key.
About the Park
A massive midden – a mound of oyster shells discarded by this seafaring people – rises up to 33 feet high from the shallow waters of the bay.
Its history is evidenced by both archaeological digs and historic records, most notably the journal of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda.
Shipwrecked as a boy of 13, he understood enough of what the Calusa were communicating to escape death.
He lived among the Calusa and other Florida peoples for 17 years and published his memoirs in 1575.
Fontaneda described Mound Key as “A little island in the middle that has a circumference of about half a league, with other little islets around it.
On this … Carlos had his headquarters and presently his successors have it there. From there one may go by canoes to the arm of the sea…”
Fontaneda acted as interpreter for Pedro Menendez de Aviles when he met with Carlos in 1566.
Driven out by Spanish conquistadors and felled by the introduction of European diseases, the Calusa moved south through the Ten Thousand Islands to the Keys and Havana.
Eventually they vanished from history’s pages. At Mound Key, walk around the site of their village and imagine a different time in Florida’s long history.
A 3/4 mile trail leads from the South Landing to the North Landing, crossing the Central Canal between the three mounds making up the uplands of the island.
Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn about Koreshan State Park, a launch point for Mound Key
Koreshan State Park When Dr. Cyrus Teed founded a commune along the banks of the Estero River in 1894, he envisioned a utopia in the tropics. Koreshan State Park preserves that slice of history.Nearby Adventures
Estero Bay Preserve State Park An aquatic preserve, Estero Bay Preserve State Park has mangrove-rimmed flats beloved of flats fisherman and paddlers as well as two upland access points with extensive trails.
Estero River Scrub Skirting the edge of a tidal marsh alongside Estero Bay, the loop trails at Estero River Scrub are incredibly unique and a challenge to hike. 
CREW Flint Pen Strand Just four miles east of Interstate 75, get your feet wet in one corner of the vast the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the trails of Flint Pen Strand.
Wild Turkey Strand Preserve Historic and natural landscapes come together along impressively accessible trails at this picturesque conservation area on a WWII-era training base.
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