Ortona Indian Mounds Park — Attraction in Florida

Skip this so called park. It is not maintained beyond lawn mowing. Foot bridges have literally disintegrated. Signage used to exist. Some interpretive signs exist at the trail head but not worth the visit. The main trail head is blocked off but you can walk to the left of the trail head about 100 feet to find a mowed path to enter the trail.

There are 3 benches along the trail that grew over a decade ago and are unusable. Fence rails that are largely fallen down and 95% missing.

Only upside besides an annual festival, is proximity to the lake which is fishable and has large invasive Mayan cichlid fish (yum). However there are perhaps 3 fishable areas, all between 2-6 feet above the water edge, not angler friendly really.

Location of the shell mound is suspect given overgrowth, could t locate it even after reading reviews. Clearly visible is the water ways the natives built but it’s just a really high ditch now, dry. 20 foot walls of sand. Don’t walk on them, idiots have and the ditch walls are degrading as well.

At the very end of the walking trail is a picnic table shown in the google maps blue dot under a solid shelter in cement pad. Next to it is a usable metal charcoal grill in great shape. But no view or reason to use it…. Saw lots of condom wrappers though, so there’s that…

Did see a large turtle digging a nest and heard other animals but saw none. Keep an eye out for snakes on the ground and less likely in the trees.

Bathrooms...

Today's travels take us to the 46th Annual Ortona Cane Grinding Festival in Glades County.

YAY! Jeans Jellies and Jams is here. We have almost finished our jar of Fire & Ice Pickles.

Some of the nicest people serving up BBQ chicken dinners. Cornhole tournament in full swing. Old/classic cars on display as well as tractors courtesy of US Sugar.

Several purveyor showing their crafts, jams, jellies, red and green salsas, candied jalapeños, jewelry, honey, and fudge.

#FloridaTrailsAssociation is here represented by some of their volunteers who are fluent in the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Drumroll, please......the highlights of the festival are live bluegrass music, dancers, and a demonstration of cane grinding check it out!

The festival is just right, not too big, not too small, not a major commitment or ordeal. Just a nice drive over a couple of hours of meandering through the tents and displays and a nice drive home with a stop for lunch/dinner on the way. The perfect relaxing Saturday!

#GladesCounty #FloridaTrail.org

Check Glades County's line up of upcoming festivals!

Music included in...

Fascinating, scenic park named after a former Glades county elected official, Larry Luckey, Sr. who started the process to make this county owned land into a park several decades ago. Lots of things to see here and a nice display to explain the history of the area. You can actually hike around and over the ancient mounds here, noting what may have been canals the ancient Native Americans used centuries ago. There are also several geocaches located here and many shelters for picnics. A trail winds around Lake Wobegon, with a picnic shelter at the end. The western section of the park has numerous picnic shelters although strangely with no tables, and plenty of seating benches abound on the trails. Unfortunately a wood bridge and boardwalk have been in serious disrepair for about three years preventing a walk along those scenic trails. A building with rest rooms is at the parking area, although the men's was locked, but women's open. A "Cane Grinding" festival is held here...