The Indian Mound Trail

The start of the Indian Mound Trail

The Indian Mound Trail starts down in the woods behind the back porch; search for the sign that marks its start. A 1.2-mile round-trip, this trail ends at a spot where a small midden sits along Reedy Creek. Past the old “FT” sign, the blue-blazed trail meanders through saw palmetto and cinnamon fern along the edge of the cypress swamp, crossing one small bridge over a clear-bottomed creek. Interpretive signs add to your understanding of human activity in the area. It’s a wonderland of ferns, as dense patches of sword fern, netted chain, and marsh fern crowd the trail. Poison ivy grows here too, so watch your step. There are mushy spots, and this trail is especially prone to flooding during times of high water, as it closely follows the edge of the swamp.

After 0.3 mile, the trail makes a sharp right onto the old tramway, right into the swamp. The blazes end; use common sense to keep to the clearest path, where the narrow gauge railroad once ran on a tramway to Reedy Creek. The trees surrounding you are alive with epiphytes of all shapes and sizes, from pineapple-like bromeliads to delicate butterfly orchids. The trail peters out in front of the small bluffs along the creek; it’s up to you to find the small midden, a treeless mound, that marks the end of the trail. Return to the Environmental Study Center by retracing your path along the tramway back to the blue-blazed trail on the left.