This site offers 2.8 miles of hiking trails that guide visitors through palm hammock, mangrove forest, and marshlands along the Indian River. A short, accessible Discovery Loop provides a fascinating introduction to the Native American history of the area. It features interpretive panels and open-air exhibits describing the dramatic changes in the landscape that have occurred since the Ice Age as well as life-size depictions of the imposing prehistoric animals—mammoths, mastodons, giant tree sloths, and the large, tank-like glyptodonts—that once roamed here. Hands-on exhibits illustrate the lifeways and habitations of the Native American communities that inhabited this area through the centuries. Close to the parking lot a path leads to an ancient Native American burial mound, partially excavated in 1895 by the early archaeologist Clarence B. Moore. It offers a close-up view of one of the many shell mounds that lined the banks of the Indian River.

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A historic marker tells the story of one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the Western Hemisphere. The marker narrates the circumstances of the excavation and its important finds, which represent one of the largest known collections of burials and associated grave goods from the Archaic Period (8,000-7,000 years ago). The finds from excavations conducted from 1982-1984 by Professor Glen Doran of Florida State University and a large team of archaeological specialists and volunteers included a wide range of stone, wood, and bone artifacts, as well as amazingly preserved textiles and cordage. These artifacts and the accompanying burials were uncovered in the thick, wet bog layers at the bottom of a small pond, making the excavation particularly difficult. The site offered archaeologists an unprecedented glimpse at the lifeways and craft skills of the Archaic inhabitants of the area.

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For those interested in learning more about the fascinating finds from the Windover dig, this museum features a special exhibition “The People of Windover,” which presents many of the finds from the excavation as well as an orientation video, interactive archaeology lab, and simulated excavation. Visitors can learn how this excavation shed dramatic new light on the lifeways of indigenous communities in the millennia immediately following the Ice Age. Other exhibits feature artifacts from later native communities such as the Ais and Seminoles. A series of lifelike dioramas depict the animals and plant life of Brevard County's main ecosystems including the Central East Coast Barrier Reef and the Saltwater Marsh. Exhibits of later historical periods are also displayed at the museum.

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Covering more than thirty acres of parkland, wetland, and lake, Fox Lake Park serves as a gateway to the Fox Lake Sanctuary, where a number of archaeological sites occupied at various times from the Late Archaic to the Malabar Periods (5,000-450 years ago) have been identified. The trailhead into the Sanctuary is located near the Fox Lake Park boat ramp, leading to hiking trails that extend for 7 miles into and along the eastern edge of the St. Johns River wetlands. The Native American groups in this area harvested freshwater snails and mussels, disposing of their shells at sites that eventually became high mounds, some of which were used for burial. The flooded, thickly overgrown landscape here provides a contrast with that of Native American settlements in the dune ridge along the Indian River.

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Entered either from Parrish Road or the south side of Holder Park, this sanctuary covers 147 acres of scrub, pine flatwoods, and forested wetlands. On the south side of Parrish Road, just to the west of the sanctuary boundary, is a prominent ancient mound from which the sanctuary takes its name. This large oval-shaped shell mound is now mostly obscured by vegetation, but it was partially excavated in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and seems to have been used by the native people of the area up to the time of the arrival of Europeans. The mound was still a prominent landmark at the time of the construction of the St. John and Indian River Railroad in the 1880s. A station was established nearby, giving the present sanctuary its full name.

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Containing a complex of shell midden mounds, the largest of which is known as Snyder’s Mound, this site is a largely intact example of a processing and disposal center for clams, oysters, and fish caught by native groups in the Indian River approximately 900–450 years ago. The enormous volume of shells accumulated here testifies to the seasonal use of this site for hundreds of years. Earlier evidence of native occupation of this site in the form of distinctive pottery fragments dates further back to the Orange Period, approximately 4,000 years ago. The interpretive panels along the half-mile wheelchair accessible walking path present the history of this and other shell mounds that once dotted the banks of the Indian River. The site also features historic structures built by early settlers beginning in the 1870s, as well as panoramic views of the Indian River.

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Now a popular spot for fishing and kayaking, the Haulover Canal, has long been a strategic site. Even before the present canal was dug in 1888, this spot was of great significance to the native peoples of the area. The narrowness of the spit of land here linking Merritt Island with the mainland was long a favored place to “haul over” their canoes from one body of water to the other. The first Spanish explorers also transported their small boats here from the Atlantic to the wide Indian River to visit the many native villages and seasonal camps that lay along its banks. The U.S. Army established Fort Ann nearby in 1837 during the 2nd Seminole War (1835-1842) to protect the portage from its use by Native Americans to carry out raids against early American settlers. The canal and its vicinity remain a popular local fishing spot and convenient place to observe dolphins and manatees. It is also a convenient launch to access the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail.

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This tour concludes at one of the most impressive historic buildings in Titusville, renamed in 2006 as the Vassar B. Carlton Historic Titusville Courthouse. Built in 1912, it occupies the site of the first Titusville Courthouse, which was a two-story wooden structure built in the classical revival style in 1882 on land donated by Titusville founder Col. Henry Titus. It was here in 1899 that a member of the Cow Creek band of Seminoles named Tom Tiger became the first Seminole to participate in a legal action, claiming compensation from a white resident of Brevard County who had allegedly stolen his horse. Though the judge ultimately ruled against Tom Tiger, his appearance in the Titusville courthouse marked the first attempt in Florida for Native Americans to secure equal rights under the law. The struggle for Native rights was a long one; it was not resolved until 1961 when the Florida legislature declared that the criminal laws of the state should be equally enforced for the protection of the residents of Indian reservations. Thus, although Tom Tiger was unsuccessful in his suit, it can be said that the continuing struggle for Native American equality under the law in Florida began when he took his case to the Brevard County Courthouse in Titusville.

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This site focuses on the hardships and achievements of the era of early American settlement. The one-story house on the site is reportedly the oldest standing home in Brevard County, built originally by the pioneering Sams family in Eau Gallie in 1875 and floated up the Indian River to its present location in 1878. It now houses a small museum that traces the history of the site from the prehistoric era to pioneer days. Its interactive exhibits of documents, memorabilia, and farm tools vividly brings the story of the Sams family to life. The larger white frame house, which now serves as the visitor’s center, was constructed by the Sams family in 1888. Don’t miss the historical garden path just beyond the parking lot, where you will see the incredible variety of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs that were grown by the pioneers in this area’s rich soil.

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The easily navigated boardwalk trails provide two thematic circuits that take visitors into the thick hammocks, filled with wildlife and rich vegetation, that the first settlers encountered on Merritt Island in the nineteenth century. Close by is the site of the first citrus grove established in the early 1800s by Douglas Dummett, who pioneered the grafting of sweet and sour varieties of orange to produce the “Indian River orange” that made this area famous. Wild orange trees can be observed throughout the trails. Before the expansion of the Kennedy Space Center, this northernmost area of Merritt Island was dotted with farming and fishing communities that took advantage of the rich environment. Among them were a number of African American settlements, founded by arriving homesteaders after the Civil War. Unfortunately, few remains of those early settlements have survived.

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