FLORIDA34)Canaveral National Seashore/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Canaveral National Seashore/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, is located on one of Florida's many barrier islands. Evidence of the earliest inhabitants of the island can be seen today in the form of prehistoric shell middens (a large refuse heap containing shells, charcoal and food remains). Standing roughly fifty feet tall, Turtle Mound is one of the largest shell middens on the Florida coast. It is made up predominantly of oyster shells--the remains of a prehistoric civilization that existed five to six centuries before European contact. The mound was used by both later Indian groups and Spanish explorers as a lookout and navigational landmark during the 18th century. Turtle Mound can be reached by hiking trails which lead to the top of the ancient shell midden and provide excellent views of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Canaveral National Seashore is east of US 1 between New Smyrna and Titusville.
For more information visit the National Park Service's website,