New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Turtle Mound - Pile o' Shells

One of the largest piles of shells on the Florida coast.

Address:: Turtle Mound Rd - A1A, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Directions:: From the city of New Smyrna Beach, it's 9 miles south. Yake the South Causeway Bridge (S.R..44) east to A1A; go south on A1A to the national seashore entrance and follow signs south to Turtle Mound.
Hours:: Winter: 6 am - 6 pm; Summer: 6 am - 8 pm (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:: 386-428-3384
Admission:: Daily Use Fee: $5 per person

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Turtle Mound - Pile o' Shells

The cost is now $5.00 and it is not worth the gas to get there. Much of the mound has been eroded by rising water levels and is very overgrown. They have built a nice walkway that looks out over the water. The visitors center is very nice. I did see some dolphins by the visitor center pier but, all in all, it wasn't worth the time or money.

[Sheryl, 11/18/2014]

Sounds like it might be worth it if you're a fan of beachfront walkways, visitor centers, and fleeting views of dolphins, but not if you're expecting a big pile o' shells.

Shell midden.

Turtle Mound - Pile o' Shells

Standing roughly fifty feet tall, Turtle Mound is one of the largest shell middens on the Florida coast. In prehistoric times, it was at least seventy-five feet high. 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. On September 29, 1970, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

[Renee, 09/18/2009]