A NOTE FROM THE MANAGER
Rob Lacy, Manager
Hello and welcome to Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park. Now is a great time to visit this hidden gem in Northwest Tallahassee. The park houses the remains of a group of earthen mounds built before Spanish explorers arrived in this part of Florida. Take our historical tour in the park’s picnic area and discover a glimpse of daily life for the Native Americans that lived, worked, farmed, worshiped and played on the Southwestern corner of Lake Jackson. The mounds were built near the shores of a lake whose water levels fluctuated on a regular basis. The lake, prairie and hilly ravines teamed with wildlife and food sources to creating a thriving community for hundreds of years.
You can enjoy the hilly terrain and view a deep ravine on one of the park’s many trails. The Butler Mill Trail traverses through a ravine created by Butler Mill Creek and passes the remains of a Territorial Period grist mill. The Old Pecan Orchard Trail is a great place for fitness walks and runs. It takes you through wooded and open areas left behind from a pecan orchard that grew there in the early 20th century. Look closely and you can still find giant pecan trees in the woods.
Wildlife lovers can visit the park at any time of year and enjoy glimpses of deer, opossum, birds of prey and a wide variety of song birds. For those who are quiet and here at the “right time,” foxes, bobcats and turkey can still be found. Quite a treat for a park in an urban area.
No matter the time of year, you can enjoy a picnic at one of our many picnic tables. The picnic pavilion has interpretive panels about the Native Americans that lived her before us. The pavilion can be rented for parties. The park is a great place for school field trips. Guided tours of the park can be arranged, along with pavilion rentals by calling the park office at 850-487-7989.
If you are interested in visiting or already at Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park and need more information from our amazing staff, please give our park office a call at 850-487-7989. Please feel free to contact me at Rob.Lacy@dep.state.fl.us as well.
Alert: Because the picnic area is in a low area near Lake Jackson and we have experienced a great deal of erosion lately, the picnic area gets a little wet after heavy rains. It is not enough to prevent someone from accessing all the park, but your shoes my get a little wet after rainy periods.