Hontoon Island State Park occupies a 1,648-acre river island in central Florida, west of DeLand, between the St. Johns River and the Hontoon Dead River. Reached only by private boat or passenger ferry, it is known for a quiet, largely car-free setting and protects pine flatwoods, hammocks, cypress swamps, and marshes. Visitors explore the island by foot, bicycle, canoe, and kayak on trails and waterways that reveal its varied habitats. The island also preserves evidence of much earlier settlement: the Mayaca were its first known inhabitants, and a large shell mound along the Hammock Trail remains a visible sign of their presence.