One of the main reasons I bought my kayak earlier this year was for trips like this. I paddled out from Hatbill Park to visit Indian Fields Mound. At the park, there is a boat launch on the western side, but the eastern side is better suited for launching a canoe or a kayak – the shore is shallow with a very gradual slope.
It was a little breezy today, but not nearly as much as it was a few days ago when I had to turn back after paddling just to stay in place. Today it was just a matter of pushing ahead; going against the current and against the wind made the way out a little slower, but not too much so.
After about an hour, I made it to my landing destination. The first landmark that that marked my arrival was a some pilings in the side of the river that must have been for an old pier or dock. I could also see what looked like a break in the trees on the shore, along with a small sign mounted on one of the trees.
I climbed out of my kayak here and waded through some very shallow water (too shallow to paddle through) and headed up to the trees where I was greeted with a path that looked very inviting.
After making the first turn in the trail though, I found it completely blocked by fallen trees. I was so close that I wasn’t going to be turned back at this point… a little searching and I eventually found a way past the deadfall.
I was glad that I did. Once past the fallen trees, the path to the top of Indian Fields Mound was pretty easy. The mound itself is topped by a large oak tree, and is surrounded by wild orange trees.
On the mound, some evidence of shells can be seen if one has a sharp eye, but most of them are covered by soil. I did a little research and learned that most of the shell deposits had been cleared and the area cultivated later by the Indians that lived in this area. The area also has a burial mound but I haven’t found any information about remains that might have been found.
After exploring around the mound for a bit, it was time to return back to the park. The trip back was completed in about half the time as the trip out, since I had both the wind and the current at my back. This was a neat spot to visit, and a fun way to get there. Now I want to see how many indian mounds in the area that I can visit. If you would like to see the details of this trip, click on the “Trip details” link at the bottom of the map below. You can also see where all of the photos were taken.
Photo Dump
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