The Koreshan State Historic Site is a state park in

Lee County, Florida Lee County is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 760,822. The county seat is Fort Myers (with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census), and the largest city is Cape Coral with an e ...

located on U.S. Highway 41 at Corkscrew Road. It was also added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on May 4, 1976, under the designation of Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District. It contains areas of pine

flatwoods Flatwoods, pineywoods, pine savannas and longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem are terms that refer to an ecological community in the southeastern coastal plain of North America. Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by wildfire or prescribed fire and ...

habitat and the site of a religious colony, the Koreshan Unity, whose last members deeded the land to the state in 1961.

Flora

The Koreshans imported a wide range of plant species from across the world, including: an ''

Araucaria bidwillii ''Araucaria bidwillii'', commonly known as the bunya pine and sometimes referred to as the false monkey puzzle tree, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the plant family Araucariaceae. It is found naturally in south-east Queensland Austra ...

'' (false monkey puzzle) tree, which is indigenous to

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia, and drops seed pods as large as a football; a number of sausage trees, which are native to Africa and a favored food of giraffes; eucalyptus, mango and other fruit bearing trees; an extraordinary amount of Japanese bamboo that originally hails from the

Edison and Ford Winter Estates The Edison and Ford Winter Estates contain a historical museum and 21 acre (8.5 hectares) botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee River in Southwestern Florida. It is ...

; and many flowering trees and plants of a wide variety.

Fauna

Among the

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

of the park are

gopher tortoise The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide ...

s, bobcats,

gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littor ...

es,

North American river otter The North American river otter (''Lontra canadensis''), also known as the northern river otter and river otter, is a semiaquatic mammal that only lives on the North American continent, along its waterways and coasts. An adult North American rive ...

s and

American alligator The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the gen ...

s. Birds spotted include

swallow-tailed kite The swallow-tailed kite (''Elanoides forficatus'') is a pernine raptor which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. It is the only species in the genus ''Elanoides''. Most North and Central American b ...

s, bald eagles,

northern bobwhite The northern bobwhite (''Colinus virginianus''), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in th ...

s and

red-shouldered hawk The red-shouldered hawk (''Buteo lineatus'') is a medium-sized buteo. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. It is a permanent resident throughout most of its ...

Recreational activities

Activities include

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, picnicking, and boating, as well as camping,

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

ing,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a campground, boat ramp, canoe rentals, trails and a picnic area on the

Estero River Estero is a village in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,939. During the 2010 census, Estero was an unincorporated community, or census-designated place, the population at that time was 22,612. Est ...

. Beach activities along the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...

, and kayak rentals on the river are available within a relatively short distance outside the park.

Hours

Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays).

Gallery

File:Koreshan SHS founders house02.jpg, Founder's House. File:Koreshan SHS - Bamboo Landing.jpg, The Bamboo Landing. File:Koreshan SHS - ornamental bridge.jpg, An ornamental bridge. File:Koreshan SHS - Gopher Tortoise.jpg, A

in the park. File:Koreshan_SHS_-_Otter_on_the_Estero.jpg, An otter on the Estero River. File:Koreshan SHS - Herons on the Estero.jpg, Herons on the Estero.

External links

Koreshan State Park
a
Florida State Parks
{{authority control State parks of Florida National Register of Historic Places in Lee County, Florida Museums in Lee County, Florida Religious museums in Florida Open-air museums in Florida Protected areas established in 1961 Parks in Lee County, Florida 1961 establishments in Florida