Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site
This major Mississippian Period Cultural Center was home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 to 1500 AD. The largest mound stands over 63 feet high and covers three acres.
The impressive protected land interprets life in what is now known as the Etowah Valley Historic District. Beyond the mounds lies the Etowah River, where original Indian fish traps can be viewed. The Etowah Museum and Grounds are open daily. Experience the most intact Mississippian Cultural Site in every season.
Sacred Ground. Towering Legacy.
Step into one of the most well-preserved Mississippian culture sites in the Southeast. From 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D., thousands of Native Americans made their home here—building ceremonial mounds, farming rich riverbanks, and shaping a vibrant society rooted in ritual, artistry, and trade.
Spanning 54 acres along the Etowah River, the site protects six towering earthen mounds, a central plaza, and remnants of village life—including a defensive ditch and ancient fish trap still visible today. Explore a scenic nature trail that reveals how native trees once served as vital sources of food and medicine, and imagine the grandeur of a mound-top chief’s home rising above the community.
This sacred ground offers a powerful glimpse into a complex civilization that shaped the history of the region.
Leake Mounds Interpretive Trail
Nearby you might wish to visit the Leake Mounds Interpretive Trail. This site was a major cultural center during the prehistoric Middle Woodland period, which predates the Etowah Indian Mounds site. The trail was created when the Georgia Department of Transportation excavated 50,000 sq. ft. of the site which revealed artifacts dating from 300 B.C. until 650 A.D. Today the interpretive trail includes 18 interactive markers along a 1.5 mile trail, each with QR codes allowing visitors to access additional information about the site right on their phones.
