DADE BATTLEFIELD
HISTORIC STATE PARK

By  Mike Miller May 16, 2025

Dade Battlefield Historic State Park is an 80-acre site in Bushnell, Florida. It preserves the site of an1835 battle that started the Second Seminole War.

The park features a visitor center, trails, and picnic areas. It includes pine flatwoods and oak hammocks.

The park is a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can explore history and nature. 

Dade Battlefield State Park Entrance

Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821. Tensions grew as settlers arrived, and Seminoles sheltered fugitive slaves. 

The 1832 Treaty of Payne’s Landing aimed to relocate Seminoles west, but many resisted.

On December 28, 1835, 180 Seminole warriors ambushed 108 U.S. soldiers led by Major Francis Dade. The soldiers were marching from Fort Brooke in Tampa to Fort King in Ocala.

Only three soldiers survived. The attack, called Dade’s Massacre, sparked the Second Seminole War.

This war lasted seven years and was the costliest Indian war in U.S. history. The state preserved the site in 1921. 

The park is at 7200 County Road 603 (Battlefield Parkway), Bushnell, Florida. Take I-75 to exit 314, then follow County Road 48 east and turn right on County Road 603.

The park is open daily from 8 am to sunset. The visitor center, with a museum and 12-minute video, is open from 9 am to 5 pm. Check their website for event schedules.

A half-mile trail follows the historic Fort King Road. Bring water and comfortable shoes. Picnics are allowed, with pavilions available. The annual battle reenactment occurs in early January. 

• The park’s oak trees stood during the 1835 battle.  

• A six-pound cannon, like Dade’s, is fired during reenactments. 

• The breastworks, rebuilt in 2002, face west, correcting an earlier error.  

• Soldiers’ graves are at St. Augustine National Cemetery, not onsite.  

• The battle inspired names like Miami-Dade County and Dade City.  

• Seminole leader Micanopy planned the ambush. 

• The park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, with over 150 bird species.  

• The Dade Battlefield Society, formed in 1987, hosts events.

DADE BATTLEFIELD HISTORIC STATE PARK WEBSITE