Fort Kissimmee

Florida's ghost towns are railroad towns Flagler built, 1920s land-boom subdivisions that busted, and phosphate and turpentine camps.

Fort Kissimmee Cemetery is one of the oldest Florida Heartland pioneer cemeteries located on private property, within the eastern boundary of the Avon Park Bombing Range in Highlands County, Florida along the Kissimmee River. The cemetery is approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Avon Park, Florida. The cemetery was started by a community of cattle farmers located along the Kissimmee River near the old Fort Kissimmee site used during the Seminole Indian Wars. Kissimmee River is an Indian name meaning "long water", given to the river by the Creek Indians.

Fort Kissimmee started with soldiers before it had settlers — the frontier's usual order of operations.

The on-the-ground condition of Fort Kissimmee is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Fort Kissimmee is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Fort Kissimmee is roughly 27.5919, -81.1567 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.