De Soto National Memorial
In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen, and clergy made landfall in Tampa Bay. They were met with fierce resistance of indigenous people protecting their homelands. De Soto’s quest for glory and gold would be a four year, four thousand mile odyssey of intrigue, warfare, disease, and discovery that would form the history of the United States.
About 1 hours from Tampa by car.
Alerts
- InformationPark Visitor Center Is Closed
Due to damage from the 2024 Hurricanes. The Park's visitor centers and restrooms are closed due to health and safety issues. The Park has installed portable restrooms located at the front of the park for visitor use.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| De Soto National Memorial | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| De Soto National Memorial Entrance Gate and Parking Lot Hours | Daily · 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
De Soto National Memorial: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day Park Closed | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day Park Closed | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Years Day Park Closed | Closed |
De Soto National Memorial Entrance Gate and Parking Lot Hours: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Park Closed for Thanksgiving Day Holiday | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Park Closed For Christmas Day Holiday | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027Park Closed For New Year's Day Holiday | Closed |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and October the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- De Soto National Memorial Visitor Reception Tent ↗Passport stamp
The De Soto National Visitor Reception area is located on the sidewalk outside of the Visitor Center. Visitors can receive information such as program and tour times and signups, trail maps, brochures, and the parks Junior Ranger Activity Book.
No campgrounds, no webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Woman's Club of PalmettoBuilding · Palmetto · 4.2 mi
- Palmetto ArmoryBuilding · Palmetto · 4.3 mi
- Richardson HouseBuilding · Bradenton · 4.3 mi
- Bradenton Woman's ClubBuilding · Bradenton · 4.4 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Activity guides for this park Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks
Weather & climate
Summers avg. Temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 80-90% Late afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common usually lasting only 10-20 minutes. Winters are mild and dry with lows reaching on average 60 degrees.
Questions people ask
Does De Soto charge an entrance fee?
No. De Soto is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at De Soto?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 4:30PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at De Soto right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Park Visitor Center Is Closed.
Source: Alerts
How busy is De Soto?
124,294 recreation visits in 2025, number 200 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at De Soto?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G. No reported coverage for AT&T and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at De Soto?
Summers avg. Temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 80-90% Late afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common usually lasting only 10-20 minutes.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
