Naples is a great place for the whole family. Whether you're a full-time resident or just visiting, our beautiful parks are a perfect place to catch some rest in between shopping sprees, meet up with old friends, or just sit back and enjoy the sunshine.

While you're out exploring Fifth Avenue South, take a detour to Cambier Park. Located next to the Von Liebig Art Center, Cambier Park has a little bit of everything. Enjoy a picnic lunch under the gazebo, play with your kids on the playground, or enjoy a musical performance at the bandshell. If you need a break from the hot sun, take a walk through the recently renovated Cambier Park Community Center.

Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve are two of our most famous, but we also have many state, local and private parks and preserves perfect for viewing birds and other wildlife, and enjoying outstanding outdoor recreation including nature photography, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, boating and more.

Collier County and the greater Southwest Florida region is home to a large and exotic ecosystem. Eighty percent of Collier County's 2025 square miles has been protected as natural reserves. See below for descriptions of the many State and National parks that make their homes in Collier County.

The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was the first National Preserve created under the National Park system. Here you'll find a variety of trees and wildlife throughout the park, including mangrove forests, cypress strands, pines, and more. Birdwatchers will have plenty of sightseeing opportunities while more adventurous explorers can camp out for a night or two, take a hike, and canoe or kayak.

The only subtropical preserve in America, Everglades National Park spans across the southern tip of the state. It contains both tropical and temperate species, as well as vast prairies, swamplands, and estuaries. The park is also home to many different bird species, and the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles cohabitate. Everglades National Park has been designated a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance.

Located along the East Trail, Collier-Seminole State Park offers hiking trails, campgrounds, and all of the amenities and natural wonders that you would expect to find in the Everglades. Additionally, Park Rangers give regular presentations on a variety of subjects every Saturday.

One of Naples' most popular Gulf Coast parks, Wiggins Pass offers one mile of pristine beaches and clear sunny skies. Snorkel, swim, fish, or work on that tan; you can do it all here. Also, on the north side of the park, check out the observation tower, offering visitors a view of the whole park. Scuba diving and kayaking are also available.

Fakahatchee Strand State Park is home to a number rare and endangered native Florida species, including black bears, Eastern indigo snakes, diamondback terrapins, and the infamous Florida panther. The park measures approximately twenty miles long and five miles wide. The park is also home to the Prairie Canal, an important source of fresh water for the wildlife and humans who live in the area, as well as the Ten Thousand Islands on the western seashore. Here you can see for yourself why it's referred to as the "Amazon of North America" as you walk along its 2,000 foot boardwalk. Or maybe even take a guided swamp tour with a Park Ranger. This vital ecosystem shouldn't be missed!

Stretching from Everglades City to Flamingo, the Wilderness Waterway is a 99-mile experience unlike any other. Follow the waterway through estuaries and inlets, mangrove forests and open water, and see the rugged Florida wilderness like you've never seen it before. Whether you want to take the "quick" way, a seven-hour boat ride, or the natural route, a nine-day paddling adventure, the Wilderness Waterway is the perfect way to connect with a Florida untouched by civilization. Campsites are available along the entirety of the route, but you must obtain a backcountry permit before embarking.

For more information on these parks, or any other in Florida, please visit the National Park Service or the Florida State Parks Information Center.