There are parts of Florida where the ground feels uncertain. Step off trail and you’re in water. Paddle too hard and you’re stuck in grass. Collier-Seminole State Park sits in this tension zone—where Gulf Coast salt meets Everglades wetland, and where humans once tried (and mostly failed) to drain the whole thing.
Located about 17 miles southeast of Naples on the Tamiami Trail, Collier-Seminole is one of Florida’s most ecologically diverse and historically loaded state parks, with a blend of:
- Tropical hardwood forest
- Coastal mangroves
- Freshwater marsh
- A working relic of industrial folly
It’s a swamp park, but it’s also a storybook. A place to paddle, hike, and wander—while brushing up against the state’s most ambitious and questionable engineering experiment.
Canoeing Through the Mangrove Tunnels
The park is best known for its 13.5-mile canoe trail that loops through a brackish mangrove estuary. It’s a journey of silence and sudden bird calls, where the water reflects the trees so perfectly that paddling feels like floating between two skies.
Expect:
- Black mangrove roots rising like Gothic architecture
- Roseate spoonbills flashing pink in the distance
- Occasional alligator eyes at the surface, watching, unbothered
- Fiddler crabs swarming the mud at low tide
- Narrow channels that force you to duck under limbs or backtrack to reroute
This trail is not for beginners—bring navigation skills, water, and check tides. But if you’re comfortable in a boat, it’s one of Florida’s most immersive paddle trails.
Hiking and Boardwalks
When you’re back on dry land (more or less), several trails give you a glimpse into South Florida’s rare plant life and shifting ecosystems…