Where the majestic royal palms grow.
The Setting
The park was originally created by Barron Gift Collier to preserve the royal palm trees and later the park was donated to the County. The park then served as a memorial to Barron Collier and those who fought on both sides of the Seminole Wars. In 1947, the county donated the land, which became Collier-Seminole State Park.
In the 1700s, Seminole Indians emigrated from the Creek Confederacy to Florida. Three wars took place to remove the Seminoles from Florida and send them to reservations. During the Third Seminole War, the Seminoles resisted and retreated to the swamps of southwest Florida. Soldiers searching for the Indians drew maps. One crude 1857 military map illustrates the Blackwater River with an area labeled “palm grove.” That area, now a part of the park, contains the beautiful royal palm trees.
In the early 1920s, advertising tycoon and pioneer developer, Barron Collier purchased nearly a million acres in southwest Florida. In 1923, it became Collier County. Barron Collier was a major investor in developing the Collier County section of the Tampa-to-Miami highway, the Tamiami Trail.
The Facility
The full-facility campground at Collier-Seminole State Park features sites with electric and water hookups for RVs and tents. Each site has a grill and picnic table. A communal dump station is available at no extra charge. Hot water showers and laundry facilities are available.
Camping Tips
• Hours are 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year.
• Pets are permitted in designated areas only. Pets must be kept on a hand-held leash no longer than 6 feet and be well behaved at all times.
• Florida’s state parks are committed to providing equal access to all facilities and programs. Should you need assistance to enable your participation, please contact the ranger station
Park Features
The 7,271-acre Collier-Seminole State Park lies partly within the great mangrove swamp of southern Florida, one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world. A wide variety of wildlife, including several imperiled species, inhabits this unusual blend of temperate and tropical native plant communities.
Collier-Seminole State Park features vegetation and wildlife typical of Florida’s Everglades. Although rare elsewhere, the park covers one of three original stands of royal palm trees in Florida, coexisting with large areas of mangrove swamp. The park is the site of a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, the last existing Bay City Walking Dredge. Built in 1924, it was used to build the Tamiami Trail Highway (U.S. 41) through the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, linking Tampa and Miami and opening southwest Florida to travelers.
Park programs are offered from December to March. Park rangers present programs on a variety of topics about the park’s plants, animals and history.
Visitors can experience this park’s remarkable wilderness on several trails. The Blackwater River originates in the park and meanders several miles through the mangroves to Blackwater Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands. The park has canoe rentals along with a boat ramp that provides access to the Blackwater River. Other trails offer opportunities for bicycling, hiking and nature observation.
Address
20200 E. Tamiami Trail
Naples, FL 34114
