Come explore these nature attractions in Collier County!

Guest Blogger: Erica Fish - Marketing Communication Specialist, Barron Collier Companies

Naples is the perfect place to get close to nature. Located in Florida’s Paradise Coast, plan your next nature vacation exploring some of what Collier County has to offer. 

​​Since 1889, the Naples Pier has been a favorite location for sightseers, and is an ideal coastal place to stroll, lounge, fish, boogie-board and wade! Featuring covered eating areas, accessible beach supplies, a concession stand and passerby performers, the pier has been a must see for sunsets and marine life.

Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre world-class garden paradise featuring seasonal, tropical and native plants from Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Florida. Offering 90 acres of restored natural habitats and walking trails, the gardens bring educational entertainment and arts to life through daily interactive programs, activity kits, tours and fieldtrips!

Clam Pass Park is home to a three-quarter-mile boardwalk snaking through mangroves, featuring an up-close tidal ecosystem. Clam Pass also has scenic beaches and a courtesy tram to reach scenic attractions of its 35-acre coastal habitat, preserves and sugar sand beach.

A vibrant botanical garden resting in old Florida’s Bonita Springs rests the Everglades Wonder Gardens where over 300 rescued and non-releasable birds and reptiles live for visitors to learn about important wildlife and environmental entities.
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Go with a friend or take the family to Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens where you’ll find exotic animals, plants and trees, and a large lake taking you by boat to monkey islands. Founded in 1919, this popular attraction has conserved a collection of botanicals and has served as a rehabilitation center for injured and endangered species.

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve stretches across 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters, encompassing 40% of Collier County coastline. The Reserve is committed to preservation through research, education, and land protection. Explore their two story, 16,500 square-foot facility with four research laboratories, classrooms and 140-seat auditorium. An amazing world exists in their 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters. A myriad of wildlife, including 150 species of birds and many threatened and endangered animals, thrive in the estuarine environment and surrounding upland hammocks and scrub found within the Reserve.

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