Nature fun in Naples, FL

I love travel. One of the things I love most about it is learning all the things a new place has to offer. We're heading south for sunnier weather in January, and I can't wait to see what Naples, Florida has to offer us. I'm exciting to share someplace new with my 3.5-year-old daughter. We're already researching dolphins and other sealife, as well as the Everglades. We're reading books. We're watching Netflix documentaries and Youtube video clips. She's excited. I'm excited. This is the best way to learn. Hands-on.

Here are a few of the places we hope to hit up:

I wonder if we'll see dolphins from the shore?

DELNOR-WIGGINS PASS STATE RECREATION AREA

11135 Gulfshore Dr.
Naples, Florida 34108
(239) 597-6196
http://www.floridastateparks.org/delnorwiggins/default.cfm
Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year (Gates closed if park reaches capacity)

Admission Fee:
$6.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.
$4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle.
$2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.

Boat ramp fee:
The boat ramp fee is $5.00 + tax..  This is in addition to the Admission Fee.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area is a Florida State Park located on a barrier island on Florida's southwest coast near Naples, Florida, six miles west of Exit 111 on I-75.

One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand at Delnor-Wiggins has been rated one of the best beaches in the nation. The 166-acre park is a tropical paradise for beach lovers, boaters and divers. The beach is a popular spot to sunbathe, swim, beachcomb, snorkel and picnic. At the beach along Wiggins Pass, where swimming is not allowed, fishing is a popular activity. Boaters can launch their vessels into Water Turkey Bay and travel to the Gulf or up the Cocohatchee River for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. Kayakers can enjoy paddling through estuaries and scuba divers can explore the hard bottom reef in the Gulf. At the north end of the island, a tower gives visitors a bird's-eye view of Wiggins Pass and the surrounding coastal habitat.

Looking for cool birds? Be sure to check out Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

CORKSCREW SWAMP SANCTUARY

www.corkscrewsanctuary.org
Address: 375 Sanctuary Road West, Naples, FL 34120
Phone: (239) 348-9151
Hours: Open 365 days a year, 7 AM to 5:30 PM, except during severe weather. (Last person allowed in at 4:30pm)

Admission fees:
Adult: $ 12.00 (two-consecutive-day pass)
Full-time college student with photo ID: $ 6.00
National Audubon Society member with membership card: $ 6.00
Student (6-18 years old): $ 4.00
Children under 6: free

About:
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 14,000-acre wildlife sanctuary located north of Naples, Florida. Founded in 1945, it contains the largest remaining virgin Bald Cypress forest in North America. A 2.25-mile boardwalk snakes its way through five habitats and is open to the public 365 days a year except during severe weather. A shorter 1-mile walk boardwalk is also available. Volunteer naturalists are usually on the boardwalk to answer questions. Allow about 2-3 hours.

Collier-Seminole contains one of the three original stands of the rare royal palm in Florida.

COLLIER-SEMINOLE STATE PARK

Collier-Seminole State Park is a Florida State Park located on US 41, 17 miles south of Naples, Florida.
Address: 20200 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114
Phone: (239) 394-3397
http://www.floridastateparks.org/collierseminole/
Hours: 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Admission Fee:
$5.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.
$4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle.
$2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.

Canoe rental:
$5.30 per hour; $26.50 per day

Experience the natural beauty and wildlife of the Everglades, as well as a forest of tropical trees at Collier-Seminole State Park. The 7,271-acre park lies partly within the great mangrove swamp of southern Florida, one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world. Collier-Seminole also contains one of the three original stands of the rare royal palm in Florida. 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. Visitors to Collier-Seminole have the opportunity to explore the park's wilderness in many ways, including hiking, bicycling or canoeing. Collier-Seminole provides canoe rentals, as well as a boat ramp with access to the Blackwater River, where anglers can fish for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. Collier-Seminole offers full-facility, primitive and youth camping. The picnic areas have pavilions and grills for use on a first-come, first-served basis.