Collier-Seminole State Park

Overview

Join us for canoeing, hiking, biking or just relaxing on a weekend getaway at Collier-Seminole. Bring your family, bring your friends, bring your camping gear and don't forget the marshmallows. The 7,271-acre Collier-Seminole State Park lies partly within the great mangrove swamp of South 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 in Florida, co-existing 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. 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.