Collier-Seminole State Park

It is a well laid out Florida State Park campground In a mangrove swamp, making the mosquitoes horrible. There is access to a channel that you can rent a kayak or “Go Cat” to go all the way to the gulf, or use your own boat. The go cats are very cool and the guide you out in groups for around $150.

Pulled up to window at check-in. Gave her my name and reserved site number. She asked me to park and come inside. Inside, she handed me a map and recited the rules. Then she asked if I had any questions. I asked, "Do you have a restroom?" She looked at me with unbelief. "Well, I guess if it's an emergency. " I told her I had been on the road for 3 and a half hours. The other lady pointed to the restroom. I don't think that I've ever had anyone deny a restroom to me at check-in. The website said the Royal Palm trail would close on April 3rd. When we went to it on March 26th, it was barricaded. Both my wife and I had cold showers that evening. When I mentioned it to the maintenance lady, she said that she had been there since November and has never had a hot shower. All the sites seem to be fairly tight with no privacy.

Not a fan of this campground. We stayed for five nights in February. Really hot and buggy - TONS of mosquitos. I guess that’s to be expected given the location in/near the Everglades. The mosquitos were so aggressive we got tons of bites, they covered our pups, and the first evening we smashed close to 60 of them in our van after opening the door just to get into the van. Pretty miserable. On top of that, the nature trails within the campground/visitor area was closed and overgrown. The only hiking trails that were open were close to a mile down the highway - not really accessible on foot from campground. Campground itself was ok but not as pretty as others we’ve been to. On the plus side, good location for visiting other stuff in the area and my husband liked playing pickleball daily at courts in Naples. The volunteers at the campground were really friendly and the facilities were clean.

This was a great spot if your camping in south Florida between spots and has great hiking.

We accumulated several nights in our travel trailer at Collier-Seminole in the November/December time frame, staying at a total of 5 campsites (76, 45, 84, 22, and 66).  The standout for us was the quick and helpful response of the staff.  Ex:  As we were moving into site 84, we spotted a fire ant problem, and they attended to it right away.  Ex: As we were moving into site 21, we saw that the middle board of the picnic table top was rotted out.  I brought this to the attention of a Ranger passing by, and we had a different table within 15 minutes.  Ex:  We had the misfortune of locking the keys in a friend's vehicle, which caused us to have two vehicles on site overnight.  The staff was very understanding, and even suggested an empty campsite nearby for parking our second vehicle overnight   Ex:  Because our initial bookings were late, we did a quite a bit of "jumping" between sites.  The staff proactively stopped by to tell us we could move to our next site early.

Other reviews cover the mosquito situation.  I would add that dealing with the mosquitos was routine for a grizzled Minnesotan such as myself, but the aggressive biting noseeums were something new.

Some "insider" information: 

(1) campsites 22 and 24 are the only sites with paved pads.  The rest are gravel.  ALSO, campsite 22 is actually a double wide paved pad (used to be sites 22 and 23, but they combined them into one).

(2) While you are limited to one vehicle per campsite, you can park an extra vehicle down by the boat landing.

(3) There is a lot more shade over the grounds than the view from Google Earth would suggest.

(4)  There are washers and driers that take credit card payment.  Nice.  The bath house in the A-loop has two washers and two driers for doubling up.

(5) This campground has several bag dispensers for dog clean up that are always well stocked.  GREAT for those of us on an extended stay.

Great state park with decent amenities. Even had cc laundry which was a surprise. Lots of shaded spots in the lower lot numbers.

My site had the hookups in the middle of it. The bathhouse is not ventilated. It doesn’t have ac. It’s extremely hot in there. The park Rangers are more like fun police. My neighbors had their family reunion yesterday. At sunset they were on site telling them they had to leave. Everyone was clearly loading up their vehicles. It was unnecessary for them to show up and bark at them. I got harassed by 3 different people in a period of 5 mins b/c I had my lights wrapped around a tree. Needless to say, I won’t be coming back here.

The security at the gate she’s amazing and love what she’s doing, she was very helpful and knowledgeable, the campsite is nice and clean, you have showers with hot water, definitely coming back.

We stayed here for 2 nights in campsite 100. The campground is about 30 min South of Naples. Our campsite was very spacious but like all the other campsites, not private at all. It comes with a firepit and a picnic table. We also had a water spigot and electricity. The campground was at full capacity but still very quiet. It seemed like the majority of people were retirees. The bathhouse was extremely clean. The whole park is very well taken care of. Everybody we met was super friendly... the other campers, volunteers, and park rangers. Disappointing was that we couldn't rent a canoe. The rangers said it was bc of hurricane Ian but there was no damage visible and the kayaks and canoes were right at the marina. One of the trails was also closed but there is a beautiful 3.5 miles trail about 0.7 miles down the road that belongs to the park as well. We even saw an alligator. Definitely bring bug spray bc the mosquitoes were bad. There are also bear warnings and they are not wrong. We had our Yeti cooler dragged about 20 meters away with claw and bite marks in it. We would camp here again bc it is a beautiful park and not far to amenities like restaurants and shopping.

I have stayed here a few times and for the price you won't find much with same amenities! The grounds have lots of trees and coverage which helps with the dog days of summer!! The sites are pretty much on top of each other so if privacy is your thing then it's not for you!! I get all the privacy I need inside my RV so it's of no concern. Bring plenty of Bug spray and be careful of the mud when it's rainy season because it gets everywhere!! Happy Camping

This is a small but beautiful campground with just enough to have a comfortable stay. Sites are spacious, but oddly configured so they end up feeling closer than necessary. I was basically standing at the neighbor’s fire pit while setting up my camper; so close that I felt compelled to make conversation or it would have been very awkward. I could have roasted a marshmallow on their fire from my water hookup location…

Pros: -The staff is friendly and helpful. -Spacious sites -Feels secluded but only 5 minute to a Publix and 15 to a shopping mall

Cons- -pretty far from all the Big Cypress and Everglades visitor centers -some sites are close together and few have privacy -gets very soggy after a rain (huge puddles, mud everywhere after one thunderstorm)

Long story short- can’t beat the price for water and electric hookups, but I’m sure there are better campgrounds around.

FYI- they are not kidding about locking the gate at night! Make sure you call ahead if you will arrive after sunset or you will not get in.

Great park can camp and explore ten thousand islands National Park and the big Cypress National park. The bathhouse is clean and they just had a new one built.

I gave this campground 2 stars because there was NO privacy whatsoever. The grounds were decent with some historic stuff to see, I wasn’t overly impressed.

I’ve been camping here a few times. Most of the campsites are fairly private. There are a few trails to hike and if you are adventurous, you can head out into the Everglades in a canoe. NOTE: please use bug spray down here. The mosquitoes and noseeum can be really bad.

This place was nicely maintained. We camped on the tent only loop. Most of the sites are pretty private with water, a fire ring and picnic table at each spot. Some get more shade and some have more trees. The shower was great but broken and the light was broken in there as well. But I’m not a complainer. There are some trails in the park with canoe / kayak rentals. And then more trails off the main road. Overall a pleasant tent camping spot but wow it was crazy HOT July 31st. So many mosquitoes and yellow biting flies. I would go in the cooler months for sure!

I’ve been going here for about 15 years. Great camping park. Always quiet and great space to take family. I always go camp with my sibling and friends and also take my dogs with me. Have never had an issue.

The campground was well maintained, showers were clean with plenty of hot water. We camped at site 87 and it was next to a busy road. It felt private and isolated however, there was a constant flow of traffic on the other side of the brush. Ensure you bring lots of mosquito repellents of all sorts, they are pretty large and very hungry mosquitos.

Great campground! I enjoyed the walking trail and my kids enjoyed the playground. Very nice amenities with very nice bathroom facilities with showers. Campsite also had water and electricity. I took away a star due to the small size and because the tent campsites were too close to each other. There is also canoe/kayak rentals. Also, mosquito repellent a must.

What a beautiful park. The lake was so beautiful. The cat walk trail was nice and maintained well. Loved the walking dredge history. The staff was really nice.

Lots of mosquitoes and no interest but we did enjoy it :)

Arrived here for a three-night tent stay in early December. The staff was very friendly. The comfort rooms spotless and modern. New-looking washer and dryer. The RV spots are very close together. I got spot #79, on the North side, conveniently close to the restroom but also close to San Marco Rd over the fence. Remarkable how, having so much land to build a park, that loop was placed so close to the road and therefore to its noise. On the way out, I drove around the tents' loop (no spots had been available at the time of reservation). May I recommend that tenters strive for spots 1 to 16 which are on the tent loop and far from the outside road. They are private, with vegetation between spots, unlike the RV side, where I set up my tent.  The grounds are kept so well at this park, with open grassy areas trimmed and neat. There are kayak and bicycle rental stations, photos included. The waters of the inlet are tranquil. Truly spectacular and peaceful. There is no camp store, so bring your firewood and supplies. The nearest Publix is about 8 miles away, but there's a gas station just west of the Park's main entrance.  The mosquitos will quickly invade your tent, so shutter it well before sundown. Spot 79 has gravel and grass and is level. So are most spots as far as I could see. The picnic tables are a bit too big for the normal 8ft "mosquito tent." Each spot, RV or tent, has electric, water, and fire pit.

If you’re on the fence about the visiting this park do it. It has lots of amenities including a small marina for boats, canoes/kayaks and bicycle rentals if you choose. There are a couple trails to venture onto. Also couple of spots on the grounds of historic value that you can easily walk to you as well.

The grounds are well-kept including the bath houses. The grounds are continuously monitored throughout the day. Note: they are sticklers for some of the rules...(no hanging lights from trees, kids must have helmet when on bikes). No biggy to me just something to know. There is one loop that is dedicated to tent campers with bathhouse. The rest of the grounds can be tent campers but mostly RVers ranging sizes with another bathhouse.

The cons...?

Well if you do choose to visit. BRING any and ALL mosquito repellent. I am a Florida native born and raised and I have dealt with my share of mosquitoes. These grounds are now on the top of the list of bad bugs sites. I usually pack heavy on supplies and was OK. But if you don’t bring repellents you will be down a liter or two of blood when you leave.

Second complaint would be....They clean the boathouse from 11am-12noon daily. Now this doesn’t seem like a bad time. But wait till it’s leaving day and check out is 1pm. You got your gear all packed and camper locked up and dumped. Then to do a bathroom run before you hit the road. I think they could choose a different time that would work better..2p-3p maybe?

Something else to note for Big RVers. I didn’t have this problem at my site BUT I did see some coaches have issues with enough space to back in. Some the the sites are tricky to back into (site poles, trees....etc.) weather they were on the site OR a site across from yours. Just something I noticed.

Over all a great place to visit.  I would visit again BUT will be bring even MORE mosquito repellent.

Did not have reservations but were able to find a spot and reserve/pay online once in the park. FYI site #87 is surrounded by foilage and is semi private;). Water and electric hook ups with shower, bathrooms, dump and garbage available. The road is near by but was not noticeable while elating outside. Beware of bear signs around so do not leave food about. There were a couple walking trails and a dock. Very nice place to stay, would stay again.

A historical sight down in the Florida Everglades.

Immaculately kept facilities. Interesting historical sites. Nice walking trail.

Tgis place offers a nice fishing area and screened in community area by the bathrooms. However the bugs at this park are the worse I have ever encountered. It's like prehistoric times with teridactles coming in to suck your blood. I kid you not the mosquitos are that bad. If you have a good camping net room for around the picnic table you may make it out alive.

Ideal camping before April. We appreciated easy access to washer, dryer, wood, ice and a screened in area with tables for those buggy nights.

This park is nice for a short bike ride or hike along it’s nature trail. Don’t forget the kids helmets because it’s a law in Florida for them to wear them and the park ranger will remind you of it. The park is also on a river you can kayak or put a canoe in. They even provide rentals. The campground is well maintained and has three good size shower houses. The RV sites are pretty close together especially in the back. There is a nice playground by the river and a few historic markers to explore. The location is about 30mins to the beach depending on traffic. We visit Naples and Marcos island which were both nice but crowded. The park is also a short distance to the northern part of Everglades National Park. You can easily hitch a ride on an airboat tour there. We visited in December and the mosquitoes were definitely thirty that time of year! The ones that got in ate us alive while we slept in our camper. I still have nightmares but with out a breeze that’s just florida. Overall, great little park to explore just sleep under a mosquito net.

Sites are pretty close together without much privacy. Nice, well kept park, but the maintenance people closed ALL the bathrooms for cleaning for up to two hours late mornings every day we were there. Otherwise nothing too notable - there were some hiking trails available to take advantage of, but we had bad weather. I might be willing to come back with better weather and more accessible bathroom facilities!

Collier-Seminole State Park, Naples Florida https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Collier-Seminole

It’s quite possible not many folks know about this State Park. The campground proper may not seem that large, but Collier-Seminole State Park is 7,271 acres huge! Almost all of it is part of the great mangrove swamp, one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world.

Even still, there are 105 camp sites tucked away on dry ground. All have electric and water, a fire pit and picnic table.

When entering the campsite area, the first loop to the right is a designated tent camping only loop. 19 sites in all. The sites are reasonably sized and permit two tents. There are palms and hardwoods providing canopy for shade above and undergrowth to give some privacy but you can still see and hear your neighbors.

The RV/Camper loop looks more like an inverted triangle with several loops within.

Three Restroom/showerhouse’s are strategically located so it is not a far walk to reach one from anywhere in the camping area. One of which has laundry facilities. There is also a RV dump station available. Firewood is sold in two locations in the RV loop.

**Read park rules and regs online…especially if you plan on bringing a pet or had thoughts of using a hammock.

Within the campground itself there is only one trail, but just outside is another 6.5 mile that winds through cypress swamps and offers a primitive campsite. However, you must register with the Ranger Station. Boating is the big draw and more specifically fishing. A fee of $5 gets you in the State Park for the day, and most Day users utilize the boat ramp. Canoe rentals are available as well as bicycles. Paddlers must submit a float plan with the Ranger. Mountain bikers have a 3.5 mile trail through a hammock and pine forest, again, you must register st the Ranger Station before use.

Don’t lose sight that you are in a very wild area. Bears, panthers, bobcat, gators, the invasive python, along with several poisonous snakes call this home. Also bring bug repellent! When there is a “skeeter-meter” on the Ranger Station wall, you had better be prepared.

Like most parks, a rich and varied history surrounds Collier-Seminole State Park. All of which is quite fascinating. Three distinctly different Seminole Wars took place here. The dredging and construction of US 41 which cuts across the Everglades that connects east with west began here. In fact, the only Bay City Walking Dredge in existence is found in this park.

The Collier-Seminole State Park is close to so many great SWFL things to see and do.

During what they refer to as “season,” Dec-Mar. you’ll be hard pressed to find a vacancy, as snowbirds migrate here in droves. But from May through October, you’ll find several vacancies.

Collier-Seminole State Park should be on your short list of places to camp!