A great hiking trail to see wildlife. Parking is somewhat limited but no admission charge. Some…read moreparts of the trail are wide open and allow for great views of the Everglades and its inhabitants. I saw a ton of birds and a few gators. Other parts are surrounded by thick mangroves. The tower allows for great views from above.

So beautiful!! Easy walking trail with observation deck along the way. Saw a gator and lots of…read morebirds! No shade really along the trail. Take your binoculars! This was really a lovely treat to find such different terrain, wildlife from Colorado. Would definitely recommend!

Tigertail Beach is a unique destination and an adventure for visitors to Marco Island, a corner of…read moreFlorida surrounded by the Everglades and mangrove islands. The beach is named after a Seminole leader and what makes it so special is that it is divided by a tidal lagoon. The developed lagoon side is an important bird habitat and it has amenities like a playground and restrooms. To reach the beach side you wade through the lagoon which is about 50 yards and which allows you to reach the waters of the Gulf. If you prefer not to walk through the lagoon you can walk around the lagoon to the south to reach the beach in about 20 minutes. The main part of Tigertail Beach across from the lagoon is Sand Dollar Island or Sand Dollar Spit. The area was an off shore sandbar completely surrounded by water until the winds of Hurricane Wilma and erosion connected it to Marco Island. It is known for its incredible deposits of sand dollars, giving it the name and making it a favorite spot to find sand dollars and shells. Adjacent to the park is Big Marco Pass Critical Wildlife Area managed by the state and it is a resting site for a variety of migratory shorebirds. Tigertail Beach is a birding hot spot during spring and fall migration. It is a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, one of the longest running programs of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The trail consists of more than 500 wildlife viewing sites across the state. Things to keep in mind, if you are going to to the beach pack what you can carry if you plan on crossing the lagoon. Most people carry their belongings overhead. Parking is ten dollars to park or a Collier County beach pass. if you like a beach adventure and nature, this may be the experience for you.

The sand here is white and like quicksand, so soft. Best time to go is early in the morning or…read moreafter 3pm otherwise impossible to find parking. You can walk through the inlet (in water - if youre under 5'8" youre going to get more than your legs wet) and then over to the beach...if you walk north, its less busy and you feel like youre on your own remote beach. Its not a deep beach so in areas near parking it can get crowded, but if youre up for a walk, its worth it!

They are redoing the walkway/ the walk isn't open it will be very nice when it's finished!read more

Today we did the extra activity on our list, driving to Shell Island Road and walking the…read moreboardwalk. Rain was threatening, but we took the chance, and we enjoyed it. The walk is a half mile long through several ecosystems. Signs tell you about the areas. The walk is easy, and on a sunny day you'll want sunscreen and a hat. You can walk quickly and get your steps in going around several times. Or you can stroll looking for animals. The boardwalk is well maintained as you can see that boards are being replaced. This is a place you can bring the family, and come anytime during the waking hours. Except for about 25 yards of a sandy trail, the boardwalk is handicapped accessible.

Jenny was fantastic. From the minute we met her she made us feel comfortable and even more excited…read morefor the kayak tour. She's been giving tours a long time, and it shows in the best way possible. She's incredibly knowledgeable about the area, and her love of the Everglades shows. Each mangrove cave we went in she pointed out unique attributes including plants and birds. Every animal she saw she not only pointed it out but helped us get great photos too. It was so special to see a crocodile! Jenny also brought us water and chocolate + came incredibly prepared with heavy-duty bug spray. Use it. And book with Jenny! It will be a top Everglades experience.

Jenny's kayak tours are fun and she will educate you with facts about birds, reptiles, fish and…read moreecology of the Everglades. We've done two other kayak tours in the past 3 years and Jenny's is by far the best! You'll learn so much about the Everglades and conservation efforts to protect this beautiful and delicate natural resource.

Very nice walk with lots of wildlife, mostly water birds. Trail is level and easy to walk. There…read moreis an observation tower to provide a wider view. I took lots of photos of water birds.

Nice place to come visit and come for a walk to take a look at the lakes and ponds. I came here…read morefor fishing but left disappointed. Would not recommend anyone here for fishing

This was by far the best sunset cruise we have done! Captain Kieran was so friendly and…read moreknowledgeable we had the best time!!

We were originally on the fence about booking this tour, but I am so glad we did!! Kieran was our…read moretour guide and was super accommodating with us. If you have kids, they provide them with life vests and such! We saw a lot of dolphins, pelicans, osprey's, manatees and even saw an Eagle Ray pop out of the water! Kieran had a lot of information about the life around us and even had some Dolphins ride the wave behind our boat! It was awesome. Thank you Kieran, this was a great family experience.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is an amazing destination for history and nature lovers…read moreof all ages. The center sits within the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which covers more than 110,000 acres of mangrove forests, upland habitats, and estuarine waters. In addition to board walks and hiking trail it has a two-story, 16,500-square-foot facility that combines research, education, art, and conservation. Start your visit inside the learning center where there is a 2,300-gallon mangrove aquarium with a sculpted 14-foot red mangrove tree. Another highlight is the touch tank where visitors can hold sea stars, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and more. There are also exhibits on local ecology and ongoing research in the estuary with emphasis on human impact on nature. A favorite stop on the first floor was the Palmetto Patch Nature Store which featured a variety of nature themed and local made gifts. They also sell water which you will need for a hike if you forgot to bring it. Proceeds from the store go to the Friends of Rookery Bay and their mission to provide resources for Rookery Bay Research Reserve's education, research, and conservation programs. Behind the center there are three half mile walking trails including a boardwalk over Henderson Creek. Thousands of years ago this was the home of the ancient Calusa people that thrived on seafood from the estuary. Although they are extinct you can still see the shell mounds they built. Several Calusa mound complexes are protected within the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's 110,000 acres. From the observation bridge, you can sometimes spot manatees, tarpon, or even sharks. The trails also passes through native plants and historic sites like the remains of the pioneer settlement Little Marco that lay between Marco Island and Naples. The community was sparked by the Homestead act and pre dated the City of Naples. People lived off the estuary, catching fish, harvesting shellfish, and also growing small plots of winter vegetables. A historic cemetery remains near what is now known as Shell Island Road. The Rookery Bay Environmental Reserve is doing important ecological research and conservation while providing public education about coastal ecosystems, climate impacts, and habitat preservation. If you're a nature lover, looking for an inexpensive family friendly activity, or someone curious about coastal ecosystems, the environmental learning center is well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Awesome boat tour with two naturalists. We had a great time exploring a private island.read more

This State Park does a good job of dotting the " i's " and crossing the " t's ". There's hiking…read moretrails, camping, fishing, kayaking / canoeing, a pavilion, picnic tables, kiddies playground, and some interesting historical items. Admission is $5.00 per vehicle (maximum of 8 people), or $2.00 per person (pedestrians or bicyclists). I was on my motorcycle so I fell in the top category. I rode to the boat launch area first. This was a nice place to launch a boat or kayak. It was a protected bay like area. There was a floating boat dock nearby where one could fish from. In the same area as the boat launch was the hiking trail. It was closed (the park employee at the entrance had already told me) probably because of Hurricane Ian damages? Also the picnic and playground area was in this area. here. Restrooms are on site too. The next stop I visited while in the park was the historic Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489. This feat of engineering was used in the 1920's to help build the Tamiami Trail through the Florida Everglades. From the information provided, "Built in Bay City Michigan, this walking dredge followed the drilling and blasting rigs, averaging 80 feet per 10 hour shift. Dynamite was used to blast the limestone into small enough chunks for the dredge to lift." The road was completed, finally linking Tampa to Miami in 1928, with the help of this machine. For the mechanical and engineering nerds (like me), you'll want to see and read about this. Ha! I had a good time here and recommend you check this place out. I am going with 4 stars because the hiking trail was closed and the canoe rental cabin where one could also buy drinks was closed. Hopefully these will open in the near future.

I drove in to let my dog out for a pee real quick but I saw you gotta pay for this park so I turned…read moreright around:) I'm not paying for my dogs little walk. But maybe I'll come back one day for a planned visit

We went on a sunset boat tour to see the birds roost on an island leaving from Rookery Bay. We had…read morea great time on this slow two hour tour with our knowledgeable guide exploring the mangroves and birdwatching. The sunset was absolutely beautiful and seeing all the birds come to roost was just amazing. It got very very buggy at dusk so I recommend long pants and bug spray!

We had a great time with Rising Tide Explorers on a kayak tour of the mangroves. Our guides Selina…read moreand Parker were very nice, knowledgeable and you could just tell they have a love the local ecosystem. We rented the tandem kayak and had an easy time paddling around. I would recommend the tandem for anyone that might not be a very strong kayaker. We really enjoyed Rising Tide and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, relaxing and learning eco tour of the Mangroves.