Hi there!
So you are going to Southwest Florida along the gulf coast!
There are a few state parks in Southwest Florida.
In general, Florida state parks have an entry fee. This is usually around $5 per car.
And in Southwest Florida, there’s even a state park where you need to leave the car behind to get to!
If you plan on making this the year of visiting many Florida state parks, then there is also an annual Florida state park pass that you can buy when you arrive at any Florida state park that you drive to that is staffed.
Florida state parks also have picnic tables so they can also make for a perfect stop for a picnic.
So stop by a Publix grocery store for prepared food or picnic food and eat your meal outdoors with views!
The list of beautiful state parks in Southwest Florida is below!
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Now…
What state parks in Southwest Florida are worth a visit?
1. Myakka River State Park
Myakka River State Park is a perfect Southwest Florida state park to visit if you’re looking for nature with lots of green.
It can be a scenic drive through Myakka River State Park.
Myakka River State Park is also known for the canopy walk.
You’ll walk across a bridge that’s suspended in air, and then continue climbing the stairs up the tower for views above the trees.
There is also a spot in Myakka River State Park that’s known for alligator sightings.
When you come across the alligator bridge in Myakka River State Park, make a stop to see if you can spot some alligators!
Plus you might make some bird sightings when you are in Myakka River State Park!
Camping in Southwest Florida state parks:
- Myakka River State Park campground
- Oscar Scherer State Park campground
2. Cayo Costa State Park
Cayo Costa State Park is on an island in Florida.
To go to Cayo Costa State Park, you’ll need to leave the car behind!
That’s because the way to get to Cayo Costa State Park is by boat!
You can make it a day trip to Cayo Costa State Park, or if you’ve got some time to spare, you can make it a night (or more!) on the island of Cayo Costa!
This will be a mostly rustic stay!
There are no traditional accommodations like hotels or resorts.
Instead, you can get an epic island tent camping experience in Florida.
Or you can get a rustic cabin experience in Florida!
Either way, it’s pretty much bring your own everything!
There’s a small store on the island, but it’s not much to depend on.
So it will require a bit of an effort in the form of planning a trip to Cayo Costa, but no matter how you choose to stay on Cayo Costa, you will be just a few minutes walk from the beach!
Is there a lot to do on Cayo Costa island? No, not really. Your time will be spent at the beach or walking around the island on the beach… or in search of another beach!
And you can watch an epic sunset!
Cayo Costa State Park is a state park in Southwest Florida where you can find shells along the shoreline.
So you can look for shells in shells in Cayo Costa State Park.
Cayo Costa State Park is the “real Florida” as the people of Florida state parks like to say! It’s a quiet Florida island experience!
See more for your Southwest Florida state park trip:
Camping in Southwest Florida state parks:
- Cayo Costa State Park campground
3. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
For a state park beach near Naples, you can go to the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park!
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is around a 30 minute drive from Naples.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is a state park in Southwest Florida that you might be able to find shells.
There is no Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park campground.
Camping in Southwest Florida state parks:
- Koreshan State Park campground
4. Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
For another chance to see alligators in a Southwest Florida state park, you can try Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park!
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is located along the Tamiami Trail, which is a road that leads from Southwest Florida to Miami where there are many stops you can make for a chance to see alligators.
You have at least 2 chances to see alligators with a stop at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park!
First is in the parking area. There might be alligators in the waterway that’s almost directly along the Tamiami Trail.
Once you park, look in the waterway that you can see from the road. I saw alligators there!
👇 Alligators along the road near the parking area of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: Spot the alligator!
So you can make this a quick stop along the Tamiami Trail as you’re driving from Naples to Miami or Marco Island to Miami just to check if there are alligators at the Fakahatchee Strand parking area.
Or, if you can spend more time in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park by going for a leisurely walk!
Hiking in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park along the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk Trail will take you through lush green nature where you have a chance to see different types of birds and maybe even a snake. 😱
Look up, and you can see massive trees and other sights of wild Florida!
At the end of the boardwalk, there’s a pond where you have another chance to see alligators. The Florida Park Service calls it an alligator pond.
It might take you 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the end of the boardwalk one way… if you don’t stop to take in the sights and sounds (birds!) along the way!
Alligators are wild, so there’s no guarantee that you will see them, though! The hotter the weather, the less of a chance you might have for the alligators to be out.
I did see alligators in both spots in April, though!
There is no campground at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.
See more for your Southwest Florida state park trip:
Camping in Southwest Florida state parks:
- Collier-Seminole State Park campground (BUGGY!)
And that’s a bit about some of the best Southwest Florida state parks!
Explore the map.
More for your Florida road trip:
- Best things to do in Southwest Florida
- Southwest Florida road trip: Tampa to Marco Island
- Southwest Florida to Miami drive
- Southwest Florida to Key West drive
- Best state parks in the Florida Panhandle
HAPPY VISIT TO A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA STATE PARK!
Here's some info on Florida trip prep!
- Things to do in Southwest Florida
- Best shelling in Florida
- Tampa to Miami drive
- Things to do in Everglades National Park
Southwest Florida is where Hurricane Ian made landfall in September 2022 which resulted in historic destruction.
Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island were among the hardest hit by the hurricane.
The Sanibel Island bridge that links mainland Florida to Sanibel Island and Captiva Island was destroyed during the hurricane.
This has since been repaired, but Sanibel Island beaches were still closed to the public for months... until recently!
Read current info from the City of Sanibel: Sanibel Island beaches that are open
What the open Sanibel Island beaches on that list were like pre-hurricane:
- Bowmans Beach
- Blind Pass Beach
- Tarpon Bay Road Beach (Trost parking lot)
- In general: Sanibel Island shelling beaches
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