Local Birding Spots
1. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
3175 Sanctuary Road, Naples, FL 34120 (239) 348-9151 corkscrew.audubon.org
• Hours: 7:00 am – 5:30 pm
• Admission Fee: $14/adult $4/child $6/student
• Facilities: parking, restrooms, nature center, gift store, café
• Description: 11,000-acre sanctuary featuring a world-famous 2.5 mile, wheelchair
accessible, boardwalk through pine flatwoods, marsh, and the largest old growth Bald
Cypress forest in North America. Corkscrew is home to alligators, otters, wading birds,
and songbirds. Guided walks are available daily.
• Notable birds: Painted Bunting, Wood Stork, Barred Owl
2. Clam Pass Park
410 Seagate Dr, Naples, FL 34108
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Admission Fee: $8 to park, or free with a Collier County beach parking permit
• Facilities: restrooms, concession stand, free tram to the beach
• Description: 35-acre park featuring a ¾ mile boardwalk through a mangrove forest to
the beach. From Sept – March you can find large flocks of wintering seabirds and
shorebirds by the pass. Clam Pass is also home to wading birds and songbirds.
• Notable birds: Black Skimmer, Royal Tern, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling
3. Naples Pier and Beach
12
th
Ave and Gulfshore Blvd S, Naples, FL 34102
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Facilities: parking, restrooms, concession stand
• Description: An excellent place for sunsets, fishing, and birding. From the pier, you can
see seabirds and dolphins, and shorebirds can be found along the beach. Parking and
beach access is available at the end of most avenues along Gulf shore Blvd.
• Notable birds: Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Willet, Double-crested Cormorant
4. Sugden Regional Park
4284 Avalon Dr, Naples, FL 34112
• Hours: 8 am to sunset
• Facilities: restrooms, paved trails, freshwater beach, paddleboats
• Description: 120-acre park with a 60 acre lake. You can find wading birds and songbirds
on the 1.5 mile long trail around the lake, and relax at the picnic areas and gazebo.
• Notable birds: Little Blue Heron, Osprey, Anhinga, Common Gallinule
5. Eagle Lakes Community Park
11565 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34113
• Hours: 8 am – 10 pm
• Facilities: restrooms, paved trails, basketball courts and sports fields
• Description: 32-acre park with small lakes on the perimeter of the sports fields. Past the
fields in the back is a marsh where you can find wading birds and ducks, and songbirds
along the paved path around it.
• Notable birds: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Glossy Ibis, American Kestrel
6. Briggs Boardwalk
Shell Island Road, Naples, FL 34113
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Facilities: none
• Description: ½ mile boardwalk through five unique habitats from scrub to brackish
ponds. An observation tower at the end gives great views of the water and mangroves,
with possibilities of wading birds and alligators.
•
Notable birds: Pileated Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret
7. Tigertail Beach
400 Hernando Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Admission Fee: $8 to park, or free with a Collier County beach parking permit
• Facilities: restrooms, concession stand, playground, kayak rentals
• Description: 31 acres of lagoon and beach. Wade across the lagoon and walk down 2.5
miles of pristine beach to find flocks of shorebirds in the winter, and nesting seabirds in
the summer. An observation platform by the entrance gives good looks at an Osprey
nest. Watch for Burrowing Owls in posted areas on the drive in.
•
Notable birds: Least Tern, Wilson’s Plover, Black Skimmer, White Ibis
8. Collier-Seminole State Park
20200 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114
• Hours: 8 am to sunset
• Admission Fee: $5/car
• Facilities: restrooms, visitor center, campground, canoe tours
• Description: 7,000+ acres of pine forest, mangroves, marsh, and royal palms. There are
three hiking trails, including a boardwalk. The diverse plant communities here provide
opportunities to see a wide range of birds and other wildlife.
•
Notable birds: Great Horned Owl, Northern Parula, Red-bellied Woodpecker
9. 10,000 Islands NWR Marsh Trail
22241 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34117
• Hours: dawn to dusk
• Facilities: none
• Description: A 2-mile-long trail through marshes and mangroves. This is the only part of
Ten Thousand Islands NWR that is accessible on land. Excellent for wading birds, ducks,
and alligators. An observation tower ¼ mile from the parking lot gives sweeping views of
the wetlands. The trail is wide, flat, and easy to walk.
•
Notable birds: Blue-winged Teal, Green Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Little Blue Heron
10. Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
27020 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114
• Hours: dawn to dusk
• Facilities: restrooms, gift store
• Description: A half-mile boardwalk through the cypress swamp of Fakahatchee Strand
Preserve State Park. Along the way, you will see beautiful ferns, epiphytes, and
cypresses, a Bald Eagle nest, and an alligator hole at the end of the boardwalk. Look in
the pond in front of the native American village at the entrance for more alligators and
wading birds.
•
Notable birds: Barred Owl, Bald Eagle, White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher
