Collier-Seminole State Park

We had some trepidation about staying here after reading other reviews and seeing pictures of folks covered in bug bites, but were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was here. Yes, I got a couple of bug bites but not a big deal considering we were in the middle of the woods and surrounded by swampland. Collier-Seminole is a beautifully well-kept park with plenty of clean bathrooms (3 bath houses throughout the park) and even a couple of washers and dryers (but you had to get there early or wait very late to access them). The sites are a little close, but not uncomfortably so and ours was shady and quiet and right across from the bath house which was nice. The location is a great jumping off point for Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.

We live in Florida, and we like the state park system a lot. Because we are Florida resident seniors, we get a 50% discount, too. (So we actually only paid $11 per night.) We had never been to the park, but had passed by it a few times when we drove Hwy 41 instead of using I-75 to go over to the east coast. The park is well maintained and has some interesting things to see and do: canoe rentals, bike trail, an old walking dredge, hiking trails, etc. It's not far from many of the airboat ride places on Hwy. 41. The camping area is a bit cramped so there's not much privacy. Choose a site on the outside perimeter for a wee bit more space. We did note that sites 83-87 on the outside did have a bit of vegetation between the sites, so there might be a little more privacy there. There is water and 30/50 amp electric to each site in the RV areas. The tenting loop (sites 1-19) does have electric and water at each site, too. We visited in late March, but still found bugs - to be expected when you're camping in the middle of a swamp. The folks there were friendly and accommodating. There is a restaurant/bar and service sta/convenience store just a short distance from the park entrance in Hwy 41. So, while we did have a reasonably good time there, we just probably wouldn't go back again - the been there done that thing.

We stayed here 5 nights as a base to explore the Everglades and Big Cypress as it is located off the Tamiami Trail. The campground is laid out in a very odd way so many of the sites are VERY close together. We had site 16 which was a little challenging to get into because of the palm trees and big rock making the space narrow. It is perpendicular to the next site, so the back of our RV was just feet from their door.

There were a lot of kids running through the campsites and using vehicles and RVs as hiding places.

There is a very short walking trail within the campground area and a place to rent/launch kayaks. There is also a dredge that is interesting to see within the campground. The other trails from this state park are outside the campground a couple miles down the road and require you to sign in at the office and show your pass. A lot of the "Adventure Trail" was closed due to hurricane damage, but the off road bike trail was a pretty hike.

I would not stay here again because of the less than desirable sites and the necessity to drive to the hiking trails, etc. It was fine as a base camp, but wasn't desirable as a place to relax at the campsite.

When we first arrived, it was breezy, and bugs weren’t a problem. But as the winds died down, the bugs picked up a bit. It wasn’t out of control when we were there, but we did use spray and kept the house closed up.

We also had the worst neighbors, but we won’t hold that against the campground.

The sites were wide enough to park your car next to the RV and not feel cramped.

We weren't sure what to think when we first pulled in. The sites are rather close together in the center loop, but there's a big open area in the middle of the circle. The sites around the outside are a bit wider. There is a lot to do in Naples - the zoo, a conservancy next to the zoo, walking trails at the campground, fishing, kayaking, plus the history of the area and a walking dredge! They only have water and electric hook ups. There is a dump station. The bathrooms & showers were clean. See http://sewmona.com/2017/03/20/collier-seminole-state-park/ for more about the campground and area.

We were only here for one night, so I don't have a real sense of the overall park since we only saw the campground itself.

Sites aren't very private, though site we stayed in (81) only had a neighbor on one side. It may well be the best site in the campground.

It was crowded during our stay in January.

Verizon - DOWNLOAD: 10.05Mb/s, UPLOAD: 0.94Mb/s
AT&T - DOWNLOAD: 2.9Mb/s, UPLOAD: 0.15Mb/s

We had only one night at Collier-Seminole State Park, but this park deserves a longer stay. The park staff were very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the nature trail, stands of royal palm and several historical exhibits. The 1920’s walking dredge used to build the Tamiami Trail Highway was very cool.

The campsites offer water and 50 amp electric. They are nicely spaced among trees for shade. Each site has a picnic table and grill. Restrooms have showers and there is a laundry facility and dump station. Other amenities/activities include a playground, boat ramp, canoe rentals, fishing, interpretive exhibits and biking. You can paddle from the park on Blackwater River canoe trails to the Ten Thousand Islands.

We had only 1-2 bars of Verizon 4G unboosted, but we managed 3 bars of 4G boosted.