Corkscrew Swamp, Naples

What an amazing place! The lady who checked us in was super informative and sweet. Saw so much wildlife and the information on the tour was terrific. Lots of great Info about the early Florida conservationists and great minds behind the Sanctuary. Ranger also helped us spot gators (though we had just missed otters! Bummer) Totally worth the $$$.. it’s a private park and the boardwalk is great and accessible. A beautiful stroll through time. Saw tons of herons, egrets, ibis, woodpeckers, wood storks, hawks, black vultures, deer and a gator. Also saw lichen and many 800 year old bald cypress ! Will be back for the ghost ;)

What an absolute delight of a habitat! My hubby and I are both biologists, avid birders, and native plant nerds, and we had an amazing morning on the boardwalk. This habitat is endemic to our state and can't be found anywhere else!! We saw salt and pepper square stem wild flowers and salt marsh mallow in full bloom and don't even get me started on the scarlet hibiscus! Just gorgeous! This is a truly special place that should be preserved for our future. We love that they only allow so many people on the boardwalk because we were less likely to be disturbed when getting the awesome bird photographs that we came early for. If you love Florida native plants and ecosystems as well as our lovely native wildlife than this is the place for you. We will absolutely be back for more of real Florida.

I am neither a biologist or an arborist. I am a mom of three children (8, 11, 14) who were not at all convinced that a swamp was a worthy way to spend their morning. Upon arrival at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, however, their spirits were quieted and they gave space for it to be bearable. In the end, and to their surprise, we all really enjoyed it! I didn’t hear one complaint until it was time to leave. Understanding my role of mom, you will allow me to show you the swamp as my boys saw it. My oldest, a daughter, read the plaques and enjoyed the expected sights, such as the hidden bittern we spotted (pictured—you gotta look carefully!). My boys, on the other hand, saw things such as the cypress tree eating a hand rail and the nice tree hugging the other tree (aka the Strangling Fig—a misnomer in their opinion). They continued to notice more cypress trees trying to consume handrails or “melting” onto the edge of the boardwalk, but occasionally had their attention turned to the swamp beyond the boardwalk by raccoon families, a (false) sighting of a ghost orchid, and—most impressively—a very big alligator. Along the way, guides helped us see things our novice eyes did not spot. Our questions to them were simple and easily answered, but I overheard some very in depth exchanges between the guides and more knowledgeable guests than we. They were helpful in both situations. I would recommend this for any age! One consideration for those who might struggle to walk for a long while—there are benches along the way, but if you or a loved one has difficulty with distances, rest may not be as accessible as needed. There are rails to lean on along the entire boardwalk.

First visit today and an interesting walk on the boardwalk through the old Bald cypress swamp. Not much wildlife activity this morning so my concentration was on the trees, plants and flowers. Amazing variety. It is very difficult to show with pictures the grandeur of the old growth Bald Cypress trees. this is one of those places you just have to experience.

What an awesome place to visit. We had such a good time walking the boardwalk. We saw so many different plants, trees and animals. Both of my kids 13 and 4 enjoyed walking and taking it all in. Once we completed the boardwalk there was a small cafe that offered a limited menu but still had the essentials coffee and donuts. There was a gift shop with tons of items to look at and purchase. We had purchased a book called “The Wetlands of Florida” before our trip and it was for sale in the gift shop. Would highly recommend anyone to visit this place. Can’t say enough about it. The pictures don’t do justice, you have to go see it in person.