History

Long before today's visitors, Calusa Indians thrived on this coast by harvesting the rich bounty of the Gulf and bay waters. The Calusa built villages, raised large mounds and dug canals for their boats.

The written record of this area begins in the late 1800s with Joe Wiggins, the namesake of the pass. Wiggins, the first homesteader, ran an apiary and trading post where he traded goods with Seminole Indians and settlers.

Decades later, Collier County acquired the land through the philanthropic generosity of Lester J. and Dellora A. Norris, hence the name 'Delnor.' In 1970, the state of Florida purchased the land from Collier County for a state park, which opened in 1976.