History
New Concessionaire
Effective July 11, 2025: there is a new concessionaire at Collier-Seminole State Park.
Whenever Watersports:
- Single & Tandem Kayaks and Stand-up Paddleboards
- Call 860-837-0334 for more information and rates.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Effective July 11, 2025: due to lightning, the phone and internet services at Collier-Seminole State Park are currently unavailable. For urgent matters, the park can be reached on their auxiliary line at 239-484-2763.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Effective May 27, 2025: The Royal Palm Hammock Nature Trail and the building 37 bathhouse in RV/Tent Loop B at Collier-Seminole State Park are currently closed for maintenance and repairs.
The park was originally created by Barron Gift Collier to preserve the royal palms and later the park was donated to the county. The park then served as a memorial to Barron Collier and those who fought on both sides of the Seminole Wars.
In 1947, the county donated the land that became Collier-Seminole State Park.
In the 1700s, Seminole Indians emigrated from the Creek Confederacy to Florida. Three Seminole Wars took place to remove the Seminoles from Florida and send them to reservations.
During the Third Seminole War, the Seminoles resisted and retreated to the swamps of southwest Florida. Soldiers searching for the Native Americans drew maps. One crude 1857 military map illustrates the Blackwater River and an area labeled “palm grove.” That area, now part of the park, contains the beautiful royal palms.
In the 1920s, advertising tycoon and pioneer developer Barron Collier purchased nearly a million acres in southwest Florida.
In 1923, it became Collier County. Barron Collier was a major investor in developing the Collier County section of the Tampa-to-Miami highway, the Tamiami Trail.