History
Collier-Seminole Nature Tours
Collier-Seminole Nature Tours (the park concessionaire) is temporarily closed. At this time, no kayak/canoe rentals are available. However, the river trail and boat ramp are still open if you want to bring your own boat.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Effective April 3, 2023: The Royal Palm Hammock Nature Trail at Collier-Seminole State Park is closed for repairs. The Strand Swamp Trail is closed for maintenance. The Prairie Hammock Trail (3.5 miles), the Flatwoods Trail and the river trail are open.
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.