Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Southwest Gulf Coast, Southwest Gulf Coast

Tours are by appointment only!Tour Information: Tours are held at 11:00am please arrive promptly .Wednesday- Sunday.Go to our website to schedule your tour. About Us: The Bird Gardens of Naples is a organization whose sole concern is parrot welfare in captivity and conservation of wild parrots. We are an outreach and placement program which places into safe custody, parrots which are abandoned, abused, or in need of a home for any reason. Parrots are intelligent, highly social and complex beings with a life span of up to 80 years. The individual bird's best interest and well being of the present flock will determine if a parrot is accepted into the organization. We actively support networking with other parrot welfare groups, animal welfare organizations, the veterinary community, conservation organizations and the general public. Education is of the utmost importance concerning the well being of a parrot and its ability to successfully live with its human companions. What to Expect:

Online reservations only. No walk-ins allowed. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 13,000 acre Preserve. The Sanctuary is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8:00am-3:00pm with last admission at 1:00 pm. Timed tickets are available for 8am-10am, 10:30am-12:30pm, 1pm-3pm. Visitors will find a gentle, pristine wilderness that dates back more than 500 years. A 2.25 mile boardwalk meanders through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, around a marsh and finally into the largest old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America. These impressive trees, relatives of the redwood, tower 130 feet into the sky and have a girth of 25 feet. Their massive branches are draped with mosses, lichens, bromeliads and ferns. The forest is also home to alligators, otters, white-tailed deer and red-bellied turtles. A wide variety of wading birds, songbirds, raptors and the fabulous Painted Bunting can be seen throughout the year. Photo opportunities are available at every turn of the boardwalk trail.

One of the original Civilian Conservation Corps parks.

The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve represents one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America. Rookery Bay's Environmental Learning Center is a state-of-the-art, air conditioned 16,500 square-foot facility with four research laboratories, classrooms, a 140-seat auditorium, and two story visitor center. The Environmental Learning Center offers a variety of hands-on experiences, including a 2,300-gallon aquarium and a marine life touch tank. Other displays in the learning center address coastal research, local history and ongoing conservation efforts within Rookery Bay. There is also a number of nature trails, a scenic overlook bridge, unique gift store, art gallery, and picnic area. Guided boat and kayak tours are offered seasonally from November to May. Check our website for more information.

Park is not associated with Bonita Springs Dog Beach. Enjoy swimming, sunbathing, shelling, fishing, hiking, bicycling, wildlife watching, canoeing/kayaking, geocaching and more.

Land of biological diversity, measuring 729,000 acres, combines a mix of pines, hardwoods, prairies and mangrove forests along with a variety of wildlife including White-tailed deer and Florida panther.

At the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, we believe the more we can connect people with nature, the more willing they are to protect it. And our Nature Center helps us to do just that! At the Nature Center, guests get connected to conservation through hands-on interactive experiences in the Dalton Discover Center, on our famous electric boat tours and in our Little Explorer Play Zone. The Conservancy Nature Center is also listed as Site #69 on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Here you will learn about the importance of our resources, understand the role the Conservancy of Southwest Florida plays in protecting those treasures and get inspired to take action to help protect our water, land, wildlife and future.

Established in 1945, this wildlife refuge occupies one-third of Sanibel Island and is a prime spot for bird watching. Fees are required for Wildlife Drive, which is open everyday but is closed on Fridays, gate times vary. The best way to plan your visit is to stop in the informative FREE visitor center first which is open daily 9am-4pm. Then begin your adventure with many activities including the wildlife drive, tram tour, kayaking, fishing opportunities, picnic benches, and even a free scavenger hunt style game and wildlife spotting app (Discover Ding) if you prefer a self-guided tour.