The Paradise Coast gives you the chance to experience the natural environment like few places in the world, right in the U.S. and within easy reach of the Naples and Marco Island resort areas. The region is one of the last truly wild areas in Florida. Collier County is not only the largest County in the State of Florida, but approximately 80 percent of its land area is designated as parkland and nature preserves. Here you can explore the international treasure of Everglades National Park, the only subtropical preserve in North America and part of the country’s largest wetlands ecosystem. This amazing park is designated as a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance. The park’s Gulf Coast Visitor Center is located in Everglades City. Others not to be missed are the Big Cypress National Preserve, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Collier-Seminole State Park, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park and Picayune Strand State Forest.

These and countless other State, County and private parks and preserves offer everything from mangrove and cypress swamps to tranquil tropical forests, to pristine beaches. Hundreds of species of birds, fish and mammals thrive in this vast wilderness, providing the perfect environment for bird watching and spotting other wildlife; hiking, canoeing, kayaking, nature photography and much more.