Winterberry Park is an athletic park in Marco Island. Park amenities include a baseball/softball…read morefield, concession stand, open field for play, restroom, and a soccer/football field. Locals use the park to kick around a soccer ball, practicing baseball and softball, throw a football, and play cricket. This park is also the home of the Marco Island Senior Softball Players who play on the field year-round. Many of the players retired to Marco Island just for the ability to play senior softball year-round where it has an almost cult-like following from the players, their family members, and friends. I stopped by the park not for a baseball game but to look for eagles. A nest was reported a few years back on a pole in the park but I didn't see any eagles on my visit. Another great spot to try and view eagles nearby is the Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary.

This park is the best! My kids range in age from 2-9 and everyone had a great time and went home…read moretired. This is one of Naples's hidden gems!

Such a cool concept. This playground is great for ages 1 to 6. It has a playground and a cool…read moreshaded dig park. Definitely not for older kiddos but wonderful for the young ones.

Mackle Park was named in honor of Frank E. Mackle Jr. (1916-1993). Mackle was a developer who had…read morepreviously developed Key Biscayne with his brothers. Frank arrived in what was then a primitive Marco Island in 1962 and saw potential in the undeveloped town. He was soon joined in the venture by his brothers, Elliott and Robert. All of the brothers were engineers and were employed by the Deltona Corporation founded by their father. Frank became the President of the Deltona Corporation and led the modernization of Marco Island. Mackle Park is impressive as it has everything that residents and visitors to Marco Island could want in outdoor recreation. The park has a community center with teen center, basketball court, bocce courts, open field area for play, picnic area, shuffleboard courts, a soccer/football field, volleyball court, and splash pad. One of the standout feature of the park is the creative playground that is a hit with kids. It has a pirate ship, castle turrets, and lots of places to climb and engage in imaginative play. My favorite part of the park is the beautifully landscaped walking path that winds around the lake. A sign at the entrance to the trail shows how you can increase the half mile walk around the lake to .9 miles by incorporating walking the perimeter of the fields in the back of the park. It is perfect for a leisurely stroll or a more vigorous jog. The lake is also a great place to bird watch and fish. Mackle Park has something for everyone. It offers a blend of recreational facilities and natural beauty that makes it a must-visit for anyone in the area. Whether you're looking to let the kids play, enjoy a peaceful walk, or partake in community events or a class, Mackle Park offers it all and more.

It is a beautiful park. Has many wonderful things to do for all ages. Canine Park has two separate…read moreareas for small dogs and large dogs. Maintenance could be better in Canine but it is still a great area. Many different species of wildlife. Great childrens area. Beautiful Community Center with many activities

Very well shaded park with a variety of playgrounds for ages 2 and up!…read more Has a covered picnic area with small splash pad, numerous slings for children of all mobility levels.l, Bathroom with changing pad, and artificial turf so you won't have to worry about getting super dirty. While we were only on the playground, it looks like there are soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts and basketball courts available too!

Such a clean, new park. This playground has everything and it's baseball themed. Could use more…read moreshade but this is a solid playground choice

After multiple failed attempts trying to find truly dog-friendly spots in the area, Gordon River…read moreGreenway was an absolute homerun. Beautiful scenery, peaceful walking paths, and plenty of space to enjoy nature with our pup without feeling restricted or unwelcome. The trails were well maintained, easy to navigate, and offered such a nice mix of greenery, water views, and shaded areas. It ended up completely saving our day after striking out at a few other places nearby. If you're visiting Naples with your dog and looking for a relaxing outdoor spot to walk, explore, and unwind together, this is definitely worth the visit.

My hubby kept telling about this great nature trail he has walked when we visited Naples (he'd wake…read moreup early in the hotel and sneak out while I slept).... but I finally got a chance to visit. The park is lovely... I love butterflies and as soon as I stepped out of the car, we saw many of them so I was sure it was going to be a good day. We started off on the asphalt pavement path and eventually ended up on the boardwalks too... the paths are very wide and great views of the forest and water areas. Saw many species of birds including an osprey in his huge nest. Loved the bridge that crossed the Gordon River and the lookout rest area nearby. If I visited in any cooler month and with less bugs, I'd give the park a 5 star but the bugs and the heat were tough.

Sugden Regional Park in Collier County is a very large park…read more This park is great for all ages. The 60 acre park offers many amenities such as a large lake, a beach area, paddle boats, walking paths and areas for family picnics. There is plenty of parking and public restrooms. Dogs are also permitted.

This park is absolutely gorgeous. I had not checked it out but have been curious because the water…read morein my yard is connected to the lake here and I wanted to see if I go kayaking where I'd come out. Plenty of parking, playground, beaches etc etc

This 6.8 acre preserve is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Pine Ridge Road…read moreand Logan Blvd. It is only accessible by walking or biking, There is no parking available. Before this parcel of land was acquired by Collier County on October 28, 2005, it had been zoned for single family, and there had been efforts made to rezone it to commercial. Collier County was able to preserve this natural habitat before it became another shopping mall. The trail contains a 620 ft. trail that extends from Logan Blvd. A picnic table and bench are located halfway through the preserve. There are no restroom or drinking water facilities.  Before this property and the lands around it were developed, the land was part of a shallow seasonal slough, which allowed surface water to move south and west during the rainy season. After the surrounding area was built on, this area became flooded during the rainy season and exotic plants like melaleuca and Brazilian pepper took over and crowded out native species of plants. After this land was turned into a preserve, exotic pants were removed and native plants like ferns were were able to return. While this land will never be what it once was before the surrounding development, a variety of native upland and wetland plants have begun to grow. Raccoons, armadillo and many species of urban birds are now commonly seen here. This preserve is important to the water flow of the area and as a refuge for plants and animals.

Florida panthers are a subspecies of mountain lion and the only one to still exist in the eastern…read moreUnited States. They used to roam from Florida to Louisiana throughout the Gulf Coast states and Arkansas. Today they are only found in the southwestern tip of Florida in the Everglades and here in Big Cypress Preserve. They are usually solitary unless mating and eat white-tailed deer, feral hogs, raccoons, birds, and other medium-sized mammals and reptiles. Hunting has decimated their population and they were added to the endangered species list in 1973. Today there are only 120 to 130 panthers left in the wild and with so few left they are also susceptible to disease, genetic disorders, and car accidents. The land that is now the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was once owned by the Collier family who were the largest land owners in Florida in the 1920's. They used the land for private hunting cattle grazing. In 1989, the US Fish & Wildlife Service purchased 24,300 acres from the Collier family for $10.3 million dollars to create the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act for the purpose of protecting the the Florida panther and its habitat. Another 2,000 acres were purchased from the Collier family in 1996 to expand the preserve. It is believed that 12 to 16 panthers currently roam the refuge along with black bears, bobcats, white-tailed deer, Big Cypress fox squirrels, alligators and wood storks. You can access the hiking trails through the Leslie M. Duncan Memorial Trails in the southwest corner of the preserve by taking the Everglades City exit off of Alligator Alley. The preserve backs I-75. This is one of those places that I have wanted to explore but never had the time. How fast things can change in two weeks. At the gravel parking lot there is a port a potty, a board with trail information and access to two trails, one a third mile and one that is one and a third mile. You are only allowed access to a small portion of the preserve in order to not disturb the panthers. Bring your own water. I read the U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service Service website regarding this trail before attempting it because it seems like it could be dangerous to hang out with panthers. According to them "Panthers are rarely seen on the refuge. I have since learned that panthers are most active at night, during the day the rest. However, if you do see a panther, follow these guidelines: *Keep children within sight and close to you. Pick up small children. *Give the panther space. Give them a way to escape. *Do not run. Stand and face the animal. *Avoid crouching or bending over. *Appear larger. Open your jacket.(it was pushing 90 degrees, I didn't have a jacket) *Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back." I chose the one and a third mile trail. You can access it through a gate in a fence from opposite ends of the parking lot. There is one look out area with a bench on the trail which is very narrow on natural ground. The trail is cut out from Big Cypress Preserve and meanders through the refuge through tropical hardwood hammocks, acres of slash pine, and wet prairies. Over 700 species of plants have been recorded here including lobelia, tickseed and prairie milkweed. Rare orchids and bromeliads are also found here. At times the plants and trees were as tall as my head on either side of me as I walked the trail. I didn't come across any panthers and didn't see so much as a footprint. In fact the only creatures I saw were some grasshoppers, bees, and a vulture. The path is in full sun and some shade but I was very hot by the time I got done. If you are looking somewhere off the beaten track to explore than this would be a good choice. The hike is not difficult and you can social distance safely. Although I saw a couple of cars in the parking lot I never encountered anyone on the trail.

Nice little park. It's right off I75 at fl29. The preserve its much larger than your access to it…read more The area you can hike is two trails, one .3 miles and the other 1.3 miles. It's next to big cypress preserve, so expect plenty of muddy parts. In November there were still some blood sucking insects, but the hordes of mosquitoes were gone. The policy of national parks was not lost on Florida Panthers. They left only footprints! I saw two prints and they followed prints by a deer. The prints were clear and probably hours old. There are little lizards everywhere. The flowers were long gone at this time of year.