The Fakahatchee Strand, besides having a fantastic name, also houses a 20-mile by 5-mile estuarine wetland that looks like something from the beginning of time. A 2000ft boardwalk traverses this wet and wild wonderland, where panthers still stalk their prey amid the black waters. While it’s unlikely you’ll spot any panthers, there’s a great chance you'll see a large variety of blooming orchids, bird life and reptiles ranging in size from tiny skinks to grinning alligators.
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve
Top choice in Everglades National Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.08 MILES
This outstanding botanical garden styles itself as ‘a place of bliss, a region of supreme delight.’ And after spending some time wandering its 2½-mile…
6.72 MILES
For a break from the outdoors, don't miss this small museum run by volunteers who have a wealth of knowledge on the region's history. Located in the town…
9.45 MILES
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Skunk Ape Research Headquarters
7.8 MILES
This only-in-Florida roadside attraction is dedicated to tracking down southeastern USA’s version of Bigfoot, the eponymous Skunk Ape (a large gorilla-man…
23 MILES
This gallery showcases the work of Clyde Butcher, an American photographer who follows in the great tradition of Ansel Adams. His large-format black-and…
9.93 MILES
Perched on piers overlooking Chokoloskee Bay, this wooden building dates back to 1906, when a pioneer by the name of Ted Smallwood opened his rustic…
29.54 MILES
The oldest home in Naples and last remaining tabby-mortar cottage in Collier County, this quaint abode was built in 1895 for Henry Watterson, the editor…
Nearby Everglades National Park attractions
6.08 MILES
Drive to the hamlet of Ochopee (population about four)…no…wait…turn around, you missed it! Then pull over and break out the cameras: Ochopee’s claim to…
6.72 MILES
For a break from the outdoors, don't miss this small museum run by volunteers who have a wealth of knowledge on the region's history. Located in the town…
3. Skunk Ape Research Headquarters
7.8 MILES
This only-in-Florida roadside attraction is dedicated to tracking down southeastern USA’s version of Bigfoot, the eponymous Skunk Ape (a large gorilla-man…
9.45 MILES
One of the best ways to experience the serenity of the Everglades – somehow desolate yet lush, tropical and forbidding – is by paddling the network of…
9.93 MILES
Perched on piers overlooking Chokoloskee Bay, this wooden building dates back to 1906, when a pioneer by the name of Ted Smallwood opened his rustic…
6. Kirby Storter Roadside Park
13.9 MILES
Though short in size (1 mile total out and back) this elevated boardwalk leads to a lovely overlook where you can often see a variety of birdlife (ibis…
7. Big Cypress National Preserve
15.23 MILES
The 1139-sq-mile Big Cypress Preserve (named for the size of the park, not its trees) is the result of a compromise between environmentalists, cattle…
8. Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
21.5 MILES
This reserve protects 110,000 acres of coastal lands and marine estuaries at the northern end of the Ten Thousand Islands, just south of Naples and north…