Collier-Seminole - State Park Passport Locations on Waymarking.com

Barron Collier was a wealthy entrepreneur who financed the building of the Tamiami Trail and purchased the land for this park, and the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians who have resided in this area the last couple centuries. Because of the Tamiami Trail, the two are forever intertwined in the history of this area.

Collier-Seminole State Park covers what is historically known as Royal Palm Hammock. Here is one of three original native stands of Royal Palms in the state of Florida, resembling the coastal forests of the West Indies and Yucatan. The park also extends down to the Ten Thousand Islands and includes mangrove river estuaries and salt marsh preserves that are favorite habitats for wading birds.

The Seminole and Miccosukee Indians settled in this area by the early 1800s and have remained here ever since. In 1841 and 1857 during the Seminole Wars, efforts by the Army to drive them out failed, making the Seminoles and Miccosukee people in Florida known as the "Unconquered." The visitor center in the park is patterned after a blockhouse from the Seminole War era.

In the early 20th century, effort was made to build a roadway across the vast expanse of Big Cypress and the Everglades. This effort was begun, but was ended because of World War One when funding was needed elsewhere. In the 1920's the state of Florida asked Barron Collier, a wealthy advertising entrepreneur and pioneer developer, to help fund and complete building of the Tamiami Trail. It was a monumental engineering feat to build the roadbed between Naples and Miami, but was finally completed in 1928.

Inside the park is the Bay City Walking Dredge, used to construct the roadway that now passes by the front entrance of the park. In 1994 this now-silent machine was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. The Bay City Walking Dredge # 489 was dedicated as a "National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark" on February 19, 1994 at Collier-Seminole State Park. This machine, built in 1924 was used to build the highway through the Everglades that is today known by two names, U.S. 41 and the Tamiami Trail . Because of the extreme hardships in building this highway, normal means were not possible, This machine was developed specifically for the job. It was designed for use over swampy terrain where wheeled or tracked vehicles would bog down. This machine, instead, distributed its weight over "shoes". To move, the middle movable shoes were lowered to take some of the weight off the corner shoes. The frame then was pulled forward about ten feet, using both an on-board winch and the shovel bucket, then lowered back onto the corner shoes. The Walking Dredge was capable of walking at the lightning speed of one mile per day. It was a long tedious job but one that could not have been accomplished without this machine.

The Tamiami Trail that Collier built had a permanent effect on the Native American Indians in the area. The highway exposed the formerly isolated Seminole and Miccosukees to American culture and economic activity. There are many villages along the trail, and even one within the confines of the park, where the people maintain their balance between modern society and traditional ways.

After building the Tamiami Trail, Barron Collier envisioned developing the Lincoln-Lee national park, but failed to get support for his idea. The land became a county park instead, and by 1947 it was turned over to the state of Florida for management as a state park. Named in part for Collier and for the Seminole Indians who had made this area their home, Collier-Seminole State Park now stands as a monument to the natural environment and historical people that have shaped the landscape.

The 6,430 acres that make up Collier-Seminole State Park feature a wealth of vegetation and wildlife that is typical of the Everglades region of Florida. One special feature of the park is a tropical hammock dominated by trees that are characteristic of coastal forests of the West Indies and Yucatan. The rare Florida royal palm is a common species here. Much of the park is extensive mangrove swamp. Also found in the park are cypress swamps, salt marshes and pine flatwoods which further add to the park’s botanical diversity.

Many species of wildlife have been seen in the park, including several of the state’s threatened and endangered species. The brown pelican, wood stork, bald eagle, roseate spoonbills, American crocodile and Florida black bear are among the animals that make the park their home. The official state marine mammal, the West Indian manatee, may also be seen occasionally in the Blackwater River.


**You can get your book stamped at the Ranger station as you enter the park from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.**

Name of Park, Protected Area, or Cultural Location: Collier-Seminole Name of System or Passport Program: Florida State Parks Passport Book Passport Available: Yes, for purchase Parking or Entrance Fee: Not listed Park Website: [Web Link] Address of Station: 20200 E. Tamiami Trail Naples, Florida United States 34114

Visit Instructions:
No special instructions, but a picture of yourself or of something unique to that place would be a nice touch.

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