A Conservation Collier property, Dr. Robert H Gore III Preserve protects over 170 acres of natural land in an area once planned to be a massive subdivision.
In the mid twentieth century, thousands of land plots were sold as part of a high pressure land scam known as Golden Gate Estates.
Buyers shown the landscape by air in the winter months didn’t know that the Big Cypress Swamp naturally flooded ever summer.
Slight elevations in Big Cypress make islands protruding from seasonal marshesBy 1967, the developer admitted fraud to the Florida Land Sales Board. In 1974, their successor company was ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to make restitution.
“Buying Florida swampland” became a national joke. In the 1980s, the state started to track down and buy up the swampy lots from individual owners, creating Picayune State Forest.
Compelled by the sight of rampant development to purchase this property now in preservation, Dr. Robert H Gore III was a zoologist and conservationist.
He built a cracker-style homestead on the grounds. Today, the land is open to the public free of charge, and his house has been converted to a nature education center.
Natural limestone pavement in the preserveResources
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Overview
Location: Naples
Length: 1.9 miles
Trailhead: 26.158155, -81.524255
Address: 4055 40th Ave SE, Naples, FL 34117
Fees: Free.
Restrooms: No
Land manager: Collier County
Phone: 239-252-2960
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
The nature center is open on the second Sunday of the month from 2-4 PM and by appointment.
Directions
From Collier Blvd at Interstate 75 exit 101 in Naples, head north on Collier Blvd for 4.6 miles before turning right onto Golden Gate Blvd W. Continue straight in 7.7 miles, where the road becomes Golden Gate Blvd E. In 3 miles, turn right onto Desoto Blvd S. Turn right in 5 miles at 40th Ave SE, and continue for 0.6 mile until the road ends. The entrance is on the right side of the road.
Hike
Starting at the roadside sign for the preserve, head towards a service road bordered by limestone boulders.
Following along a wide grassy pathway, the trail quickly delves into a subtropical forest of slash pine and cabbage palms.
TrailheadIn a tenth of a mile, the path opens to a clearing where the trail begins a small loop. Turn to the left.
Follow white trail markers and blazes as the pathway circles eastward while entering a shady hammock.
White trail markersUnder a thick canopy of palms and hardwoods, a bench sits trailside across from informative signage about butterflies that inhabit the preserve.
Velvet and shiny leaved wild coffee grow in clusters among countless ferns, thriving in this shaded ecosystem.
Shaded benchAt 0.4 mile, the loop comes to a junction with the Yellow Trail. Turning right completes the loop, returning to the trailhead in less than a quarter mile.
To explore the eastern portion of the preserve, turn left, following yellow trail markers down a corridor bordered with dense shrubs covered in grapevines.
Yellow TrailAs the trail winds towards the north end of the property, the shallow depth of limestone becomes evident as the rocky surfaces emerge from dark sandy soils.
Looking closely at these formations, fossils of seashells can be seen among other ancient sea creatures, serving as a time capsule of Florida’s underwater past.
Exposed limestoneNumerous epiphytes cling to rugged surfaces on tree trunks, supported by warm, humid, jungle-like conditions.
Dark green shoestring ferns dangle from cabbage palm boot jacks, while orchids and airplants perch upon shaded branches.
Cardinal airplantBehind tall groups of feathery ferns, the sound of crunching leaves reveals the presence of unseen wildlife carefully picking through the underbrush.
As the trail reaches a turnaround point at one mile, a bench provides a spot to rest in quiet solitude.
Massive fernsFrom the end of the linear portion of the trail, retrace steps while following yellow markers for 0.7 mile to an intersection with the White Loop.
Turn left, then make another left in a few hundred feet, continuing for a tenth of a mile back to the trailhead.
If the nature center is open, stop by on the way out for a tour of the unique homestead and exhibits.
Nature center entranceTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about the Big Cypress Swamp.
Video
Nearby Adventures
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Weaving beneath a canopy knit by old-growth cypress trees in a majestic swamp forest, the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is one of Florida's best hikes.
CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Rich with wildlife, CREW Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples provides up to 12 miles of hiking/biking in Big Cypress habitats on tramways through a primordial swamp
CREW Flint Pen Strand Just four miles east of Interstate 75, get your feet wet in one corner of the vast the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the trails of Flint Pen Strand.
Collier-Seminole State Park Protecting the largest natural hammock of royal palms in the United States, Collier-Seminole State Park opened in 1947 south of Naples along the Tamiami Trail.
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