Sun and Stars at Collier-Seminole State Park

Right on Marco Island’s doorstep, dripping with history and a quick way to get a peek at some pristine Florida backcountry, Collier-Seminole State Park counts as a “hidden gem” among local nature preserves. Without the international renown of Everglades National Park, the iconic boardwalk of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp, or the Environmental Learning Center of Rookery Bay, Collier-Seminole flies underneath the radar, even for a lot of local residents. 

But this hidden gem is holding a festival to introduce or reintroduce themselves to the area, show off its unique attributes, and raise funds to help repair damage from Hurricane Ian. The park is hosting its first Sun & Star Fest on Saturday, March 9, with activities, live music, Native American food vendors, nature walks, boat rides and campfire programs. 

You could say Collier-Seminole is hidden in plain sight, with its entrance right along the Tamiami Trail heading toward Miami. But you don’t pass it unless you drive out San Marco Blvd. past Goodland as it turns into State Road 92, and at the junction with US 41, take a right.

Festival activities will go on all day and into the evening on Saturday. Some of them, including boat rentals, are available every day, but on March 10, a host of programs will be available, said Paula Stiffler, president of the Friends of Collier-Seminole State Park, the park’s citizens’ support group. 

“We’re doing this on March 9 to coincide with the new moon so that the nighttime sky will be dark and ideal for stargazing,” she said. Far from any significant source of light pollution, skies above Collier-Seminole are well-suited to astronomy. During the daylight hours, the Everglades Astronomical Society will offer “sun-gazing,” with special equipment allowing people to safely view phenomena including sunspots overhead. Stargazing and campfire programs will continue until 10:00 PM.

Guided nature walks will be offered from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, taking visitors off the beaten and paved paths. Interpretive programs include Ranger Talk, Collier Critters, and an exploration of the famed Bay City walking dredge. Reaching its 100th birthday this year, the walking dredge was an early 20th-century engineering marvel that made possible the creation of the Tamiami Trail, extending US 41 across the Everglades and connecting Southwest Florida to Miami and Florida’s east coast. 

“People don’t know how much we have to offer,” said Park Ranger Lauren Sheppard. “There are a lot of amazing things here” – and the walking dredge, which has attained the status of a National Historic Landmark, is Exhibit A. There is also, incongruously placed in a clearing that could be called the middle of nowhere, a monument to Collier County founder and namesake Barron Gift Collier, complete with a bronze bust and Grecian-style columns.

Another historic replica, a blockhouse from when this area was in the thick of the Seminole Wars, in between long decades of trading and cultural interaction, stands nearby. It sustained serious damage from flooding during Hurricane Ian, and a goal of the festival is to raise funds to replace and improve the historic exhibits at the park, said Stiffler.

“Our goals for 2024 are to move forward with the Blockhouse interpretive plan and we hope to begin the conceptual and design plan for the Seminole interpretive area. We would also like to restore and protect the Bay City Walking Dredge.”

The 7,721-acre park lies partly within one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world, and boating or hiking are ideal ways to explore, particularly during the cooler (and more bug-free) months. Collier-Seminole offers tent and RV camping, but the campground is at or near capacity at this time. 

The Sun & Star Fest will also feature a silent auction from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, with prizes donated by local artists and businesses. The event fee is $10 per visitor, along with park admission of $5 per vehicle. Children under 13 are admitted free of charge. 

The park entrance is located at 20200 Tamiami Trail East. For more information, call 239-394-3397. All net proceeds from the festival go to help the work of the Friends of Collier-Seminole State Park, a citizens’ support group.