Best Outdoor Activities in Naples
Naples, Florida — updated August 22, 2026
Eight Naples ways to spend a day outside, from a Gulf-front state park with thousands of reviews to swamp boardwalks and small-group boat tours, ranked by how settled their ratings are.
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Naples sits between the Gulf and the western edge of the Everglades, which means an outdoor day here can be a beach parking lot at 9am or a cypress boardwalk an hour inland. The list below runs both directions, plus the boats that connect them. Ratings are strong across the board, so the ordering leans on how many people have weighed in.
1. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
The most thoroughly tested outdoor spot in the area: a 4.8 rating across more than 4,700 reviews, a figure large enough that the score is settled rather than provisional. The park runs along Gulf Shore Drive at the north end of the beaches, with Gulf frontage and the pass at its tip. Parking is the limiting factor at a barrier-island park like this one, so an early arrival is the standard advice on busy winter weekends. Bring shade of your own if you want it.
2. Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary--LAST ADMISSION 3PM
The inland counterweight to the beach, and the second-best-documented entry here with 4.7 stars from more than 2,200 reviews. It is out on Sanctuary Road West in the 34120 zip, a real drive from downtown Naples, so treat it as a half-day rather than a stop between errands. The operating detail is built right into the name: last admission is 3pm, which catches out visitors who assume they can turn up at closing time. Plan the drive backward from that cutoff.
3. CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Trails
A 4.8 rating from 892 reviews puts this among the better-liked walking options in Collier County, and the count is high enough to trust. The trailhead is on Shady Hollow Boulevard West, in the same northeastern stretch of Naples as Corkscrew, so the two pair naturally on one trip inland. This is swamp trail rather than boardwalk, which means footwear matters and the season affects conditions. Water and insect repellent are the obvious packing list.
4. Pure Florida
The downtown option for getting on the water, operating from 5th Avenue South and holding 4.6 stars across more than 1,400 reviews. That is a large sample for a tour operator, and it suggests consistency across a lot of different trips and guides. Being on 5th Avenue South makes it the easiest of the boat outfits to fold into a day that also includes lunch and the shops. Book ahead in high season, as with anything that runs on a fixed departure schedule.
5. Gordon River Greenway Park
The closest thing on this list to a city park you can visit without planning: it sits on Golden Gate Parkway, minutes from central Naples, and holds a 4.8 rating from 545 reviews. The count is smaller than the state park's but still well past the point of being a fluke. Boardwalk and paved path make it a good option for an early walk or a run before the heat arrives, and for anyone who wants Florida wetland scenery without the drive northeast.
6. Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
The Everglades-adjacent choice, out on Tamiami Trail East well southeast of the city. Its 4.5 rating is the lowest here, but it comes from more than 1,000 reviews, so it is a proven average rather than an unlucky one. The gap likely reflects expectations: this is a boardwalk walk into old-growth cypress, not a facility with amenities. Combine it with the drive toward the Everglades rather than making the trip solely for it, and go when wildlife is more likely to be moving.
7. Naples Tiki Fun Tours
The highest rating on the list at 4.9, though from 180 reviews, which makes it promising rather than proven at the scale of the state park. Boarding is at the dock at The Boathouse Restaurant on Naples Bay, off Broad Avenue South, which puts it within walking distance of the Third Street South area. Small-boat trips on the bay tend to sell out first in season and depend on weather, so build in a backup plan and confirm your departure the day before.
8. Rookery Bay Reserve Boat Tours
Worth knowing about, with the caveat stated plainly: 4.8 stars from just 33 reviews is a small sample, and the average could move in either direction as more people book. Tours run from Shell Island Road off the road south toward Marco Island, in the estuary reserve itself, which is a different landscape from the downtown bay cruises. Schedules and eco-tour options are listed at rookerybay.org. Check availability before driving out, as reserve programs often run on limited seasonal calendars.