Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

About Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

By the ULTIMATE Miami Editorial Team

A natural barrier-island beach at the northern edge of Naples, named after a trader and the couple who saved it. Here is its story, and what to expect after the storms.

Wiggins and the Norrises

The park takes half its name from Joe Wiggins, who ran a trading post here in the late 1800s and traded goods with settlers. The other half honours Lester J. and Dellora A. Norris, who helped Collier County acquire the land in 1964: Delnor joins the first three letters of her first name and his surname. The state bought the land in 1970 and opened it as a state park in 1976.

A wild beach

The park lies on a barrier island six miles west of Interstate 75, with the Cocohatchee River and the Gulf on either side and a hard-bottom reef offshore. The beach is natural, with sea oats and dunes rather than condominiums, and the pass at the northern end is a good place to watch fish, dolphins and pelicans. Bald eagles, ospreys, owls, loggerhead turtles, manatees and gopher tortoises all live in or around the park.

The name Delnor comes from Dellora and Lester Norris, who helped Collier County acquire the land in 1964.

After the hurricanes

Recent hurricanes destroyed many of the park’s facilities, including boardwalks, observation decks, pavilions and the concession, and some have not yet been replaced. Parking, the boat ramp and the beach itself are open. Pets are allowed only on the paved areas, never on the beach.

Our advice: arrive early on winter weekends, bring shade, food and water as facilities are limited, and walk north to the pass for the wildest views.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park before you go.