Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples reopens; it’s ranked in top 10 US beaches

Last updated on February 4th, 2025 at 02:48 pm

One of the Gulf beaches most impacted by three hurricanes in three years has reopened, and it’s a beauty.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park In Naples was named the #8 beach in the U.S. in Dr. Beach’s annual ranking in 2024. But then Hurricanes Helene swept through on Sept. 26, 2024, and Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024.

The park was closed again for months. It reopened officially on Feb. 4, 2025.

After the storm, tons of the park’s fine white sand was deposited five feet deep on the parking lots and roads. The sand had to be shoveled up, sifted and then placed on the beach, where it was contoured to create a natural shoreline.

Visiting Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Here’s what to expect when visiting this popular park after its bout with three hurricanes.

• Limited parking is available in lots 1 and 2. (Lots 3, 4 and 5 are closed and still need major repairs.) For those with limited mobility, beach access is easier from Lot 2.

• Additional parking is available at Connor Park, right outside the Delnor-Wiggins entrance at Bluebill Avenue and Gulfshore Drive, Naples. There is a free beach shuttle that will take you to and from the beach. It runs every 10 or 15 minutes or you can call 239-398-4580 to ask for a pick up.

• Portapotties are located in the parking lots; dressing rooms and bathrooms have not been rebuilt yet.

• The boat ramp has re-opened. There is a $5 fee to a power boat in addition to the park entrance fee.

• Admission is $6, and the park is on the honor system.

• There are no beach concessions. There are no picnic tables and grilling is not allowed.

• The observation deck and boardwalk in the coastal hammock at the north end of the park is gone and has not been rebuilt.

Please stay off the dunes, which are protected by stakes and ropes. Walking on the berms flattens them and damages their effectiveness protecting the shore from storm waves.

The beach at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Delnor-Wiggins has the powdery white sand and clear water of the best Gulf Coast beaches. It also has some snorkeling opportunities and good fishing at the pass.

You can walk for a mile with very clear water full of creatures. In visits over the years, we found live shells, sea stars and watched a small ray scoot along the shore. Beaches don’t come any prettier in South Florida.

Near the pass, swimming is prohibited and surf-fishing rules. We watched fishermen throw a cast net into what looked like a dark cloud just off the beach and pull out dozens of big mullet. Park info says fishermen commonly land snook, red drum and sea trout.

The beach is a rare Gulf Coast spot where snorkeling is popular. We didn’t try it, but the park’s information indicates there is a hard bottom reef that runs parallel to the beach near parking areas one and two. It’s in about 8 or 10 feet of water.

Kayaking options around Wiggins Pass

Wiggins Pass divides Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park from Barefoot Beach Preserve to the north. On both sides, there are spectacular beaches and the mouth of the pass is lined with white sandbars. Delnor-Wiggins Park preserves 166 acres of undisturbed barrier island.

Paddlers are discouraged from paddling in the pass because of motorboat traffic and strong currents. It’s safer to the hug the shoreline and to cross the river where the water widens well east of pass.

Just inland from the pass, there are clusters of mangrove islands and they make great places to explore by kayak. The area attracts a variety of birdlife – we saw osprey, kingfishers and a many types of herons and egrets. (Better birders could probably spot more species, including the black-whiskered vireo, which apparently is abundant.)

We paddled Water Turkey Bay, which forms the eastern border of Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park and saw two dolphins – common in the area.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park has a large boat ramp on Water Turkey Bay where you can put in your own kayak or power boat.

If you start paddling from the boat ramp, you can paddle across Water Turkey Bay and find a channel that takes you on a narrow route through the mangroves for about a mile, bringing you to the Cocohatchee River and, eventually, a route back to the pass.

We did this three-mile loop, except we put in at the other end, Cocohatchee Park, Vanderbilt Drive between 111th Avenue & Bonita Beach Road. Launching here is $4. (This is a route included in Nigel Foster’s helpful “Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southern Florida” book.)

Take a look at Google map’s satellite view to see the various kayaking options.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park resources

Official website for Delnor-Wiggins State Park

Fees: Admission is $6 per vehicle with up to eight people per vehicle.

Alcohol: No

Pets: Not on the beach

Location: From I-75, take Exit 111 (Immokolee Road) and drive six miles west to the entrance.

11135 Gulf Drive North
Naples, FL 34108
239-597-6196

What’s near Delnor-Wiggins State Park?

• Kayaking or canoeing:  Koreshan State Historic Park on the Estero River and the Imperial River in Bonita Springs both offer excellent routes.
• Beach, kayaking and manatees in winter: Lovers Key State Park. (Portions are closed from Hurricane Ian)
• Bicycling: A great way to sample beaches is by bike in old Naples.
• Camping: Koreshan State Historic Park (and it’s a really interesting visit on its own.)
• Other great beaches nearby:  Clam Pass Park and Barefoot Beach.