NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS
Tours
OPEN HOURS:
The Gore Nature Education Center is open to visitors on Sundays for naturalist-led trail tours. Reservations are required for ALL visitors coming to the Center on Sundays except for the first Sunday of the month. Learn more about First Sundays at the Preserve below.
The Gore Nature Education Center is open to visitors on Sundays for naturalist-led trail tours. Reservations are required for ALL visitors coming to the Center on Sundays except for the first Sunday of the month. Learn more about First Sundays at the Preserve below.
ADMISSION & PARKING
Admission and parking are free, but donations are appreciated.
Admission and parking are free, but donations are appreciated.
RESERVATIONS
For any special requests or to inquire about larger group tours, please email us at visit@cclandkeepers.com.
RULES & RESTRICTIONS
- Group size may not exceed 6 people.
- Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
- You will be asked to complete a waiver before the trail tour. Please download the waiver, sign and bring with you the day of your visit.
GORE NATURE EDUCATION CENTER
Events and Programs
The Gore Nature Education Center is home to a series of events and educational programs, from native butterfly counts and pollinator garden workdays to photography workshops and class visits. Visit the Programs and Events page to find out what is coming up next!
Sunday at the Preserve
No reservations are required for visitors on Sunday June 5, 2022. The Center will be open from 10:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m. for trail walks, exploration and family activities. We regularly invite local educators to share their knowledge about topics ranging from native plants and Collier County history to panthers, bears and our feathered friends. Children will enjoy nature-inspired crafts and art projects. Admission and parking are free but donations are appreciated. Please bring your signed waiver available to download below.
RESERVATIONS are REQUIRED for visitors coming to the Center for tours on all other Sundays.
GORE NATURE EDUCATION CENTER
Directions
Take Collier Blvd. to Golden Gate Blvd. West (not Golden Gate Parkway as is found in Central Naples). Follow Golden Gate Blvd. West, heading eastbound for approximately 20 minutes (it will reduce to a two-lane street east of Everglades Blvd.). Continue across Everglades Blvd. (it will reduce to a one-lane road) until you reach a stop sign for Desoto Blvd. You will only be able to go left or right at this point as Golden Gate Blvd. West ends here. Turn right onto Desoto Blvd. S. and continue to 40th Ave. SE. Turn right onto 40th Ave. SE and follow until you see a rock-lined driveway on your right and the gate for Gore Nature Education Center.
ADDRESS:
4261 40th Ave. SE, Naples, FL 34117
4261 40th Ave. SE, Naples, FL 34117
GORE NATURE EDUCATION CENTER
Preparing for Your Visit
Nature Trails
The Gore Nature Education Center is a 10-acre “Old Florida” preserve in Naples’ Golden Gate Estates neighborhood. The property is adjacent to Conservation Collier’s 170-acre Dr. Robert H. Gore III Preserve. It includes natural terrain hiking trails winding through a mixed hardwood and cypress swamp forest near the Stumpy and Lucky Lake Strands. Visitors exploring this preserve will have a rare opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the sounds, sights and smells of a rapidly disappearing subtropical ecosystem.
Trail cameras throughout the property regularly capture images and videos of the panthers, racoons, black bears, skunks and other native species that both live on the property and pass through it on their way to larger swaths of habitat. Maintaining the land as a connecting corridor for the endangered Florida panther, and many other native species that have been negatively impacted by the development in the area, is one of the Center’s most important priorities.
Education Center
The newly renovated Gore Nature Education Center building was once the home of environmentalist Dr. Robert H. Gore III. This Cracker-style building now includes a nature-learning classroom, a demonstration kitchen and an expansive gathering room for programs and meetings. This iconic house highlights architectural features such as the dog-trot hallway, elevated floors, a cupola, metal roof, porches surrounding the house and expansive windows that offer a birds-eye view of this unique property.
The Center’s original study, with walls of pecky cypress, is dedicated to honoring Dr. Gore’s legacy. This is where one will find copies of his published books and articles, photographs and creative musings. After a walk on the trails, a visitor can sit back and observe nature on one of the wrap-around porches, clad in board and batten cedar, or relax in front of the Center’s welcoming limestone fireplace.
Community Programs
The Gore Nature Education Center is the perfect setting for community events. We look forward to hosting a wide variety of programs designed to educate, entertain, and inspire. Our slate of offerings will be based on Senses in Nature, Habitat Awareness, Gardening, Reading & Writing in Nature and Stewardship, all designed to foster curiosity, creativity, empathy and teamwork. Click HERE for more information about our upcoming programs and events.
Consider the Gore Nature Educational Center for small corporate retreats. The kitchen facilities provide refrigeration, warm-up capabilities with a microwave and stove, media hook-ups, and classroom or board room configurations in either of our two general rooms. Contact Kathy Reno at kathy@cclandkeepers.com. to discuss your event needs.
Together We Can Save Florida from Irreversible Damage
Southwest Florida’s unique natural treasures need to be protected against the irreversible environmental damage caused by overdevelopment. Stand with us as we work to save natural Florida.
For special requests or larger group reservation options, please send an email to visit@cclandkeepers.com. A member our our team will reach out to you to discuss.