While Hurricane Ian significantly impacted our coastal communities, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary boardwalk and Blair Nature Center sustained only minor damage. The Sanctuary remains closed to the public while staff focus on clean-up and repairs and will reopen to visitors on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Discounted admission has been extended through Oct. 31 for Collier, Lee, and Hendry County residents.

Visitors looking to relax and unwind can stroll the 2.25-mile boardwalk that meanders through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, and the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest in North America. Several days a week, skilled and passionate Boardwalk Naturalists wearing khaki-colored uniforms will be on the boardwalk, ready to answer questions and point out the sights and sounds of the swamp for visitors.

The Blair Audubon Center, at 375 Sanctuary Road in Naples, is open daily, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with discounted admission for Collier, Lee, and Hendry County residents of $8 for adults, $3 for youth, and FREE for children 5 and under. Regular admission is $17 for adults, $14 for US military/veterans and National Audubon Members, $6 for kids 6-14, and FREE for kids 5 and under and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary members.  Get tickets online.

Guided tours are some of the best ways to learn about and enjoy the Sanctuary and are offered weekly. The on-site Nature Store is open daily to visitors until 3 p.m., when the boardwalk officially closes, and is a wonderful way to support Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. 

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, established in 1954, has been an Audubon-protected site for more than 100 years. Science-driven land management protects these 13,450 acres. An estimated 100,000 visitors annually explore the Sanctuary’s 2.25 miles of boardwalk through ancient forest and marsh habitat. Memberships and donations provide crucial support for conservation work at the Sanctuary.