Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Reopens After Five-Month Hurricane Recovery

After being closed for five months, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park welcomed visitors back. The North Naples favorite had closed down when Hurricanes Milton and Helene hit in September 2024.

Crews dumped 35,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach — enough to fill 11 Olympic pools. The huge project fixed storm-damaged dunes and buildings throughout the park.

Beachgoers can now park in lots 1 and 2. Once these fill up, shuttle buses will take visitors from overflow parking areas.

“There are so many people here right now, and there's twice as many parking areas still closed ... But it'll come back. These plants will come back. The water's still beautiful," John Grabiel, a local artist, told NBC2 News.

Right now, visitors need to use portable toilets since the storm damaged the regular bathrooms. The hurricanes destroyed the old picnic areas and grills, which still need to be replaced.

The quick recovery happened thanks to county workers, private companies, and volunteers from Friends of Delnor-Wiggins working together. Their team effort shaved months off the expected recovery time.

The first day saw visitors rushing to check out the open areas. Vince and Vanda Bavetta, part-time residents, happened to visit on the park's reopening day.

“We just took a ride all the way through, and we thought, OK, well, good, we'll keep driving. And it was open today,” Vanda told Wink News.