Nelson Marine Construction

12/12/2025

Thank you Wright Construction for the opportunity and for being such great partners

11/25/2025

Fakahatchee Strand walkway by Nelson Marine Construction.

11/24/2025

Thank’s to all the team members that made the fakahatchee job possible. Special thanks to our Nelson Marine employees that braved 10 months of alligators, snakes , bears, mosquitoes, deer flies and some fierce summer heat. Also to Wright Construction, Stantec Engineering, Decks and Dock Supply, Industrial Marine Supply, and the DEP and Park staff for being such great working partners. I’m proud of this project and super proud to have had the opportunity to work with such an awesome group of people.

11/24/2025

Nelson Marine just finished the 2,300’ long boardwalk replacement using an innovative pile driving and material delivery system that kept the area as pristine as ever and the job finished ahead of time.

Ladies & Gentlemen, after a loooooong 1,147 days (but who's counting?) the freshly reconstructed "original" portion of the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk has reopened.

This old Boardwalk, at 2,200 ft long was closed after Hurricane IAN, on September 28, 2022. A contract for a complete reconstruction on the same footprint was awarded in the spring of 2024 and took 18 months to reconstruct. It connects to the new Boardwalk Expansion area which consists of parking, restrooms and an Interpretive Pavilion, that was opened to the public In January 2024.

Designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service, the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, was built in the 1960’s by philanthropist Lester Norris, who owned the land before the Fakahatchee became a Preserve. The Boardwalk takes visitors back in time to a tiny slice of ancient cypress forest that was, thanks to Lester Norris, spared from logging.

*Access to the entire Boardwalk is available at the Pavillion Expansion location, at 27020 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114. Plenty of parking, and restrooms, are available at the Pavillion.

PLEASE NOTE: There is only one entrance to the Boardwalk. A fence and gate to the former entrance, at the Miccosukee Village, are under construction. There is no access at this location.

*The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk is open daily from 8:00AM until sunset.

*With the addition of the Expansion, the Boardwalk is 1.75-miles, out-and-back. Most of the trail is elevated, wooden boardwalk, however some hard-packed gravel/sand connector pathways do exist.

*Depending on the time of day, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and/or deer flies may be present.

*Take lots of pictures; leave only footprints! :)

More information in the comments, below. Thanks, Tony S. for sharing this video screenshot of the reconstructed Boardwalk!

10/17/2025

Nelson Marine Construction is proud to be a Trail Sponser for the CREW Trust.

02/26/2025

This beautiful Nelson Marine Construction dock, deck and dual wave runner lift seamlessly blends the owners pool deck, landscaping and water sports giving them more usable outdoor living area. It features IMM Quality Boat Lifts with flow thru decking and Owens Corning Lumber Weardeck decking and pile strips.

01/10/2025

This beautiful 40,000 lb. capacity boatlift with walk around dock by Nelson Marine Construction features an IMM Quality Boat Lifts platinum lift and Owens Corning Lumber Weardeck decking, pile strips and railing.

12/25/2024

Happy Holidays!

10/21/2024

Nelson Marine Construction custom designed and built floating docks are made strong. This one in the lake at Wild Blue survived 12 hours of hurricane Milton. Watch and listen.

08/17/2024

Nelson Marine specializes in custom designing and installing our patented floating boat lifts. This double floatlift in Wild Blue features The AZEK Company Azek vinyl decking, two 7,000 lb. lift mechanisms by IMM Quality Boat Lifts, high strength aluminum ramps, dock boxes, a kayak rack, a flow thru lift deck for personal water crafts and twin shore power stations with electrical and water. Strong, beautiful and easy to use. Call today for a quote.

07/23/2024

Forman Ronel Torres, Superintendent Brenten Gore and Company President Ben Nelson celebrate Ben’s 70 th birthday

07/23/2024

Ben Nelson got a surprise birthday party from his fellow Nelson Marine Construction Team members. Good times… Great people!