Another State Park with hiking/walking trails (and a bike trail)…read more The walking trails are short. If you walked the "outside" loop it is under 2 miles. Much of it is boardwalk type paths. Be careful when you choose to go - don't go after a heavy rainstorm as the other parts are a little muddy. The bike trail (which you can hike also) is longer and goes right up against the river. Unfortunately, it had rained pretty heavy all weekend and the trail/path was underwater in both directions. Also, it doesn't look like they maintain it as often as the grass was very long. We'll keep this one on our list to revisit when the conditions are better.

Amazing views and a hike option for everyone. The shortest trail is all boardwalk or paved and it's…read moreunder a half mile per loop. Good option for strollers. The other trails both have some sort of off path portion, but nothing difficult to walk. I also did the 3 mile plus loop which is all unpaved. Went at the almost end of dry season in a very dry year and there were still portions of the trail that was wet and muddy. But the views were beautiful and worth the trek to see!

This was our beach choice on this trip to Sanibel Island. It was the first time we had been back…read moresince Hurricane Ian. Feel like this park's trees were swept up. It's completely empty of trees. But now there's lots of space for cars to bring their families to hang by this beach. You still pay for the toll to get on the island $6, but the hourly rate that's on the Sanibel & Captiva beaches don't apply to this beach. Which is why we went. We also really liked our car close by. I was super happy I brought my beach shoes. It's been a while I used them. There are lots of huge shells in the water so it's hard to walk without them. The water was nice and it's a convenient spot to refresh in the water. People also bring their jet skis and boats here. I do love the Sanibel beaches but I don't want to pay for the hourly rate. So this was good for us. They only have portapotties here no bathrooms like the other beaches

As you take the Sanibel Causeway Bridge (cost $6) ​to Sanibel Island there are two islands A and B…read morewhere you can stop and swim. The 10 acre islands are made from roadside spoils built when creating the causeway that links the mainland to Sanibel Island. When the bridge was built the islands allowed for shorter bridge spans. When you visit the parks you can have both and gulf access. When coming from the mainland you first come to island A which has parking. Island B has restrooms, water fountains, and picnic tables on the gulf side. Some of the activities you can enjoy in the park include fishing, swimming, picnicking, canoeing/kayaking, wind surfing, kite boarding, shell collecting, and sun bathing. You can bring your own grill for cooking out. Leashed dogs are allowed as long as you pick up after them. While it does cost the toll fee to get to the parks once you are here parking is free. The governor has ordered all of the beaches closed so they were taped off and empty except for some birds flouting the rules. A lot of people use the beaches here as an alternative to the ones on Sanibel Island during times when they are crowded and it is impossible to get a parking spot. You also have to pay to park on Sanibel Island. It was so hard to drive past the empty inviting empty stretch of beach without stopping. Hopefully we all soon be back to enjoying all the things that make Florida so special.

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Fort Myers Beach and enjoy a small slide of…read moreFlorida Wilderness, consider visit the Matanzas Pass Preserve. This preserve is located behind the Library and elementary school off Bay Road. The Estero Island Historic Society maintains the historic cottages by the left side of preserve entrance. The preserve has about 1.25 miles of trails that wind through canopies of mangroves and maritime hammocks in 60 acres of undeveloped area of the island. Take a stroll or relax at many trailside benches. You can relax at pavilion at the North side that offer a panoramic view of Estero Estuary. Within a short distance, a Kayak Landing ramp is available. I witnessed joggers on one of my visits. Depending on seasonality, this bayside preserve can be a good site to observe some wildlife like raccoons, rabbits, hawks, owls, herons, turtles, snakes or dolphins in the bay. There are many native plants unique to this environment but the main native plants here are mangroves; red, black and white mangroves. Want more information about the trails and plants, pick up information brochure by Lee County Parks and Recreation at the Preserve Entrance. You can scan the QR Codes in the brochure using your smartphone and watch the excellent YouTube presentations done by Jim Rodwell. A Peace pole was installed by the Historic Cottages near the rain barrel and reminded us 'May Peace Prevail on Earth' in 4 different languages. The only negative aspect is the limit parking of only 4 parking space! Whenever I have some time, we love to stroll through the boardwalk and enjoy the view, fresh air and sunshine here.

This was a fantastic morning walk. We walked out to the observation area and the sun was just up…read moreover the bay and it was beautiful! A few of the trails were closed. Parking area has 4 spots. We were the only car there.

It is indeed a waterfront park, located along the Caloosahatchee River in sight of the bridge,…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/caloosahatchee-river-bridge-labelle?hrid=gRVk16pEUi77egwoqk1_Ug. Covered by live oak, water oak and southern oak trees for plenty of shade, the park has restrooms, picnic areas, a playground and even a floating dock with several slips. There is parking available. Picnic pavilions can be reserved through the parks department. [Review 19286 overall - 1634 in Florida - 256 of 2023.]

Bob Mason Waterfront Park was founded in 1998 and completed in 2008 with funds from the Florida…read moreRecreation Assistance Program. In 2018 the Hendry LaBelle Recreation Board upgraded the park by adding several gazebos, grills, and picnic tables along with an extended parking area. The park also has a floating boat dock with 10 slips, benches, restrooms, and a small playground. The LaBelle Garden Club added the plants to the park. This is a beautiful waterfront park along the Caloosahatchee River in LaBelle Fl. My favorite feature of the park are the picnic tables along the water under the shady live, water, and southern oak trees dripping in Spanish moss. I grabbed a take out lunch from the Log Cabin BBQ and had a birthday picnic overlooking the river. As I ate I watched the boats flying down the river. This is the perfect place to enjoy a meal, fish, or just take in the view.

This small park straddles the railroad tracks. There is no parking lot but you might be able to…read moresneak your car along the street for a bit. The park has no playground or facilities. It is a shaded spot with a number of benches and a short paved pathway. It's probably a good spot for a picnic but that's about it. [Review 13312 overall, 630 of 2020.]

Some Veterans Memorial Parks are grander and more established than others. This is one of the most…read moreelaborate memorial parks I've seen in my travels. The park is located at a prime location where SR 80 (the cross Florida highway) meets SR 29 (the main north-south roadway) and so there is a lot of traffic going past. There is a decent parking lot behind the park, shared with a grocery store. Some shade is here, too. Statues, sculptures, flags and memorials pay tribute to those who served our country in the many branches of the military. They are in excellent condition and the park is well maintained. [Review 14816 overall, 318 of 2021, number 1305 in Florida.]

Every town has a Veteran's Memorial Park. Some are more elaborate than others and I always like to…read morestop in and pay my respects when I see one. This park in LaBelle is across the street from the court house. It is typical of the kind of veterans memorial you see in small Florida towns. There are benches, flags, statues and plaques. One of the statues honors Nicholas J Cutinha, a specialist in the army during the Vietnam War. He was severely wounded and died at the age of 23 while laying down fire which allowed other members of his unit to be saved. LaBelle resident Christopher Strickland served two tours in Iraq when he was killed at the age of 25 by an explosion in Afghanistan. Chief Warrant Officer Robert Hammett was killed in a bomb blast during his third deployment in Iraq. These are just a few of the stories of people who made the ultimate sacrifice leaving behind children, spouses, and family members who feel their loss every day. By 2018 bricks with veteran's names on them had begun to crumble in the park. $45,000 was raised over several years and used to purchase a granite wall that lists the last and first name on one line and the the branch of service, Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy, or National Guard on the second line. City Commissioners of LaBelle have proclaimed July 26 as Fallen Heroes Day to honor the sacrifices made by service members who died in the line of duty. This park serves as a memorial to all of the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces.

This large park is located next to the LaBell elementary school and includes a soccer field, pickle…read moreball courts, basketball courts, a picnic pavilion and a large playground that is in amazing condition. After driving over from Fort Myers, it was nice to take a good walk along the walking track and I also stopped at the restrooms that were in good condition. There is some outdoor fitness equipment (I skipped that). The soccer field looks to be in good shape and the walking trail is really nice. [Review 16784 overall - 1509 in Florida - 297 of 2022.]

Gulfside Beach is always our #1 pick on Sanibel Island. We like it because the parking lot and…read morerestrooms are very close to the beach itself. Plus, there are always lots of shells to search for. It is a fairly wide beach, but others on Sanibel are wider. Today, the sand and shells were packed down very hard. There is no way that you would walk around barefoot. The water in late March is still quite chilly, even so, there were a number of brave souls who enjoyed it. We also saw a fair amount of seaweed today. It was a special day as we saw between 5-10 dolphins playing for us. We love seeing the dolphins, pelicans and sea gulls. We had a nice three hours or so on the beach. When we left, there were quite a few cars waiting for a place to park. That's the only thing about this beach, there is limited parking.

We stayed at the Colony Inn for a week. It was approximately a 5 to 10 minute walk to this beach…read moredefinitely depending on your walking pace and how much your carrying to the beach, lol This location during the week days for us was quaint, quiet, private, and peaceful. But the weekends are crowded! People are jogging, shelling and camping. Music is intrusive. The entire shoreline is full of boats, people are snorkeling, floating and fishing. Overall, this beach is just as beautiful as any beach on Sanibel Island. Enjoy it wherever you go.