Isolated and great shelling. Beautiful boat ride to the island with great tour guidesread more

Omgosh! This park is pure magic! I camped here and had such a wonderful time! The boat ride over…read morewas so fun and the staff was so entertaining and sweet! The park is beautiful and well maintained! The beach and water are breathtaking and the sunset! Wow! Wow! Wow! One of the most magical and gorgeous experiences of my life! If you are camping you have to take a special boat that transfers the campers! There is a park store you can get firewood from and other goodies! Check the hours because they are not open super late! Otherwise that plan to have a absolutely wonderful time!

J.N. Ding Darling is a nice little refuge area to visit in Sanibel. The visitors center is free to…read morevisit and is a good first stop for some small educational exhibits. There were a few activities including learning the basics to draw a duck and doing crayon impressions of wildlife for some take-home artwork. There's even a taxidermy collection. The staff was welcoming and willing to answer any questions. While the visitors center is free, you pay admission to enter the four-mile loop. We were traveling with a veteran, so our car was able to get free admission with their military pass. You can walk or drive. We decided to drive the loop. It's not super scenic, so walking is not really recommend when it's hot. Plus, there's not much to see when it's hot, hot, hot. You can pull over on the side of the road and get out as you please. We saw a few birds and fish, but nothing worthwhile. There is a resident alligator, but in the summer, he is in hiding. Fishing was a popular activity. The website showed some excursions like a tram ride and a boat ride (both at an additional cost), but we just stuck with our own car to explore the loop. I'd say it's worth a quick visit when you want to do something other than beaching. The park is closed on Fridays.

The last time we were here -- more than ten years ago -- there was no tram or drive through. They…read moreonly had dirt trails and as it had rained recently, we walked through some very muddy areas. This time, we decided to take the 4 mile drive. The drive costs $10 per car. You drive quite slowly. And you can stop at any point on the right side of the one way drive. There are scenic overlooks, and canoe launching sites, and places where folks fish. This wild life preserve did not have much of anything to see however! And definitely almost no wildlife. We saw one fish jumping -- a mullet -- and an osprey getting ready to dive down into the water . And one crow and one dove. No turtles or alligators. All we saw was basically trees and bushes and some water. All in all , it was rather a boring and disappointing experience.

Bowman's Beach was clean, clear and stunning! The water was a beautiful turquoise blue and the…read morepristine sand was as close to white as I had ever experienced. You could.see your feet in the water along with all the pretty shells. Highly recommend!

Bowman's Beach is a beautiful beach on the tip of Sanibel Island that's left greatly untouched by…read morehuman hand. You'll also definitely get your steps in here as the parking lot of property ~.5 miles to the actual beachfront & water, disclosing walking around to stake out a spot. The biggest reason to come here is for the shelling, which can be fortuitous during the right time of year and even the right area on the shoreline. Honestly, were it not for the shelling it probably wouldn't be a beach I'd come back to. It's nice, of course, but doesn't have that gorgeous cerulean water and ultra soft sand that some of the gulf coast beaches are known for. It does have a lot of amenities on the walk between the parking lot & beach shore, such as bathrooms & changing rooms, rinse stations, a picnic area, educational signs, and even a playground. You also have to pay for parking- and the lot has quite a lot of parking, but if you don't get there early enough on the wrong weekend it could still be tough to find a spot.

This large park is located near the main intersection of Pine Island as you're coming over from…read moreMatlacha. It is operated by the County and has plenty of activities to keep you and your kids exercised. It's all in good shape and I had a nice walk around. The center of the park has two lighted baseball fields, complete with bleachers and a concession stand. Three lighted tennis/pickleball courts. Picnic shelter with charcoal grills. Playground. Restrooms. The pavilion on the playground is available to rent. The community pool is also here though currently closed. There is a small parking lot on the north side at Sesame Dive and a larger one on Pine Island Road. [Review 16755 overall - 1482 in Florida - 268 of 2022.]

I agree with Karen T - this is an itty bitty park but it more than makes up for that with the…read morelocation that is adjacent to the Matlacha draw bridge. The view from here of the Matlacha Pass is fantastic. Because of the causeway, the fishing here looks to be pretty darned awesome since the fish are just going right past and you can pull 'em right out. There are only a small number of parking spaces and if they're full, you're SOL. Serious bummer because this is a pretty solid view. The park has some shady spots for fishing, restrooms and easy level ground that is completely wheelchair accessible. And no, I didn't see any bats today. [Review 16752 overall - 1479 in Florida - 265 of 2022.]

This park is TINY. Located just past Matlacha Bridge on Pine Island Road. You'll find the park…read moreentrance on the south side. I counted 7 regular, 1 handicapped and 1 staff parking slot. Despite the size, this gem of a park has some great amenities and features. It's fully ADA accessible. It's location along Matlacha Pass makes it great for fishing. Of course, it's adjacent to the bridge, which is known as one of the world's most fishingest bridges. The park has restrooms with a covered porch and two benches. The big draw for me was the bat house. I wanted to learn more about the bats. The park has a great informational sign. I discovered: 1. The bats here are Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats and are found throughout most areas of Florida and 2: A single bat can eat up to 3000 insects a night.

Never crowded public use state-federal project boat ramp with a ten minute winding waterway to the…read moreGulf of Mexico. A few spaces to park your truck and trailer for $15.00 a day on a phone app. This boat ramp has dual wooden docks and is wedged between new residential subdivisions. Nice bathrooms on site for the public and fishing prohibited.

This 4.5 acre boat launch facility provides access to the North West Spreader canal and lake…read moresystem, as well as Matlacha Pass and the Gulf of Mexico. If you don't want to drive all the way across Matlacha and Pine Island with your trailer, this is an excellent spot for launching. As launching facilities go, it's a small parking lot and not a lot of room for turning around but the ramp is comparatively flat as one would expect when we're about 2 feet above mean sea level. The park includes a reservable picnic shelter with a table, a restroom and information on how to pay for parking. Parking is $15 per day. [Review 16751 overall - 1478 in Florida - 264 of 2022.]

Today is a most beautiful day, the day before Christmas Eve. The temperature is just perfect as we…read moresit under a shaded pavilion enjoying our soup from a Perfect Cup. The parking is totally full with boat trailers, skidoos, and people just enjoying the beautiful weather. There is a playground in the middle. The boardwalk is under construction and I can't wait for it to open. There are pelicans, herons snd hawks flying overhead. A man next to us is lighting up one of the grills they have by each pavilion. In this time of mostly bad news, I glad to be able to escape to a beautiful place! Happy Holidays everyone!

Great park to put out your boat. It was easy, not crowded. There is a $10 a day parking charge. The…read moreviews getting out of the park into the water are beautiful. It's a very colorful, artsy town.

A pleasant new park has opened in the town recently! The playground park is linked to Cape Coral's…read morelinear park, offering a charming setting for leisurely strolls with a stroller or rollerblading. I must say, my daughters really like the modern equipment there! As a parent, I am grateful for the shaded tarp area. However, I do wish to suggest an improvement - having a picnic table within the enclosed park would be a great addition for snack time! It was disappointing to find only one bench and no tables during my visit. I hope the city of Cape Coral's parks and recreation department considers this feedback. :)

Extending around two miles along Del Prado Blvd from Kismet to Pine Island, this park is on both…read moresides of the major road with a clear path for walking, skating, biking, running, what have you. The sidewalk is ten feet wide and level. Note that there are a few spots where you will be crossing both minor and major roads. Pedestrians should take extra care at those places because drives won't see you. There are eight fitness stations, bike racks, park benches and the path is lighted. Enjoy! Parking? Not so much. [Review 13263 overall, 581 of 2020.]