While visiting Bonita Springs I was delighted to discover this picturesque hiking trail. The…read morecreation of the trail was a labor of love for Cullum Hasty, a local resident who is an environmentalist and nature lover. The trail is located on Kent Road in Bonita Springs, just beyond the YMCA. When you turn on Kent Road, drive past Bonita Nature Place main entrance to the parking area for Cullum's trail. Parking is available, just south of the Bonita Springs Nature Place. Cullum's Trail is a beautiful shell lined path adjacent to the Bonita Nature Place. It is a great trail for fishing, hiking, or walking. The trail runs along the Imperial River and offers views of old growth cypress, towering oak trees, and a huge variety of native Florida flora and fauna. Along the way boardwalks to take you over low lying areas. There are a few benches along the way for rest. The trail has a canoe and kayak launch for access to the Imperial River. The trail is marked with metal token hiking trail signs so you don't get off the course. Note that parts of the trail can get flooded during rain. Cullum's Trail provides a scenic setting for those who wish to view nature. if you live locally this is the perfect place to start your New Years resolution to exercise more. The trail is a .9 mile loop so it is great for all fitness levels. It takes approximately 16 minutes to complete. It is easy to incorporate a short walk here into your daily routine.

Awesome trail, easy to follow, full of life. Highly recommend…read more The tortoise's were stunning!

Well as long as looking at manatees IS NOT a goal, I recommend this place. We spent about 45…read moreminutes here hopeful to catch a glimpse, without success. They have lined the bottom of the viewing area with black plastic and the water looks very murky as a result. We saw a few fish leap out of the water, less than a dozen lizards VC and the top few inches of one alligator. Parking was $2 an hour and easy to pay with a C QR code. The bathrooms were clean and there is a cut gift shop with a nice variety of items. The walking trails were plenty close to nature while still feeling protected from the alligators. They had a few volunteers available to talk to as well.

quiet, nature-filled spot with walking trails, wildlife viewing, and access to the water. There's a…read moresmall entrance fee along with a nominal parking fee (about $1.50 per hour). The park's trails are short and easy to navigate, winding along shaded paths that take you along the water's edge. While we didn't spot any manatees on this visit, it was still a nice, relaxing stop. Instead, we saw plenty of rabbits, squirrels, and lizards along the way. There's also a small fishing dock where people were casting lines, and if you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can rent kayaks at a nearby location within the park. We stayed for about an hour, enjoying the sunshine and slow pace before heading out. It was the perfect low-key outing -- light activity, peaceful surroundings

This park is very close to where we ate lunch at the newly reopened Sweet Tomatoes, so after we…read moreate, we headed over to check it out. Lakes Park is a 279-acre public park located along Gladiolus Drive, just south of Fort Myers. It is operated by the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation. The park was named after its main feature: 158 acres of man-made freshwater lakes that were created when the site was occupied by West Coast Rock Co., a rock and limestone quarry, during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1958, a railroad spur was built to serve the mine, running along what is now Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The track bed had previously been used by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad from 1926 to 1952. In 1978, Lee County purchased the abandoned quarry to preserve the land before opening it to the public as a park on April 21, 1984. My first impression was that this has to be one of the nicest parks I have ever visited. It has so much to offer that I could have easily spent the entire day there. If you visit the park, it is important to note that admission is free, but parking is not. It costs $1 per hour, up to a maximum of $5. Once you enter the park, there is so much to do. There are more than 2.5 miles of paved paths running throughout the park. There is an amphitheater, beach volleyball courts, a boat launch, a fishing area, a train-themed playground, picnic shelters, gardens, a wedding gazebo, and a train museum. You can also rent a boat, kayak, or bicycle. Admission to the train museum is $5, and the 15-minute train rides, when operating, cost $5 per adult. The park also offers story-time programs, a farmers market (October through June), and a two-hour bird patrol tour on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m. The park is a stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a network of more than 500 wildlife viewing sites across the state. On the day I visited, it was blisteringly hot. I recommend visiting during the cooler months. Even so, I was able to walk the boardwalk, where I spotted a variety of birds, and I explored a few of the gardens. The park is so lovely. We have multiple parks on Florida's east coast that offer some of the same features, but here in Fort Myers, you can find it all at Lakes Regional Park.

What a huge and beautiful park. I'm a little jealous we don't have anything like this near us! We…read morelet the kids play on two different playgrounds. There was a splash pad that was closed off due to construction. We saw a community garden, children's garden, and train museum and boardwalk. You can easily spend a few hours here. I think parking was $1/hours or $5 for the day. It's huge here!! I read 279 acres.

We are back again a few years later to enjoy kayaking inside this beautiful park. The process,…read morefacility, and boats are the same. It's a beautiful estuary and a great experience. The only downfall during our visit was the customer service. When checking in the lady that was helping us started a social conversation with someone else in the middle of her interaction with us. When we were done, and went in to check out the two employees that were working while we were there were busy chatting and it took them a little while to decide to stop and help us.

Tim was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. The beach was fantastic. We did not partake…read morein any of the tours but we will be back to try some.

Cocohatchee means "brown water". This 3.64 acre preserve was acquired by Collier County in 2004…read morebecause it contains a rare riverine oak community along with pine flatwood, oak scrub and wetland dependent plant communities. Collier County has worked to remove the invasive species on the preserve and they replaced them with native plants that were installed along the creek bank. The Preserve provides protection to gopher tortoises, which are a Species of Special Concern in the State of Florida.  The tortoises feed on the prickly pear cactus that grows in the oak scrub and they can burrow ten feet underground. Along the creek, leather ferns and swamp lilies provide an area for the wetland birds to forage. This preserve also buffers the creek that flows down to contribute to the Gordon River and Naples Bay Watershed. Other plants you can find in the preserve include live and laurel oaks, golden aster, tickseed, and butterfly weed. To access the preserve you can park at Veterans Community Park and walk down. Once in the preserve you can take a short hike (10 minutes) that takes you back to the road. The preserve also contains a viewing platform built as an Eagle Scout project and a picnic table. Although the walk is nice enough the most important purpose of this preserve is to protect the plants and animals that call it home. To that end, well done Collier County.

I work with many clients that need exercise. I came to this preserve because there's lots of shade…read moreand just the right amount of walking. Very calm and very little traffic around. Great place to just walk, think, and relax.

Chance and Sparks (I believe that's their names) were amazing...super friendly and helpfulread more

Jet ski tour is not for the faint of heart! For a third of the 2-hour tour you'll be in the ocean…read moreand the Gulf waters can get rough like today. Personally I had a blast bouncing around through the waves, and WaveRunners were up to the task, these are the nicest personal watercraft I've rented, more than enough power for 2 riders. Only complaint is the "convenience fee" for using a credit card that isn't disclosed anywhere I could see. With that, taxes, and tip for the guide be prepared to spend $200 per ski, not the $175 advertised price.

Love this beach. One of my favorite beaches in Florida. Parking is $10 with the mobile…read moreapplication. The walk to the beach is a bit far and this beach provides complimentary golf cart ride to the beach. The sand feels really soft and so does the beach. This beach also has a restaurant/ bar. This beach does not allow dogs. Overall the experience was amazing and I highly recommend it.

Everytime I want to go to the beach I end up going to this amazing beach. As soon as you get off…read moreyour car to walk to the boardwalk to go to the beach there is a golf cart that takes you to the beach for free. All they ask for a tip. The water was a bit cold but it felt soo good. I did go to the beach January 10 which is not beach season but it felt amazing. This park is always super clean and the water doesn't ever have seaweed floating around. This is one of my favorite beach and I may come next weekend again.

I grew up near the marina. School field trips and just visits to the pier. They have re-vamped the…read moreplace and the pier is better looking now. The water and breeze combination is a nice touch to a beautiful sunset. The marina has an area for buying bait and tackle and and area that lets you look up close at wildlife. It's a great place to share with family and friends with benches and a gazebo.

What a hidden gem. Was out joy riding to Everglades and spotted the Lake Trafford sign so stopped…read morethere. Bought couple cold drinks, sat on the back deck, checked out the all reptiles and parrots. One of them can say"ByeBye", think her name is Samantha They just built a smoker and smoked some mullets...It was the best smoked fish I ever had, it was perfect. I hope they'll start selling them.