If you want to change from beach scenery to more nature theme setting, try Caloosahatchee Regional…read morePark (CRP) in Lee Country along the Caloosahatchee River in Alva. You can set up camp, ride mountain bike and Equestrian trails or hiking in CRP. For mountain bike and equestrian trails, go to Parking Lot #3 known as North Park Entrance. For hiking, go to Parking lot #2 or Main Park Entrance. For camping go to Parking Lot #1 or Campground Entrance! You must register for camping and have a campsite assigned to you or your group! BBQ pits and benches are available. There is a lodge with a kitchen and ice machine that can accommodate up to 80-100 participants. Before you go to CRP, make sure you call and plan out your activity ahead. Some trials may not be available in the raining season. Check your mountain bike to ensure they are in excellent working condition as there is an advanced or more difficult biking trials. No dogs or alcohol are allowed in the park! Caloosahatchee Regional Park is a hidden gem in Lee County! Bring plenty of water and enjoy the nature, hiking or camping!

Really pretty park! Great for walking, camping, bird watching, etc. There are some beautiful…read moretrees here!

LaBelle is the county seat of Florida's Hendry County. It is located on the south side of the…read moreCaloosahatchee River and owes its existence to the early cattle drivers and trappers in the area as far back as 1889. This park is directly on the river at the foot of the bridge carrying Florida State Road 29. The park is the host of the annual Swamp Cabbage Festival, which apparently I just missed by about two or three weeks. The start and finish line of the 5 k walk/run is here along with some other celebrations, tents and even a beauty pageant. For those who don't know, swamp cabbage is the vegetable heart of palm, which grows in the sabal palm which is the state tree of Florida. The park has a number of benches facing the slow moving river, a gazebo, a structure with restrooms and a playground. There is plentiful parking and lots of shade. Some folks were fishing when I stopped by. [Review 14817 overall, 319 of 2021, number 1306 in Florida.]

Barron Park is located at the base of the Caloosahatchee River Bridge in historic downtown LaBelle…read more The land for the park was donated by W. Barney Barron and Lois Barron in the 1960's. Lois's maiden name was Hendry. She is a descendant of Francis A. Hendry who was a Florida cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Hendry County is named for him. The town of LaBelle is named for his daughters Laura June and Carrie Belle Hendry. For 54 years the park has been the site of the annual Swamp Cabbage Festival held annually the last full weekend in February. Swamp cabbage is the vegetable heart of palm, which grows in the sabal palm which is the state tree of Florida. Pioneers served it boiled. The event has a parade, rodeo, food, and live music. LaBelle also stages other events like the Easter and Fourth of July celebrations in the park. The river provides a beautiful back drop to the park and makes it a popular fishing destination. Park amenities include river front picnic tables, tennis courts, dedicated benches, a covered pavilion, gazebo, stage with large seated area, restrooms, boat docks and slips. The park anchors the downtown area and provides the town with a place to gather for events. I loved the view of the river and the stately live oak trees dripping in Spanish moss. This charming park is the perfect place for a picnic lunch.

I'll just go ahead and say it. You can't walk through the gates of Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary on a…read moreguided tour and come out the same person you were before. Not if your heart is beating. Nestled in a secluded animal mecca near the Babcock Ranch proximity of Punta Gorda, live 57ish forms of wildlife who have found their forever home in Octagon, most of whom would not be alive had it not been for the compassionate hearts who saved these sentient beings. Yes, of course, this Disneyland For Wildlife has lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! (admit it, you saw that one coming), but so much more, including species you would not expect to see at a wildlife sanctuary. For example, the homing pigeons who landed at Octagon because they were orphaned and have no knowledge of how to forage for food. As well as the alligator who grew up in a bathtub (don't even get me started). How about the pair of Macaws that were rescued from a dentist's office after the patients were teaching them one too many curse words ? And the monkey (cue the waterworks, it's ok to cry along with me) who was abandoned in a cage and left at the gates to Octagon on Thanksgiving Day. We can't forget the baboon who spins gleefully on three legs when he thinks no one is watching, which is extraordinary when you learn that he came to Octagon because of a history of being mentally abused. The one thing they all have in common? They're all rescues. All of these majestic creatures have been rescued and offered a New Beginning to live out the rest of their lives in a place where they are happy and well-cared for. In fact, Octagon was rated as one of the Top 10 wildlife sanctuaries in the country for the happiest animal residents. Now, that's saying something. Octagon even has resident "squatters", i.e. animals that don't need to be here but choose to be, for example Blue, the handsome peacock who hangs out to spread his beautiful plumage for the lady hens (hang in there, pal, one day you might get lucky) and the ibis who travel in and out to the sanctuary, to score a free meal and to swap stories with their friends. The feeling of joy is palpable as you walk along the path, as every animal resident (humans too) was thrilled to see my tour guide, Tracey Pirozzi, chuffing at the fence to gain her attention. No animal is ever asked to do anything it doesn't want to do. Every enclosure is arranged to make the animal as comfortable as possible. In fact, enclosures are often customized to the resident to work around any historical triggers they may have. In addition to the opportunity to see these precious animals thriving at their new beginnings, the tour also was extremely educational. I learned so much, as did the others in my tour group. Tracey kept things light and informative, engaging everyone in fun games and quizzes along the way. While fielding questions and engaging us with the animals along the way, Tracey speaks earnestly and passionately about the purpose, about the origins, of Octagon. I shed a few tears (maybe more than a few) when I saw how dear this place is to her heart. And it's easy to see why. Every animal here is given some sort of enrichment, something to keep their mind stimulated, which is critical to their overall well-being, whether it's a large ball that they can push around, a hanging crate of meat that they have to unpuzzle to claim, or a TV to watch their favorite cartoon. And marshmallows! Psst, Tracey, how about another marshamllow, puhhhhleeeeezzzzzz? As a 501(c)(3) nonrprofit organization, Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary depends entirely upon donor support, with no government assistance. As you can imagine, Octagon has a hefty expenditure in just keeping their doors open. Their food bill alone, as you can imagine (we saw one tiger tackle five chickens for breakfast), runs in the tens of thousands of dollars every month. Not only that, but there are no paid jobs here. The facility is managed by a 100% volunteer workforce, and every volunteer we encountered had a huge smile on their face, and a fierce passion upon their brows. We could feel it. The animals could feel it. The guided tour is suited for people of all ages, a terrific way to spend the morning. One little boy in our tour group was so engaged and so spot-on with the answers to Tracey's questions that I'm pretty sure that he'll soon be a tour guide . For Southwest Florida residents or for visitors from out of town, I highly recommend this opportunity to see nature at its best. I give it four paws up. To make your tour extra special, make a reservation for the 9:30am tour on Thursdays, so Tracey can show you this magical place!

This animal rescue sanctuary is truly a special place. My husband and I loved it. You can feel the…read morecompassion and dedication the moment you arrive. Julie and the volunteers clearly care deeply about the animals and go above and beyond to ensure they are safe, healthy, and loved. The sanctuary is clean, well-organized, and focused on the animals' well-being above all else. It's inspiring to see animals given a second chance at life in such a nurturing environment. Thank you Julie for being our tour guide! It was amazing!! The sanctuary is a must see!!

a very peaceful and serence place. didnt get to see many manatess during our visit, but that is…read moreokay. the trail there is nice and not too long. parking is paid, and restrooms are available

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.

If you like nature you will love this place. Walk along but take it slow and quiet if you want to…read moresee animals. Read the signs with helpful tips to get the best experience. Good amount of shade and places to rest.

25 February 2026…read more Someone had the idea to visit Six Mile Cypress Slough today. Uufff It was a nice walk ... but ... bring your walking shoes, Sunglasses and a hat. A bottle of water would be a nice addition. This place has a trail that you are compelled to remain on throughout the excursion. It is a wooden trail with wooden guardrails to prevent you from straying. It was a pleasant hike, got my steps in , but I thought it would never end. I thought I was trapped in the movie set of "No Way Out" Finally ! At the end of the trail I managed to find the exit and my car. Adios ... don't think I'll be coming back . Ok ok , it wasn't that bad. I'm prone to exaggerate.

A nice peaceful place to gather your thoughts! I try to stop by every time I'm in town.read more

This tiny and quaint 3.5 acre park is one of last remaining pieces of Lehigh's original wetlands…read more that was transformed into a beautiful ecological park. This beautiful little Eden is open daily from dawn til dusk,. I enjoyed strolling along the 500 foot boardwalk. There are two picnic pavilions with BBQ facilities. The tiny parking area contains 8 spaces. There also is a port-a-potty, benches, along with a couple of bike racks. If you want to check out this intimate ecological park, it is located on the corner of Lee Blvd. and Xelda Ave.

Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve is over 1,300 acres and is located on the north bank of the…read moreCaloosahatchee River. The preserve contains seven named streams and several plant communities. The preserve contains over 500 different plant species and over 100 different animal species have been observed here. The preserve is separated by Interstate 75 and includes two separate access points, one on the east side of the interstate and another on the west side. The west side is currently closed by the east side is open for hiking. On the east side, near the parking lot, there is a picnic pavilion and bathroom but both are closed right now due to the virus. What is open is a 1.5-mile boardwalk and paved trail that meanders through wetland, hammock, and pine flatwood ecosystems.There are an additional three miles of primitive hiking trails. The Live Oak Loop is .4 miles and is made up of a paved trail and boardwalks. The 3 mile primitive East River Loop Trail connects to the Live Oak Loop Trail. The Sweetbay Trail is a .85 mile, natural earth and boardwalk trail that goes through wetland and upland communities. The trail is named for the sweet bay tree found along the trail. The Fetterbush Trail is .25 miles in a U shape that connects to the Sweetbay Trail. This is supposed to be a good place to see endangered gopher tortoises although I didn't see any. Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve is part of the Lee County Conservation 20/20 program which acquired environmentally important land, restored it, and opened it for recreational opportunities. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail. Guided walks are normally offered and you can download a schedule from the website. I did all of the trails except the three mile river loop. This preserve was reopened by Lee County Commissioners on Wednesday so people could exercise while maintaining social distancing. There is enough room here that although I did see people off in the distance, we were all on different parts of the trail and I never came in close contact with anyone. The hike was the perfect length for me and was mostly shaded. I would recommend bug spray. They weren't too terrible but there were some mosquitoes especially on the Sweetbay and and Fetterbrush Trails. I really loved being able to get out and switch up my exercise routine and I highly recommend these trails.

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.

Very nice park! used to go there when i was younger. Has a dog park, two kid parks, a huge field,…read moreskate park and a tennis court. This will forever be one of my favorite courts.

Fields are choppy and will probably get worse considering this was the first game. Vast area with…read moreabout 10 full soccer fields. Pets are not allowed on the fields but there is ample room for them outside the gated fields. WASC plays here and I wish the fields were better. Sigh...

Pretty far east of Fort Myers, the Buckingham Trails Preserve is a 572-acre preserve and includes a…read more2.3 mile trail for hiking. I didn't go nearly that far today but I did walk some. The park is mostly pine flatwoods and open scrub with decent visibility and easy walking. There are two sets of looping trails - one is for pedestrian hikers only and the other is for hikers and horse riders. When you're on the horse trail, of course you need to be on the look out for, well, you know. The land in the preserve was formerly used as part of a World War II military training base from 1943 to 1945. It was used for training gun turret operators on Air Force (then the Army Air Force) bombing planes. There is a display at the entrance with brochures. Note that pets are not allowed in the preserve, even leashed. You must remain on the marked trails. [Review 16801 overall - 1525 in Florida - 314 of 2022.]

Buckingham Trails Preserve is one of many tracts of land acquired through the Conservation 20/20…read moreProgram. Parking area and a trail system were developed for hiking and equestrian use. This preserve was part of Buckingham Air Field, which was an Army Airbase used to train aerial gunners that were responsible for operating the 30 and 50 caliber turrets on B-17, B24 and other Bombers during WWII. The Air Field portion, a few miles away, is still operational and currently the home of Lee County Mosquito Control. Prior to air field, this was just swamp land located approximately about 10 miles East of Downtown Fort Myers. We took a Guided History Walk in this preserve. The hiking trail is little over 2 miles and the horseback riding trail is slightly under 5 miles. No stable is nearby so you must bring your own horse(s) for equestrian use! We did not witness any wildlife gopher tortoise, Sandhill Crane and some species of hawk are reported and sighted. The trail still has remnants of trap ranges and ground moving target ranges. An ongoing effort to eliminate invasive plants has made progress significantly with controlled burning. Two historians, Ted Mikita and Jim Zbick from Southwest Florida Military Museum, representative from Conservation 20/20 and Lee County Ranger were very active and conducted an informative and helpful guide. We enjoyed this hike and Thank you to Ted and Jim, Conservation 20/20 and Lee County Parks & Recreation for making this possible!