I discovered this park on a trip to Immokalee. A historical marker in the park commemorates the…read morefirst commercial oil well discovered in Florida in 1943 although oil had been drilled since the early 1900's. Between 1921 and 1923 Barron G. Collier who had made his fortune in streetcar advertising sales, purchased 1.3 acres of land in the sparsely populated southwest part of Florida. This land would eventually become Collier and Hendry counties, and it included Big Cypress Preserve. Collier was instrumental in getting Tamiami Trail built. It was the first road to go from coast to coast cutting through dense swamps and snake and alligator wilderness. The road extends for 368 miles from Tampa southward along the Gulf coast to Naples, then eastward to Miami. In 1939 the Florida legislation was desperate to have Florida become an oil producing state so they offered a $50,000 prize for the first well discovered. Several oil companies drilled over 80 holes and failed to find oil. Until his death in 1939, Collier was steadfast in his belief that oil was on his land. On September 26, 1943, after spending one million dollars, Humble Oil Company found Florida's first producing oil well. It was located just east of the park, 12 miles south of Immokalee. Initially 140 barrels were produced a day and it finally trickled down to 20 barrels a day. The success of this well led to seventeen more oil wells being drilled. By 1954, the Sunniland field was producing 500,000 barrels per year from eleven wells. Until 1964 Sunniland was Florida's only commercial oil field. The park contains Florida's first commercial oil derrick. Besides the oil derrick and historical marker which is of interest to history enthusiast, the park also has several covered picnic tables. Since this park is near Big Cypress Preserve it is a great place to watch for wildlife. I spotted a red shoulder hawk in a tree. I found this park to be an interesting stop in what feels like the middle of the Everglades.

Not much of an attraction Little information provided…read more No restrooms, not much to do but drive in and out.

Pine Lake Preserve is a 174-acre preserve is located in South Lee County within the city limits of…read moreBonita Springs. This area is natural oasis is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. A pedestrian gate is available on Kent Road and you can park in the YMCA parking lot on Kent Road. A second pedestrian gate is located in the southwestern portion of the preserve near the Bonita Nature Place. The first parcel of the preserve was acquired on November 22, 2000. In the preserve is an easy 1.3-mile loop trail that takes about 22 minutes to complete. This trail is great for birding, fishing, and hiking. The trail is over mostly sand and grass surfaces in an exposed prairie area. The Bonita Nature Place connects to this trail for additional hiking. For those looking for a longer adventure, the Pine Lake Preserve Perimeter Loop offers a 2.4-mile trail along the fire lines that takes about 41 minutes to finish. These trails allow visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of the preserve and experience its diverse ecosystems up close. Whether you're seeking a leisurely stroll or a more challenging hike, Pine Lake Preserve has something to offer for everyone. Pine Lake Preserve includes man made lakes surrounded by natural plant communities of mixed cypress pine, pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, and floodplain swamps which provides a diverse habitat for these creatures, making it a paradise for birdwatchers and nature photographers. The lakes provide important habitat for a number of wading birds such as herons, egrets, sandpipers, and Black-necked stilts. Alligators and otters have also been observed at the lakes. .Lee County's Pine Lake Preserve is not only a place of natural beauty but also a testament to the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship. An extensive invasive exotic plant removal project was performed to remove a dense coverage of melaleuca trees. Exotic plant control continues and a hydrological restoration project was completed in 2021 which reconnected the water from the Imperial River to the watershed to the east the way it was before development in the area. This project allowed water to flow south over Pine Lake Preserve into two shallow ponds that flow into the upper Imperial River. New native plants were also added to the area. In 2023 an 8-acre wildfire occurred in the southwestern portion of the preserve. Plant and animal communities are continuing to recover. Before planning your trip, note that portions of the trail can become flooded during rain. Additionally, be sure to bring appropriate footwear, sunscreen, and insect repellent to fully enjoy your time in the preserve.

This Preserve is a very difficult walk, staff has run over the trails with a disc harrow so the…read moretrails have 6 inches of soft sand at the surface.

I was looking for a place to hike in the area but this was not the right spot. I should have looked…read moreat the size, it's not even a full four acres. This is one of a series what are called node parks in Bonita Springs. Lee County purchased this land for $400,000 on November 17, 2009. Oak Creek, from which the preserve takes it's name meanders through this small area. It was once a major tributary for the Imperial River and many pioneer families settled along its banks. Today Oak Creek is important because it is tributary to Estero Bay. This preserve is so tiny that it feels like you are standing in the backyard of one of the surrounding houses. There is no parking lot so you can just pull off to the side. There are sabal pine and oak trees here but it looks like someone is cutting down a lot of the trees. I am not sure what is going on here. Although not very good for hiking you could bird watch or take pictures. The bottom line is that there are many other great nature places to explore in this area. Unfortunately they are all currently closed sending me on a hunt for the more off the beaten path area. It is nice that Bonita Springs is preserving natural areas for wildlife but there is no reason for anyone to make a special trip here.

Have a wonderful time people are very friendly. Animals were very sleepy. It was 93° but some of…read morethem said hi always have a good time with the giraffes and a curator was wonderful.

It is so nice to see Naples reopened. The last time I was here the preserve was closed. This is a…read moregreat little natural area along with the Hedges Family Eco Center. The preserve is made of of a nine and a half acre pine flatwood and rosemary scrub oak community that is one of the oldest ecological communities in Florida. It was established in the Pleistocene era 10,000 years ago on sand ridges which were deposited originally as coastal dunes. This high and dry land is ideal for building on so that why there is so little of it left today. The land for this preserve was saved by the Naples community. In February 2000, a nine million dollar bond referendum was passed that allowed for the purchase of the preserve land. Volunteers then spend hundreds of hours removing exotic plants and trash. Winding through the preserve is a .4 mile long elevated boardwalk. Along the way there are lookouts and benches built into the boardwalk. As soon as I started my walk I spotted a federally endangered gopher tortoise. The Preserve offers a great opportunity to see gopher tortoises in their natural habitat. You can also view native wildflowers, trees, birds, butterflies, snakes, and rabbits. August and September are actually the peak months for viewing wildflowers and butterflies and I saw an abundance of both. I especially loved the purple Chapman's Gayfeather. The Hedges Family Eco Center was closed during my visit but when it is open volunteers can answer questions about sightseeing around Naples and offer brochures and maps. There are books available in the resource library and the public can attend scheduled environmental programs. In front of the center is a promise globe where you can leave your pledge to protect the earth. The Naples preserve is free to visit and there is a parking lot. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. While it doesn't take long to visit, the walk is beautiful. There is even a fountain to fill up your reusable water bottle. Discovering beautiful places like this is why exploring Naples is so much fun.

This park was opened in 1977 in River Park, a segregated subdivision that was developed in the…read more1960s to house black families. The Charlie C. Anthony Park was named in honor of African-American Private Charlie C. Anthony who lost his life in combat on May 12, 1969 in Vietnam. Charlie grew up in Alabama in a family of sharecroppers before they moved to a 5th where he attended the former George Washington Carver High School where and excelled in athletics as a star basketball player and track runner. In the summer of 1968 he was drafted into the army and was assigned to serve with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment of the 11th Infantry Brigade. While in Vietnam he was killed in action at the age of 23 on May 12, 1969 near Xuan Thanh, a small village in South Vietnam. He left behind a wife and young daughter. Posthumously he was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. PFC Anthony's official Army citation reads, "Private Anthony, with complete disregard for his personal safety, attacked, and killed the insurgents. When he and the remainder of the squad tried to prevent some enemy soldiers from skirting the flank of his unit, a firefight ensued that caused Anthony to be fatally wounded." The Charlie C. Anthony Park is 7.92 acres located on the Gordon River. For years the park was lacking in basic amenities, so much so that federal civil rights investigators claimed Naples leaders were discriminating against minority residents. Finally in 2018, Naples fixed up the park and installed a proper sign. Previously the park was just called Anthony Park. Today the park is as beautiful as all of the of the other Naples Park. There is a boat launch and the Naples Rowing Club keeps their boats there. Other park amenities include a community center with meeting room, restrooms, fishing pier, walking trail, tennis courts, lighted basketball court, playground, picnic shelters, outdoor exercise equipment, and open play space. One thing I especially loved was that the tennis court has a box outside where you can open it up and borrow one of their tennis racquets and balls. You would never see that where I live. Private Anthony is an American hero. It is a shame Naples took so long to fix up the park but now that they have it is a place worthy of Private Anthony's honor. I hope that his daughter takes her children and grandchildren here to play.

The trail was nice and kept up nicely. Parts were still closed off due to damage but still a nice…read morewalking trail.

Hurricane Ian definitely took a toll on this trail. The high point is that it was actually clear…read moreenough to be walkable. Unfortunately the trail ends shortly (about 8 min into the hike) as the pier was taken out. Most of the benches and picnic areas along the trail are unusable. Mosquito bites are high as it's super muddy. If you're looking for a quick 10 min stroll it's ok but put some bug spray on : )

Beautiful park near my home full of bike/walking trails, a botanical garden, a railroad museum, an…read moreamphitheater, dirt bike course, water park, farmers market (Fridays), fishing, and countless other things to keep children or adults happy. To really get an idea of how scenic Lakes Park is hop on a bike and explore the grounds. I've posted plenty of pictures but seeing it person is a must.

Listennnnnnnn!!!!! This park is the bomb! The entire park is covered by oak trees and it makes the…read moreentire experience such a marvelous one. They have chairs all over the park and little picnic tables for kids. There is plenty of space to run around as the entire park area is enclosed by a fence. They have a little bridge you can go over and watch out for manatees. The bathrooms are super clean too which is a plus! My only recommendation is to bring water! The water fountain here doesn't seem to work.

Absolutely beautiful park! It has such a relaxing atmosphere with all of the beautiful oak trees! I…read morewish there was an adult size table for my friend and I to sit and watch the kids play. The equipment was very nice for all age children. The park is completely fenced with security cameras, I love the safe atmosphere for the kids!