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Rutenberg Park

4.8 (8 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

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Damien S.

In honor of my 300th review, I thought I'd write about the most Spartan thing I could think of: my youth. Rutenberg Park holds a very special place in my heart, my belief in the supernatural, and my car's backseat. It's here that I took my first tennis lesson and played my first game of league soccer, leading to a long and fruitful avoidance of both sports. It's this parking lot that saw not one but TWO make out sessions comically interrupted by the Fort's boys in blue. Embarrassing to awkward teens as it is, the latter made moreso by an offer of marriage for me and my gal from the priest riding in the front seat of his squad car. Truth. The most memorable experience, however, came during a night of straight hizzanging with the bizzoys! Our midnight picnic table conversation about life, love and Sonic the Hedgehog was interrupted by the sound of children laughing coming from behind the playground bushes. We all investigated, found nothing only to get the most spine-tingling chill, freak out in unison and haul ass to our cars, to our homes and to our futures. It was the place to end the nights, to begin relationships and to swing on the jungle gym until the fuzz came. It's also a reminder to put away your phone and remember what it's like to go outside - there ain't no app for that.

Vero R.

Hidden Gem! Lovely park for kids. It has your not-so-conventional attractions! The trees around it provide a nice cool shade. There are benches where you can sit and watch your kids play! My kids loved it and enjoyed it to the max! Definitely coming back!

Main play area

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5 years ago

Helpful 3
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6 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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15 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

This is always a great place to take your younger children. It is a small park under large trees that keep you cool in the summer heat.

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9 years ago

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Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - natural reserve

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

4.7(188 reviews)
5.2 mi

This beautiful nature preserve features a raised boardwalk that winds through the slough, passing…read moreseveral scenic ponds along the way. The atmosphere here was incredibly peaceful, and the slow pace made it the perfect way to start the morning. Along the walk, we spotted plenty of wildlife -- including birds, squirrels, lizards, bunnies, and even an otter playing near the water. The boardwalk trail isn't very long and has multiple benches along the way, making it a relaxing spot to take breaks and soak in the surroundings. There's also plenty of shade, which kept it comfortable despite the Florida humidity. We had brought along bug spray, expecting mosquitos, but it turned out to be unnecessary -- we didn't see any the entire time we were there. It was a calm, refreshing start to the day and a great spot for anyone who enjoys nature, wildlife, or just a peaceful walk.

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.

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Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - Natural reserve

Natural reserve

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - Hawk with fish on it's talons. You will never be able to get that on your cellphone!

Hawk with fish on it's talons. You will never be able to get that on your cellphone!

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

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All Children’s Park

All Children’s Park

2.8(5 reviews)
6.8 mi

I really wanted to love Lakes Park Children's Garden because honestly... the park itself is…read moreBEAUTIFUL. The location is great, it's gated, and at first glance it feels like the perfect spot to take kids, especially if you're just trying to kill time like we were before a flight. But I'm going to be real, the safety concerns completely changed the experience for me. It gets VERY crowded, and there's a big mix of people coming in and out. There were tons of kids, which is expected, but a lot of them were not supervised and were honestly pretty rough/mean. It didn't feel like a calm, safe environment where you can just let your kids play without constantly hovering. Also... the slides were SO hot. Like, borderline unusable hot. That alone was frustrating. The biggest issue for me though was the bathrooms. They are far from the main play area, and as a mom, there was no way I felt comfortable letting my kids go alone. When I did go, the bathrooms were extremely dirty, and I noticed syringes in a nearby area which was honestly alarming. That completely shifted my level of comfort. It also gave off the vibe that it's a place where people hang out who aren't necessarily there for the park, if that makes sense. I will say again, the park itself is beautiful and has so much potential. But just because it's gated doesn't mean it's actually safe. If you go, just be VERY vigilant, especially if you have more than one child. This is not a "sit back and relax" kind of park in my opinion.

All Children's Park is a brand new playground along the Caloosahatchee River in Centennial Park in…read moredowntown Fort Myers. The full name of the playground is the Lizbeth Benaquisto Inclusive Playground, in honor of the former state senator who pushed the legislation that set aside state funds for the playground."We were very particular there was going to be a playground that was successful for kids with very unique abilities," Benaquisto said at a January 2021 council meeting. "They have never had a safe place to play." The playground has swings, slides, and numerous climbing structures. I love all of the uniquely Florida touches like the puffer fish, manatee, and the Model T car in honor of Henry Ford who had a winter home in the city along with Thomas Edison. This is one of the nicest playgrounds I have ever seen and the kids playing on it we're having a ball. Best of all it is ADA accessible so children of all abilities can enjoy it. The new playground is a fantastic addition to Centennial Park.

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All Children’s Park
All Children’s Park
All Children’s Park

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Manatee Park

Manatee Park

4.3(169 reviews)
12.8 mi

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

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.

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Manatee Park
Manatee Park
Manatee Park

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Buckingham Trails Preserve - Trail layout using color code

Buckingham Trails Preserve

5.0(3 reviews)
12.0 mi

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!

Photos
Buckingham Trails Preserve - Ted and Jim from Southwest Florida Military Museum start the guided walk.

Ted and Jim from Southwest Florida Military Museum start the guided walk.

Buckingham Trails Preserve - Nice marker along the trail.

Nice marker along the trail.

Buckingham Trails Preserve

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Rutenberg Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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