Came here to park for free as there was none anywhere else. Close to the Cape Beach Club. This is…read moreright behind the library which is why it is easy to miss. Was glad to find it. Come here to do some field practice if you like or use the recreational area pool.

I've been visiting Ft Myers for 10 years and never knew about this place. I saw a Facebook ad and…read morewhen I went to their page discovered that it was really close to our condo. Due to the Red Tide beach issue, they were giving free admission the week that I was there. I thought that was really fantastic of them to do that! They have a great pool and waterslide. There is also a toddler area. The grounds looked really nice and included well kept sports fields. I saw some signs regarding different events like yoga, Back to School, and obstacle night. We went because we couldn't go to the beach but even if that wasn't the case, this would be a great place to spend a day!

We drove from Lakeland--about 2 hours and 40 minutes, mostly straight highway--and it was totally…read moreworth it for a perfect day trip. Even if you're a few hours away, don't hesitate. If you love shells, beach walks, wildlife, or sunsets--this place is magic. Arrival & Parking: We arrived around 10 AM on a Tuesday in November and had no problem finding parking. The lot is bigger than some reviews claimed--easily fits 40-50 cars--and I noticed there was also a secondary parking lot nearby. At the entrance, there's a pay station where you can pay by the hour (card or phone). Super easy, and you can extend your time right from your phone. You even get a 15-minute alert before your time is up--so helpful! There are clean restrooms and outdoor showers right near the parking area. From there, you follow a walking path toward the beach, and you cross a bridge over a little river. Look in the water--there were manatees swimming! We also saw turtles, pelicans, and other birds along the trail. Such a beautiful start. On the Beach: Once you step onto the sand, it feels like you're in a shell collector's dream. Just like all the YouTube videos and blog posts--you really do find beautiful shells everywhere, especially medium and small ones. The beach is large--both in width and length--so even though there were a lot of people, it never felt crowded. Everyone had plenty of space to relax. Dogs are allowed on leash (we brought ours), and we saw several other friendly dogs too. Bring water for them--it gets hot fast. There is no natural shade on the beach. Trust me--bring a pop-up tent or canopy and a rolling beach cart if you have one. We had a big lay-down tent and it made a huge difference. If I go again, I'd definitely bring a rolling cart for our gear. Things You Absolutely Want To Bring (Mandatory): -Zinc sunscreen (Florida sun is no joke--even in November). -Water shoes or sturdy sandals (shells in the water can be sharp). -Bug spray (my friend got sand flea bites, I didn't--but it's possible). -Lots of water and snacks for you and your dog (heat + humidity = quick dehydration). -A spray mister bottle to spray my dog. I was worried about heat exhaustion. So glad I brought him, though! He had the best beach day EVER. -Tent or shade structure. The sun and humidity was intense, even for November. I wouldn't ever go with a tent. -Blanket to sit on -Wet wipes for hands -Rolling beach cart if you're carrying gear. Would have been helpful. -Cooler, food, towels, sunglasses. Facilities & Environment: The property is very well maintained--clean bathrooms, multiple shower areas to rinse off sand, trash cans everywhere (please use them--everyone else seemed to be doing a great job keeping the beach clean, which I appreciated). Everything felt thoughtfully designed. Departure & Sunset Experience: After spending the day shelling, walking, and relaxing at Bowman's Beach, we drove all the way to the end of the island (about 15-20 minutes) to watch the sunset--and I HIGHLY recommend doing the same. The sunset looked just like California (I'm from the Pacific coast)--gold, peach, purple, pink, and soft cotton candy blues, all reflecting on the water. You can literally watch the sun melt straight into the ocean. It was breathtaking. Final Thoughts: Bowman's Beach is peaceful, beautiful, full of shells, wildlife, and space to breathe. It felt like a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Whether you're there for a day trip or a full vacation--go prepared, bring shade, water, sunscreen, and let the day work its magic. 110% worth the drive. DREAM SHELL TRIP!

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.

Adjacent to the Saint James City Civic Association, this park and playground is thanks to the…read moreefforts of the local, state and international Kiwanis Club. For those who aren't familiar with the Kiwanis, they're all about improving the lives of children and one way they accomplish that is with parks like this one. A small parking lot but otherwise street parking on three sides. The park is fenced which is helpful for keeping little ones from getting too far away from the play area. The park includes picnic tables, some fitness equipment and a pretty large playground that has climbing equipment, slides, rockers and things to interact with. It is all on a mulch base because little ones tend to fall down a lot. That's okay. There is also some open area for running. The park is pretty well shaded. [Review 16761 overall - 1488 in Florida - 274 of 2022.]

Awesome park with trail around little pond. Bathrooms and picnic area makes for a great lunch spot!…read moreTot park for ages 2-5 and older park for 5-12 year olds. Well maintained with fresh mulch and nicely cut grass. Water fountain water barely bubbles out but we brought our own so it wasn't really an issue. Playgrounds are clean and maintained as well. Made for a great morning adventure with the kids. We came on a Thursday morning with our dogs and we were the only ones in the park. Dogs ran free and had a great time. Pack a lunch. Stay for a while and enjoy the parks.

I was here for a picnic lunch and to check out the playground. While I ate, I watched a few careful…read moreparents keeping an eye on their toddlers as they climbed and played and generally had a great time burning off their excess energy. ​This 40-acre property was donated by Rutenberg Homes https://www.yelp.com/biz/arthur-rutenberg-homes-fort-myers-2 for use as a park and opened to the public in 1977. The park has a baseball/softball field, basketball courts, picnic areas with grills, racquetball courts and tennis courts. There is a concessions area when there are big games going on. Plenty of parking. Plenty of shady spots. It's a great park. [Review 13369 overall, 687 of 2020.]

great park! theres surrey bike rentals available. the miniture train is nice too! lots of…read moreparking.has a nice lake and a wooden boardwalk across the lake. highly recommend

We love this park! On any given day, you can walk or bike around the lakes. They offer bike and…read morepaddle boat rental options and a train to ride. Today, we rented the pedal cart for four and another for two. Our teen grandsons and their friends really had fun! Plus, they saw a small gator, a fairly big green iguana and a snake (in addition to all the beautiful birds). Wednesday mornings they have a very nice farmer's market with quite a few vendors. Put it on your to-do list!

We found the Surfrider Beach Club through RCI and thought it was an excellent value for the trade…read more The Surfrider is a very well maintained facility with a large pool, hot tub, newly resurfaced tennis court, horseshoe and shuffleboard courts, playground equipment for children, and multiple gas barbeques available for cooking. Guests can borrow kayaks, pool toys, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, and bikes for free. Washing machines and dryers are available for use at no charge. Wi-Fi is also free. The office has a small amenities store that includes sun hats and other sundries for sale, along with free DVDs, books, and games you can borrow during your stay. The 1-bedroom unit we stayed in had an upgraded master bath shower that included a tile seat in the corner of shower, grab bars, and lots of space for shampoo, conditioner, etc. There was plenty of storage space throughout the unit, including a dresser and nightstand in the master bedroom and 4 large drawers below the master bedroom closet. The main room of the unit included a living/dining/kitchen area. There were additional large drawers below the couch in the living area. The furniture was not particularly stylish, but was definitely suitable and made sense for the wear and tear of beach-living. Other than to sleep, we spent most of our time on Sanibel out of our unit, so the furniture was certainly fine for our needs. Both the living area and the master bedroom contained nice sized LED TVs with USB connectors for plugging in other devices. The kitchen, as with most vacation units, was a bit cramped but contained clean, organized dishes, pots, pans, and utensils. There was also a small dishwasher. Unlike another resort we stayed at in Williamsburg, VA, extra coffee filters are available for free if you run out. The management and staff were very friendly and helpful, as were the guests. Many of the guests have been timeshare owners at Surfrider Beach Club for years and are a good resource for giving tips on where to eat and what to do around Sanibel Island. Outside our unit was a screened-in breezeway with chairs. The atmosphere was so laid-back, open, and friendly, we enjoyed sitting outside the unit and talking with our neighbors on either side who were also often sitting outside. The beach is only steps away right in back of the Surfrider. Having such easy access to the beach made it easy to go shelling at low tide. Unlike some other beaches on Sanibel, we had no beach parking fees since a free parking space was included with our unit. The Surfrider Beach Club's mellow atmosphere, easy access to the beach, and many free amenities helped make our stay in Sanibel a truly lovely vacation.

This was our first time staying at this development. I liked it because it is much less $$$ than…read morethe neighboring units on East Gulf Drive....a lot less! I was pleasantly surprised how everything was so well-organized in the small space provided. I especially liked the FREE laundry room, super huge pool, free beach umbrellas and chairs, stunning views from each room, and free WiFi. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. The only odd thing is when we moved to the larger unit, we had to go through the bedroom to get to the living room/dining room...okay for us, but a little embarrassing when we had guests visit. Overall, we were very, very pleased, and will return! Count on it!

Went for the first time with my 3- and 6- year old during the hot summer afternoon sun. Four…read moreFreedoms has parking on the north and east side of the playground, from what I saw. Not a lot, just designated parking on the shoulder of the road. The neighborhood was ok. There was a bank. Duplexes, and apartment buildings directly across from the park. It's right off of busy Cape Pkwy, behind a bank. The bonus is that the entire play area is fenced it with "childproof" closing mechanisms. Four Freedoms has an office building that you can rent out, preschool inside, fenced in playground, and a walkway to a beach area, which is only for sunbathers (and currently closed, per posted signage). The play area had artificial turf under the playgrounds and swings. It was nice and cushioned, but also very hot. There were two newer playgrounds for younger kids, an older playground for older kids, 2 accessible swings, 2 baby swings, a tire swing, and 4 normal swings. There were ample, newer, picnic tables, and 4 under a gazebo. There were many mature trees providing shade, but a majority of the swing sets and the larger, newer playground closest to the building remained exposed to the sun, and very hot (around 1:30pm in early August). It would be nice if they had those shade coverings like other Cape parks and elementary schools. There was an entry gate to the play area from each side of the park (north, west, and east). Then, there was a walkway to the sand beach (currently closed), but posted as a sunbathing beach only. Overall nice place and general "safe" feeling with the childproof fencing, and plenty of room for kids to run and jump within. The big con for me was the lack of shade directly over the play areas.

This large park overlooks the Bimini Basin and includes a large and shaded fenced-in playground and…read morea sunbathing beach. Picnic tables, swing sets, bathrooms and benches for parents to sit and watch. I took a bit of time to sit here and chill. Very nice park. [Review 10783 overall, 551 of 2019.]

The star of this park is the covered bocce courts which include lighting, seating and a…read moreprofessional looking area with a large number of courts. I can picture the older Italian guys all here swapping stories and throwing bocce balls up and down. Sadly, the pandemic has much of that shut down so the park is a little quieter these days. Other than bocce, there is a backetball court, picnic shelter with grill and a playground area. The park has a large parking lot with plenty of room. [Review 13257 overall, 575 of 2020.]

Brought my fur baby to the dog park and had such a nice time. They keep big buckets of water and…read moreseating for us humans. Overall was a beautiful park that was well maintained.

Poor bunnies are manhandled by unsupervised children. This place is nothing like advertised…read more Trash everywhere. Poop everywhere. No hand sanitizer in the pumps. Very small and homemade

When I arrived to the location it was a bunch of no trespassing signs & private property signs,…read moreevery website led us to this location. We called the number and it's for a Tennessee location. Very disappointing this isn't organized better.

This two acre park includes a recreational facility (currently closed due to COVID) and a large…read moreactivities area. A baseball/softball field, basketball courts, picnic shelters with grills and a pretty decent playground area. The park has dedicated parking. The picnic pavilion is quite large and has several tables underneath. The park is in very good condition and the equipment seems well maintained. [Review 13367 overall, 685 of 2020.]

Really great park for kids of all ages. Smaller Tot park for 2-5 year olds and larger big kid…read moreplayground for 5-12 year olds. Really nice Soccer pitch with two goals in great condition as well as a nicely paved and maintained basketball court! Large covered pavilion for picnics with plenty of tables is great for a bring your own lunch! Larger kid park is well shaded unlike the tot park, so that's my only criticism. Both parks provide a cement wall ample seating for adults! Came here in a Friday morning and we were the only family here. Love it!