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Gulf of Mexico expanse on sandy shelly beach

Lovers Key State Park

With a name straight out of tourist fantasies of 1950s Florida, Lovers Key State Park is a series of slim barrier islands between Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, just south of Fort Myers Beach.

Estero      ( 26.3921, -81.8761 )      

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CLOSED while additional damage is assessed from Hurricane Idalia.


The destructive force of Hurricane Ian walloped Lovers Key State Park on its way to decimating Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island immediately to its north.

The park has since reopened with access to the beach. Portable restrooms and drinking water are now in place.

It may be some time before the Discovery Center, Estero Bay boat ramps, and the trails at Black Island reopen. Check the park website before visiting.

The details and photographs we present on this page from our trips prior to the hurricane. Once facilities are restored, we will revisit.

Shell beds and person walking past them Shelling is still superb on the beach


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover  
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: Estero
Main Parking: 26.3921, -81.8761
Address: 8700 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach
Fees: $8 per vehicle
Restroom: At Parking Lot 1 tram stop and the Discovery Center
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 239-707-6328
 
Open 8 AM until sunset. Leashed dogs welcome except on beach. A separate dog beach is south of the park along Estero Blvd.

Directions

 
From Interstate 75 exit 116, Bonita Beach Rd, drive west on Bonita Beach Rd for 5.8 miles. It reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Turn north on Hickory Blvd and continue along the Bonita Beach Causeway for 4.7 miles, which becomes Estero Blvd. Turn left at the park’s main entrance and follow the entrance road to the beach parking area. A tram takes you to the beach.
 
Across from the main entrance is the bayside frontage and outfitter at the boat ramp for access to Estero Bay. Over the next bridge, a half mile north, is Lovers Key Bayside, a picnic area along the bay.

About the Park

Focused on a pleasant stretch of beach, one of the better spots for shelling along the shelling on the southwest coast of Florida, Lovers Key is a mangrove-edged puzzle of lagoons and channels.

Before the state stepped in and bought these barrier islands, canals and channels were carved out of Black Island by a developer, creating miles of spoil piles edged by deep water.

Black Island was repurposed as a recreational playground with hiking and biking trails that loop back on themselves.

The beach is a slender strand but it goes on for quite some distance, affording easy access to the shallow waters of the Gulf.

Woman along beach with fishing pole Shell, fish, swim, or sunbathe at the beach


It is a sun-drenched, shell-strewn ribbon of sand with a view of Sanibel Island. Beach access is provided by a tram that loops around and drops off at two points along the beach

You are also welcome to walk the paved trail and its bridges to admire the wading birds in the shallow mangrove-lined channels. Roseate spoonbills feed in these tidal mud flats.

Outside the main gate are several more access points to beachfront and bayfront. Across the street are the boat ramps and outfitter on Estero Bay.

A half mile north is the Bayside Picnic Area. At the north edge of the island, a walk along the Gulf shoreline leads to quiet, sunny strands at North Beach.

To the south, a dog beach is provided on the Gulf to allow dog lovers to let their best friends play in the surf.

mangrove lined lagoon The central lagoon remains a birding hot spot


Hike

Black Island lies at the north end of Lovers Key, a puzzle of man-made fill and channels created for a condo complex.

Allowed to rewild itself after acquisition by the state, it hosted a loop of up to 5 miles on pair of hiking trails we documented for 50 Hikes in South Florida.

Blue water edged by Australian pines and sea grapes Black Island Trail At the northern end of Lovers Key State Park, the Black Island Trail makes lemonade out of lemons with a scenic hike or off-road ride in natural landscapes reshaped for coastal development.

Paddle

In addition to being an important stop along the Great Calusa Blueway, Lovers Key State Park has mangrove channels popular with paddlers.

The park fronts Estero Bay on its east side, where kayak and paddleboard rentals were available from an outfitter next to the boat ramp.

Woman on bridge with Blueway sign The park is a stop along the Great Calusa Blueway


From this launch point, you can paddle into the bay to visit Mound Key. The boat ramp is not yet open but hand launching may be possible. Call the park for a current update.

Wall of mangroves Mound Key Archaeological State Park Launch your kayak from either Koreshan Historic State Park or Lovers Key State Park for a paddle into Estero Bay to see Mound Key, a significant Calusa archaeological site that is now its own state park.

Trail Map

Lovers Key State Park Trail Map
Green: South Beach Trail. Red: Black Island Trail.

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Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Koreshan State Park Koreshan State Park When Dr. Cyrus Teed founded a commune along the banks of the Estero River in 1894, he envisioned a utopia in the tropics. Koreshan State Park preserves that slice of history.
White sand path in scrub Estero River Scrub Skirting the edge of a tidal marsh alongside Estero Bay, the loop trails at Estero River Scrub are incredibly unique and a challenge to hike.
Bench overlooking beach and tropical scene Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Swift tides rolling through Wiggins Pass define the northernmost beach of Naples, a spread of sun-drenched sand at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park within sight of a line of condos that stretch southward.
Red blaze post amid pines CREW Flint Pen Strand Just four miles east of Interstate 75, get your feet wet in one corner of the vast the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the trails of Flint Pen Strand.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Biking, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Off Road Biking, South Florida, Southwest Florida, TrailsTag: Birding, Estero, Florida State Parks, Fort Myers, Gulf of Mexico, Lovers Key State Park, Mangroves, Wildlife Viewing

Have an update? Contact us.

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Tannic creek in tropical Florida setting

Telegraph Creek and Bob Janes Preserves

Telegraph Creek and Bob Janes Preserves
Grassy path through palms and oaks

Hickory Swamp Preserve

Hickory Swamp Preserve
Forest of pines and palms with a grassy trail through it

Alva Scrub Preserve

Alva Scrub Preserve
Path lined with cypress knees in cypress strand

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

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