Park Summary for Print - Charlotte Harbor

Welcome to Charlotte Harbor

Ringing Charlotte Harbor like a necklace of mangroves, the park provides vast areas of unspoiled scenery and vital habitat for many varieties of wildlife. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary is one of the most productive in the state and five aquatic preserves have been established in the water bodies adjacent to the park. The Mangrove forests and salt marshes comprise the majority of the park, but public access points have been established at strategic upland points in each area of the park. The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC)Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center is located within the park at 10941 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. CHEC is a non-profit group that has a visitor's center, offers environmental education programs, interpretive guided hikes, and approximately 6 miles of marked trails. The Old Datsun Trail is located at 12301 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. This trail is approximately 1.75 miles long and traverses oak/palm hammocks, pine flatwoods and wetland sloughs. The Little Pine Island High Marsh Trail is located on the north side of Pine Island Road between Matlacha and Pine Island. This trail is approximately 2 miles long and traverses salt marsh, freshwater marsh and mangrove forests. The Catfish Creek Trailhead is located on the east side of County Road 771 approximately 1 ½ miles north of Placida. A picnic pavilion is available for visitors to use at this site. Pine flatwoods, freshwater marshes, and salt marshes are accessible from this trailhead. Visitors are welcome to explore other areas of the park, unless posted as closed, but should be aware that these areas are remote and primitive wilderness. Visitors should take a compass, a map, and sufficient water for their trip. Almost all areas of the park are wetlands and are subject to periodic flooding. Heat, muddy trails, and mosquitoes are common elements of natural Florida. Visitors should be prepared to encounter all of them.

Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about Charlotte Harbor, please call (941) 575 - 5861.

Hours of Operation

Open 8 a.m. - sundown 365 days a year.

Driving Directions

The administrative, resource management and facilities maintenance offices are located on Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda approximately 3 miles south of US 41/Tamiami Trail. Other access points to the park are available in Cape Coral, Cape Haze, El Jobean, Little Pine Island and Rotonda.

Park Fees

Admission to the park is free.

Activities at Charlotte Harbor

	Boating There are many opportunities for boating and paddling in the waters of the Aquatic Preserves (Lemon Bay, Gasparilla Sound / Charlotte Harbor, Cape Haze, Pine Island Sound, and Matlacha Pass) which are adjacent to and protected by the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.
	Canoeing/Kayaking Canoeing or kayaking in the quiet backwaters of the Aquatic Preserves provides increased opportunities for bird-watching
	Fishing The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) does not permit fishing. Do you need a Fishing License?
	Pets Pets are welcome if they are kept on a six-foot, hand-held leash and are well behaved and maintained at all times.

Special Events for Charlotte Harbor

There are no events listed at this time. Please call our park for more details on possible future events.

Charlotte Harbor History

The park encompasses approximately 42,518 acres. Approximately 7,000 acres are uplands and 35,518 acres are wetlands and open waters. The park lands were initially acquired through the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL) in the 1970's and continued with the Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) program. Additional lands were acquired under the Save Our Rivers program and more recently under the Florida Forever program. The park was originally named the Charlotte Harbor State Reserve was later renamed Charlotte Harbor State Buffer Preserve and then in 2004, the DEP reorganized several programs and the management of the preserve was transferred to the Division of Recreation and Parks (DRP) and it is now called the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. In the late 1970's the state began acquiring lands around the Harbor to "buffer" the aquatic resources. By preserving upland habitats surrounding the aquatic preserves in Charlotte Harbor, Gasparilla Sound, Cape Haze, Lemon Bay, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, the park helps protect water quality, sea grasses and other habitats that are important to fish and wildlife and provides residents and visitors to the area with opportunities for boating, fishing, and other recreational pursuits. The preservation and protection of Charlotte Harbor is the goal of a continuing partnership with the aquatic preserves program. This program is part of the DEP Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas which shares facilities with the park in Punta Gorda.