Experiences & Amenities

Enjoy over five miles of multi-use trails including the Black Island Trail and the Eagle Trail through the maritime hammock. Trail maps are available showing many interesting places and observation points along the trail. 

With plenty of areas to stop and enjoy the view, you might spot manatees or dolphins in the inner waterways. Watch an osprey take flight and catch a nice fish for lunch or a bald eagle soar above. Find the freshwater pond where the alligators live in the park. 

• Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under. 
• Bring your own bicycle to explore on your own.
• Rentals are temporarily unavailable. 

The boat ramp at Lovers Key State Park is open. Boat trailer parking is limited at this time.

A boat ramp offers direct access to Estero Bay and the Gulf of America. The gift shop is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kayaks and canoes area available for rent. 

Trout, redfish, snook and tarpon are caught seasonally. Cast netting for mullet in the bay is popular.

• All fishing within the park must conform to regulations concerning size, number, method of capture and season.
• A fishing license may be required. More information is available at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website Fishing in Florida.

Shark fishing from the beach at Lovers Key State Park

• With 1.2 million visitors using the beach for recreation including swimming, we no longer permit shark fishing during daylight hours from the beach. You are welcome to use your after-hours permit to fish for sharks from one hour after sunset to sunrise.
• No person shall use chumming or blood baiting for sharks on the beach or within 1,000 feet of the beach.
• All FWC rules apply regarding the catch and release of sharks.
• 62d-20.14(1) Shark fishing is prohibited from sunrise to one hour after sunset from the beach.

Geocaching is an outdoor game using hand-held global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It's effectively an inexpensive, interactive, high-tech treasure hunt that's a great way to learn geography. Participants use location coordinates to find caches. Some caches are easy to find; others are more difficult.

The biggest reward is the thrill of the search and the discovery of a place where you have never been. Geocaching should have minimal impact to the environment and conscientious land-use ethics should be followed.

• Operation Recreation GeoTour 

The Black Island Trail is 2.5 miles of hiking or biking adventure through a maritime hammock along the canal banks of Black Island.

The Eagle Trail is 1.1 miles of hiking or biking adventure through a maritime hammock along the inner waterways of Black Island.

Both trails are comprised of mostly grass and compacted soil with pockets of sand and occasional mud. There are more than seven miles of trails in the park, including the beach and the paved path along the main park drive.

See manatees, dolphins, alligators, osprey and bald eagles while you paddle through the 2.5-mile mangrove protected estuary.

• Rental information: 239-765-7788

Lovers Key is a 2.5-mile stretch of beautiful beach along the Gulf of America. This beach offers some of the best shelling opportunities on the Lee County coast.

• Live shelling and the collection of sea stars is prohibited.

Swimming is a popular activity in the gulf. The park boasts 2.5 miles of excellent beachfront. 

• Please remember there are no lifeguards on duty. Swim at your own risk.

Lovers Key offers one of the best birding areas in Southwest Florida.

The park is home to many active osprey nests. Roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, the American kestrel and other species are often observed feeding in the bays, estuaries and maritime hammocks.

With over 40 varieties of birds recorded, 17 of which are on the designated species list, Lovers Key is a birder's paradise.

The park is also home to other wildlife such as gopher tortoises, American alligators, bottlenose dolphins and West Indian manatees.