Discover the beautiful Lakes Park in Fort Myers and all there is to do.
Lakes Park in Fort Myers is a man made fresh lake park which happens to be one of the largest in the Southwest Region, totaling about 279 acres in which 158 of it is water.
But there's plenty of land for activities such as hiking, biking, bird watching and the list goes on.
Here you will find everything you need to know before visiting as well as everything you should expect during your trip to the park.
If you have never been to Lakes Park, you will sure love all this info before hand and if you have been before, this list may surprise on a few things you could be missing out.
Must Knows before visiting
Address
7330 Gladiolus Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33908
Parking
Parking fee is $1 per hour or $5 for the day. Cash and card accepted. There are plenty of parking so you never really have to worry about finding a space.
Pets
No pets allowed.
Hours
From 7am to Dusk
Things to do in Lakes Park Fort Myers
1 - Nature Trails
Lakes park boasts about 2.5 miles of nature trail that is suitable for pedestrians and bikes as well.
2 - Bike Rentals
Didn't bring your bike? No problem! You can rent those bikes that fits 2 and/or 4 people, they are so much fun and not too expensive either for the hourly rates. Check out my youtube video to see the rates for both boat and bike rentals.
3 - Boat Rentals
The pedal boats are a super fun way to explore the lake and maybe even see a gator or too. They like to stay in the stand off mini islands located in the middle of the lake.
4 - Picnic at the Park
Bring your own food, drinks and enjoy a great picnic at either one of the many tables available throughout the park on a first come, first served basis. Or do it old school and sit on the grass, there's plenty of it.
5 - Party at the park
Want to celebrate a birthday, baby shower, or maybe graduation? Lakes park has so many pavilions, an amphitheater, and even a lodge designated solely for the purpose of holding events.
Everything must be scheduled ahead of time and can be reserved by calling (239) 533-7578.
6 - Wild life watching
Lakes park is home to an array of wildlife. While many times you may not see the animal, you may, however, see signs of its presence, such as droppings, feathers, tracks.
Some of the wildlife you may spy at the park includes alligators, a variety of birds, squirrels, gopher tortoise, brown anole and many others.
7 - Bird Watching
Are you into birds? Then you will love Lakes Park as it is a bird sanctuary.
To make things fun you can put together a list of birds along with pictures, print it out and whoever finds the most birds on the list wins.
Here are a few birds you may see at Lakes Regional Park:
Red-bellied woodpecker
Cardinal
Pleated Woodpecker
Red Shouldered Hawk
Blue Jay
White Ibis
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Great Egret
Glossy Ibis
Green-backed Heron
Osprey
Anhinga
Double Crested-Cormorant
American Coot
Balg Eagle
Least Bitterr
If you are a resident or happen to be in the area during the first Saturday of the month, then you may want to attend the Bird Patrol held from 8:00 am to 10:00 at shelter A7. You get to join a group of people with the same purpose, bird watching.
8 - Train Village Ride
A 15 minute ride on a miniature train that takes you on journey through a miniature village located inside Lakes Park.
Appropriate for both adults and children, it's a fun adventure for the entire family!
Train rides are available M - F 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m Sat. and Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person.
9 - Water Pads
The water pads are totally free and are dedicated to children. Parents must be present to supervise their children.
Splash Pad Hours:
Winter 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Spring 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Summer 9 a.m. to 6 p.m
10 - Beach Volleyball and other Sports
There are two beach volleyball courts available and they are available on a first come, first served basis.
There's also a huge field that is perfect for other games and sports such as soccer.
11 - Barbecue
Barbecue grill stations are available free of charge and can be found all throughout the park. They are also a "first come, first served" basis availability.
12 - Book a tour
Garden tours are available on the second Saturday of each month from October to April at 9 am. This is a free of charge tour.
13 - Kids playground
There are two playground at the park. One by the Railroad Museum and another one by the water pads.
14 - Story Time in the Garden
Bring the little ones for a story time in the garden. Event is held on the third Wednesday of each month at 10 am from October to April in the children's garden.
Stories are suitable for children 0 to 3rd grade.
15 - Farmers Market
Fresh produce, local vendors and good food, the Lakes Park farmers market is a great way to support local businesses and discover local gems.
Every Wednesday in October to April, from 9 am to 1 pm.
16 - The Railroad Museum of South Florida
The railroad museum of South Florida is located inside Lakes Park. It's a 3200 sq feet facility, open to the public 7 days of the week.
It features the history of the railroad in the area and how it impacted many cultures and ways of life.
17 - Exercise
If you prefer to work out with a view then you have it made at Lakes Park. The park features several exercise stations distributed in strategic locations that allows you to do simple work outs to more strenuous pull ups and the such.
18 - Photography
This location is very popular amongst photographers in the area and with reason, it's so scenic!
From nature to fashion photographers, it is very common to see flash lights and big lenses around the park.
The nature photographers who are patient, always leave with breathtaking images.
19 - Sunset at the lake
The park is open until dusk so you if you want to catch a beautiful sunset by the lake, go ahead and bring the blanket, lay down on the grass by the lake, and wait for golden hour to arrive.
Considering the sun sets on the west and we happen to be in Southwest Florida, be prepared for cotton candy skies, one of the most beautiful in the world.
20 - Explore the garden
Take a walk through the garden and explore the native vegetation and learn how you can also cultivate and preserve them.
If you have children during your trip, don't forget to stop by the children's garden.
21 - Enjoy a Royal Scoop
During the spring and summer time can get vert hot outside but nothing that a scoop or two of ice cream can't solve.
Great thing that Lakes Park has a concession store that serves royal scoop ice cream and to make things even better, the facility is air conditioned.
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