Gasparilla Island State Park

About Gasparilla Island State Park

The heart of Gasparilla is the restored Boca Grande lighthouse, built in 1890 and still in operation today. The island, separated from the mainland by Port Charlotte and Pine Island Sound, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state of Florida. Swimming, snorkeling, fishing and natural history are popular activities, and especially in the winter months, shellfish fishing is good.

The lighthouse is open to the public, but will be closed in August and not open in the summer months. Two picnic areas offer a view of Gasparilla Island and the surrounding waters, as well as the lighthouse. Both are open from May to July and September, Wednesday to Sunday and July to October, from 9 am to 5 pm.

The wooden lighthouse at the southern end of the island is one of only a handful of lighthouses in the United States and the only one in Florida. The lighthouse was first used by the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1890 as a lighthouse for sailors looking for a safe haven off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. In 1966, the Coast Guard closed the lighthouse to the public, as did the rest of Gasparilla Island State Park. The protected species found on the islands include the blue heron, blue frogs, red nose lizards, black-eyed gulls and many other species.

The federal government donated the lighthouse to Lee County in 1972 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 1985, the US Lighthouse Service and the Florida Department of Natural Resources took over the lighthouse and spent a year restoring the complex, and in November 1986 the lights were switched on again.

The park houses the Museum of the Lighthouse of Boca Grande, and the parking lot of the lighthouse is also surrounded by the restored Amory Memorial Chapel. Visit the L Lighthouse Museum and Visitor Centre to learn more about the museum and its history, as well as other attractions.

The chapel was built in the 1950s and served as a dormitory in what is now Dunes car park. The chapel can be rented for public and private events and is home to the Amory Memorial Chapel and the Boca Grande State Park Museum.

The beach in the Gulf of Mexico offers excellent year-round opportunities - year-round saltwater fishing and swimming and sunbathing are very popular. The beach is ideal for swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and other recreational activities. Next to the island's golf course, there is an access road to the Boca Grande State Park golf course, which provides access to the island's two beautiful golf courses and beaches.

You must provide your own fishing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and other recreational activities on the Boca Grande State Park golf course.

You must set up your own bike and enjoy a leisurely bike ride along the paths that wind around the beautiful barrier island. In the park there are picnic tables, covered tables and picnic chairs, which offer a picturesque view of the surrounding water.

The programs, which are run by rangers, cover a wide range of topics, including the natural resources found on the island. Enjoy a leisurely bike ride on a nature trail that winds around the beautiful barrier islands. Along the way you can see many bird species, including rare and endangered birds, which visit the islands for walks in spring and autumn. Some of these species use the natural resources of this island for their breeding activities.

Pets are not allowed in the park and must be well-behaved and always kept on a leash within six metres. Farm animals are welcome in some areas and in buildings within the parks as required by law, but pets must not be left unattended and must be kept on a leash within six feet of hands.

Gasparilla Island is bordered by a barrier island off the southwest coast of Florida and can be reached by boat from Fort Myers Beach and the Florida Keys. Diving is also possible outside the beach, as well as fishing, boating, snorkeling, kayaking and other recreational activities.