Lovers Key State Park: We love the kayaking, beach, manatees

Last updated on January 24th, 2025 at 12:23 pm

There’s a lot to love about Lovers Key State Park.

Just south of Fort Myers Beach, Lovers Key State Park is comprised of four islands. It feels unspoiled and natural and makes a great destination for any season.

In summer, we love it for its fabulous 2.5 mile long pristine beach with powdery white sand and a natural shoreline.

In winter, many will still swim, but we enjoy just walking the beach, kayaking the waterways and spotting the many birds.

Lovers Key, badly flooded with storm surge from Hurricane Milton Oct. 9, 2024, has reopened. Hiking trails remain closed, but the beach, kayak launch, boat launch, bayside are and Welcome and Discovery Center are open. As of early 2025, the Welcome and Discovery Center is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lovers Key State Park is known for its wild white-sand beach and its seashells. (Photo: Bonnie Gross) — Lovers Key State Park is known for its long white-sand beach and its seashells. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

During an April visit, we were delighted to see nesting shore birds — willets, ostercatchers and black skimmers — on the beach in an area cordoned off to protect them.

There were also several active osprey nest visible from the beach. (And while we didn’t see them, the park has had two active eagles nests.)

The four barrier islands that make up Lovers Key were originally destined for development. Canals were dredged; mangroves uprooted. Lucky for us, the state acquired the land in 1983 and today you’d never guess the history of the 1,616-acre park.

Lovers Key State Park is a good place for birding. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Lovers Key hurricane damage

Lovers Key State Park got walloped by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and again by Milton in October 2024, but it’s bouncing back.

Gone is the bait shop and kayak rental on the east side Estero Boulevard. Gone is the gazebo, site of many beautiful weddings. But the beach is as beautiful as ever. Shells abound. Wildlife is present.

But recovery from this storm is a long process. The park still does not have electricity — it still operates on generators!

Trails at Lovers Key

Note in January 2025, the trails are still closed from hurricane damage. Lovers Key beach has two hiking trails, each just over two miles, that are good for walking, running or biking on fat tires. The trails go through secluded estuaries that were dredged to make way for development on the island.

On the trails, you might spot a bald eagle, West Indian manatee, American alligator or crested caracara, all of which frequent the park.

The Black Island Trail, located off Parking Lot #2, is known as a good place to spot gopher tortoises.

Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.

Surf fishing at Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Kayaking at Lovers Key State Park

This park is an ideal destination for kayakers.

The park’s concession company rents single and double kayaks, stand up paddleboards and canoes.

A paddling trail through the park’s waterways is 5 miles roundtrip. The route takes you through mangrove-lined waterways where you have a good chance of seeing a variety of birds and possibly manatees. (Occasionally, an alligator is spotted too.)

The sprawling park has a tram that transports visitors and their gear from the parking lot, which is on Black Island, to the bridge to the beach, which is on Lovers Key.

The Discovery Center at Lovers Key State Park does an excellent job of telling you a bit more about the special environment you are visiting. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Lovers Key Welcome and Discovery Center

The active volunteer group at Lovers Key accomplished something no state park has done in 20 years — built a brand new environmental education center that opened in 2021. It’s remarkable!

Located on a scenic waterfront, the building is designed with glass walls and observation decks to take advantage of the stunning view. Exhibits in the welcome center explore the life of barrier islands, its habitats, wildlife and plants. A large indoor room has space for programs and performances.

The Discovery Center at Lovers Key State Park has a shaded second-story space where you can relax and enjoy the view. It also has shady picnic tables. (Photo: David Blasco)

In addition to exhibits, there are weekly coloring pages for the kids, immersive videos, and a shell ID table to help you learn your local molluscs. Here’s more about the facility.

In summer 2024, the Discovery Center is open Wedneday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m

Osprey nest at Lovers Key Fort Myers Beach — An osprey and its nest along the Lovers Key beach (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

How Lovers Key got its name

For most of the 20th century the four islands that comprise Lovers Key were accessible only by boat. This was a secluded place that, it was said, only lovers took the effort to reach.

A road to the island was built in 1965 and the land owners prepared ir for development, dredging the mangroves and filling in to create higher ground. The state acquired the islands in 1983 and instead of being home to condos, Lovers Key was preserved as a park.