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Pet Friendly Florida
A flat, sandy beach at low tide.
Fort Myers

Pet-Friendly Beaches & Parks: Fort Myers, FL

Bonita Beach Dog Park is off-leash, which is rare in Florida - plus the preserves and where dogs are not welcome.

Updated October 24, 2026 6 min read By

The Fort Myers area gives dog travelers something unusually valuable:

a real off-leash dog beach plus multiple leashed beach options.

The biggest distinction is between:

  • Bonita Beach Dog Park — off leash
  • Selected Sanibel and regional beaches — leash required
  • Regular public beaches that may not permit pets

Check each location before arriving.

Bonita Beach Dog Park

Bonita Beach Dog Park is the region’s standout pet beach.

Current Visit Fort Myers information lists:

  • Off-leash pet policy
  • Dawn-to-dusk hours
  • Free parking
  • Calm back-bay setting
  • Portable toilet
  • No traditional restrooms

Address:

14436 Bonita Beach CSWY, Bonita Springs, FL 34134

Official listing: visitfortmyers.com

What Lee County adds that the visitor guide leaves out

Lee County runs the park and calls it simply Dog Beach. Its own page has the details worth knowing before the drive:

  • It is a tidal flat. At mid to high tide the beach can only be reached by wading through water, so check the tide table and aim for a falling or low tide.
  • No fishing anywhere dogs are present, no glass or alcohol, and no fires or grilling.
  • A donated dog rinse-off shower is there for rinsing your dog before you leave, and waste bags and bins are at the entrance.
  • It is unsupervised. The county says the park’s future depends on visitors policing themselves, and you are responsible for your own dog’s behavior.

The Only Local Off-Leash Beach

The current Fort Myers visitor guide describes Dog Beach as the area’s only local beach where dogs can play off leash.

Other pet-friendly beaches generally require a leash.

That distinction matters.

Gulfside City Beach Park — Sanibel

Gulfside City Beach Park is currently:

  • Pet-friendly
  • On-leash
  • Open dawn to dusk
  • $5/hour parking

Amenities include:

  • Restrooms
  • Picnic areas
  • Showers
  • Boardwalk access

Official listing: visitfortmyers.com

Blind Pass Beach — Sanibel

Blind Pass Beach is also currently listed as:

  • Pet-friendly
  • On-leash
  • Open dawn to dusk

It is especially known for shelling.

Be cautious around the water because currents near the pass can be strong.

Official listing: visitfortmyers.com

Other Current Open Beach Parks

As of the regional update dated September 4, 2026, open public beach parks include:

  • Bowman’s Beach
  • Gulfside City Park
  • Tarpon Bay Road Beach
  • Lighthouse Beach Park
  • Blind Pass Beach
  • Causeway Island Parks
  • Dog Beach
  • Bowditch Point Park
  • Bunche Beach Preserve
  • Yacht Club Beach
  • Crescent Beach Family Park
  • Lynn Hall Memorial Park
  • Bonita Beach Park
  • Lovers Key State Park
  • Several Boca Grande accesses
  • Captiva beach sites

But open does not mean pet-friendly.

That list tells you which beaches are open, not which take dogs. Here is where we stand on the ones we have checked: Dog Beach is off-leash; Gulfside City Beach Park and Blind Pass Beach on Sanibel are leashed; and Bunche Beach Preserve, Lovers Key State Park and Bonita Beach Park are closed to dogs.

For the rest – Bowman’s Beach, Lighthouse Beach, Tarpon Bay Road, the Causeway Islands, Bowditch Point, Yacht Club Beach, Crescent Beach, Lynn Hall and the Boca Grande accesses – we have not confirmed a pet policy, so treat them as unconfirmed and ask the managing agency before you bring a dog.

Fort Myers Beach itself, on Estero Island, is the busiest beach in the area, and its rule is clear: leashed dogs are allowed on the town’s beaches. Section 14-4 of the Town of Fort Myers Beach code, which cites Ordinance 99-5, says dogs on a leash are allowed on the beaches within the town and that owners must dispose of dog waste off the beach. The town’s animal code requires “direct control” of a dog, meaning a leash of no more than six feet, and bars animals from roaming at large on beaches.

One stretch is closed to dogs entirely. No pets are allowed within the Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area, also called Mulholland Point, at the southern end of the island. The code defines it as the island itself and the wetlands and lagoons behind it, from the Holiday Inn’s southern riparian line. Lee County’s own beach parks that sit on the same sand, including Crescent Beach, have their own pet bans, so a leashed dog that is fine on a town access can be turned away at a county park lot.

Current status: visitfortmyers.com

Bonita Beach Park Is Not the Dog Beach

This is an easy mistake.

Current Visit Fort Myers information lists Bonita Beach Park as:

Pet Friendly: No

The nearby Dog Beach Park is the off-leash dog destination.

Do not confuse the two.

Bonita Beach Park official listing: visitfortmyers.com

Bunche Beach Preserve

Bunche Beach is currently open as of the September 2026 beach-status update.

Dogs are not allowed. Lee County’s own listing for the preserve, at 18201 John Morris Road, says it is open daily from dawn to dusk and states plainly: no pets allowed. We found that wording on a county program listing rather than a standing park page, so if it matters for your trip, call Lee County Parks & Recreation – but plan on leaving the dog behind.

Lovers Key State Park

Lovers Key State Park is currently open, although Visit Fort Myers notes that hiking trails are still closed as of the September 4, 2026 conditions update.

Do not plan a dog beach day here. The Florida State Parks pet policy is statewide: pets are not permitted on beaches, boardwalks or playgrounds, or in bathing areas, cabins or park buildings. Lovers Key is a state park, so its beaches are closed to dogs however pet-friendly the area around it feels. Individual parks can add their own restrictions, so call the park about anything beyond the sand.

Heat

Southwest Florida beach heat can become severe.

Best times:

  • Early morning
  • Evening

Saltwater

Bring fresh drinking water.

Do not let dogs rely on Gulf or back-bay water.

Wildlife

Watch for:

  • Shorebirds
  • Sea turtles
  • Marine life
  • Alligators near freshwater
  • Snakes

Keep dogs controlled around sensitive habitat.

Best Fort Myers-Area Beach by Need

Best off-leash beach: Bonita Beach Dog Park Best leashed Sanibel beach: Gulfside City Beach Park Best leashed shelling walk: Blind Pass Beach Best general beach-status source: Visit Fort Myers current beach conditions

Dog Beach Park in Bonita Springs, the Sanibel beaches and the Fort Myers Beach rules are listed with their sources in the Lee County section of our Florida dog beach directory.

More Fort Myers Guides

Continue with:

The most important local rule is:

Dog Beach Park = off leash.

Bonita Beach Park = not pet-friendly.

Those are different parks.

Sources