Barefootin'

Sitting on 342 acres of lush tropical land, Barefoot Beach Preserve is one of the best beaches in SWFL. Home to many native speices of plants, birds and animals, including gopher tortoises, it also provides nesting sites for sea turtles in the summer and is a popular landing site for "snow birds" in the winter.

The park has ample parking, a one-mile nature trail, butterfly garden, showers, picnic area and a concession area where you can rent anything from kayaks to beach friendly wheelchairs and buy food and drinks. Park Rangers also offer  lectures and interpretive programs to educate the public about the importance of the environment and wildlife in Southwest Florida.

But by far the best thing about Barefoot Beach is the shelling~offering everything from angel wings and alphabet cones to sharks teeth and other fossils. I was even lucky enough to find an arrow point dating 2500-3000 years old! I could tell you about all our finds but I had rather show you...Enjoy!




Located off Bonita Beach Road, in Bonita Springs, Barefoot Beach Preserve is worth the $8 park fee (or the $50 yearly Collier County Park Pass). If you're planning a shelling trip, add it to your list of "must see" places to visit!