BikeWalkLee: Take a walk on the wild side

BikeWalkLee Column ‘Go Coastal’
The News-Press, December 2, 2021
by Ken Gooderham 

Photo: www.leegov.com/parks

Want to change up your walking routine and celebrate a unique piece of local ecology? Then plan to join in the “Sloughbration” this Saturday.

The “slough” in question is, of course, the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, more than 3,400 acres of wetlands and uplands right in the middle of Lee County.

About 11 miles in length and a third of a mile wide, the Slough drains some 33 square miles into the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. This slow-moving fresh water flow allows the Slough to sustain a number of ecosystems and act as home to a wide variety of critters during both the wet and dry seasons.

The “Preserve” part of the slough came about thanks to a group of high-school students in the 1970s who fell in love with the natural beauty and benefit of the Slough… and then who worked to convince Lee County taxpayers to raise the funds necessary to put the property into public ownership. Subsequent land acquisitions via the Conservation 2020 program have continued to build on the initial preserve area.

The Sloughbration is the work of the Friends of the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, a nonprofit formed in 2001 to support the preserve, promote environmental education and augment the Slough’s natural assets with a LEED-certified Interpretive Center and a growing array of volunteer-staffed offerings.

Saturday’s event marks 20 years of the Friends work for the Slough, and will include:

• Free guided walks at 10:45 and 11 a.m. and 1:45 and 2 p.m.
• Presentations on a variety of environmental pursuits, as well as a look back at the Monday Group, the original students who saved the Slough.
• Interactive education demonstration from a host of local groups and concerns.
• Music and food offerings from a range of vendors.
• A children’s scavenger hunt and a silent auction, with proceeds to benefit the Friends.

Of course, the main attraction is the Slough itself… and visitors can get up close and personal via the 1.2-miles of boardwalks that wind through a variety of wetlands, lakes and uplands. It’s a walk that’s meant to be savored, not speedy, a chance to take in nature and see some creatures and habitats that are harder and harder to find around here.

So come Saturday for the Sloughbration, but come back in the future for the nature. The Slough is open dawn to dusk most days, and all it will cost is the price of parking. However no pets, no parties and no disturbing the wildlife.

If you find that walking in nature suits your nature, you’re in luck: Lee County has a number of parks and preserves with a range of paths and trails suitable for walking, running, hiking and even biking. Go to https://www.leegov.com/parks to see what’s available and near you.

IF YOU GO:

• What: Six Mile Cypress Preserve Sloughbration
• When: Saturday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Where: 7751 Penzance Blvd., Fort Myers
• Parking: Century Link Stadium, 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, with shuttles running continuously.
• Biking: Slough is adjacent to the Six Mile Cypress Parkway path, so it’s an easy ride to get there… but bikes are not allowed on the boardwalk itself.
• For more information about the event, email friendssloughbration@yahoo.com. For more information about Lee County Parks & Recreation locations, amenities and events, visit www.leeparks.org, call (239) 533-7275 or email leeparks@leegov.com..

 ●●●

EVENTS 

FORT MYERS TRACK CLUB (ftmyerstrackclub.com):

• City of Palms River Run, Saturday, Dec. 4, 8K run and 2-mile walk downtown Fort Myers.
• SYAL Run for the Youth 5K, Saturday, Jan. 8, downtown Fort Myers.
• Metro-McGregor Kiwanis BUG Chase 5K, Saturday, Jan. 22, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers.
• Strides for Education 5K, 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 5, Florida Southwest State College, Fort Myers.
• Edison Festival of Light Junior Fun Run (distance varies by age), noon, Sunday, Feb. 13, downtown Fort Myers.
• Edison Festival of Light 5K, Saturday, Feb. 19, 5:45 p.m., downtown Fort Myers.
  

GC RUNNERS (gcrunner.org):

• Coach McGarity 5 Mile Hill Run, Saturday, Dec. 18, Marco Island.
• Naples Daily News Half Marathon, 7 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 16, downtown Naples.
  

ELITE EVENTS (runeliteevents.com):

• Christmas Glow Run 5K, Dec. 3, 5:45 p.m., Sugden Regional Park, Naples.
• Naples Fall Classic half marathon and 5K, Dec. 4, 7 a.m., Sugden Regional Park, Naples.
• Christmas Glow Run 5K, Saturday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m., Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota.
• Sarasota West Coast half marathon and 5K, Sunday, Dec. 19, 7 a.m., Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota.
  

OTHER RUNS

• I Love The 80s 5K, Sunday, Feb. 6, North Collier Regional Park (active.com).
  

The Caloosa Riders are offering member rides, but some are open to non-members (and it wouldn’t hurt you to join the club); check their ride calendar (caloosariders.org) for a description of the distance and speed, and to see if the ride is open to all.

SW Florida Critical Mass is offering their usual slate of family-friendly rides. Check out their line-up online (www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/) for details and times (and to make sure the ride is still rolling).

• SW Florida Critical Mass ride, first Friday of the month. A family-friendly slow night ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Helmet and lights required, meet in the parking lot at 2180 West First Street, Fort Myers. 
• Sanibel Critical Mass night ride, second Saturday of the month. Gathers at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended.
• NE Lee Critical Mass ride, third Friday of the month. Gather in the Winn Dixie parking lot on Palm Beach Blvd. about five miles east of the Interstate; gather at 7 p.m. and roll at 7:30 p.m. for a slow ride through Fort Myers Shores.
• Cape Coral Critical Mass ride, fourth Friday of the month. Gather at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly night ride through the Cape; helmets and lights required.
• Saturday Morning Slow Roll, fourth Saturday of the month. Meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction..
  

TRIATHLONS

• St. Anthony’s Triathlon (St. Petersburg) has been rescheduled again, now to May 1, 2022, Olympic and sprint

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at bikewalklee.blogspot.com.

 

BikeWalkLee: Parks and prohibitions

BikeWalkLee Column ‘Go Coastal’
The News-Press, May 20, 2021
by Ken Gooderham

Some bike/ped activity from the county brings us new parks and new rules.

Lehigh linear park:

The recent announcement of plans for a 6-mile-long linear park in Lehigh Acres may not be the best part of the recreational news – but it’s still a welcome plan for local bikers, runners and walkers. The park, which will run along the northern side of the Able Canal, will provide much needed bike/ped options away from the roadways while tying together a number of community assets – from Harns Marsh to Lehigh Trailhead Park and including Lehigh Elementary and Lehigh Community Park.

It’s the latter facility that also has some welcomed improvements ahead. The county purchased 47 acres adjacent to the existing Lehigh Acres Park, and a number of new facilities are in design right now to be added soon. Reports say they may include football and soccer fields, pickleball courts, fishing areas and a disc golf course.  

Some of the additional acreage will be devoted to a bus transfer station, further enhancing accessibility to the park and facilities without generating additional traffic.

The linear park is a joint project with Lee County and the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, with funding from the county ($2 million) and the Florida Dept. of Transportation ($4.9 million).

Construction on the shared-use path is expected in 2023, while work on the park expansion hopefully will begin next year.

Lehigh Acres is often overlooked when it comes to bike/ped infrastructure, so adding a major pathway that will make access to a number of recreational assets easier is welcome and long overdue. As one of the faster growing areas of the county, we expect the new parks (linear and community) will see a lot of use in the years ahead.

Yarbrough trailhead under way:

Moving to another linear park, construction is well under way on the long-awaited trailhead park for the John Yarbrough Linear Park. Featuring parking, pavilions and restrooms, the trailhead is on a 1.4-acre parcel where the linear park intersects Ben C. Pratt/six Mile Cypress Parkway.

Parking has been sorely lacking along the linear park, which runs 4.8 miles from Colonial Blvd. south to Six Mile Cypress Parkway along the Ten Mile Canal. Despite this, the park has still seen considerable use thanks to numerous adjacent neighborhoods and its connections to other bike paths and recreational facilities.

Having a place to park for the park will just expand its use even more… good news for bikers, runners and walkers, as well as dog lovers (on-leash, please) and people who fish the canal.

Weather permitting, construction should be done by early summer.

Rules for the right-of-way:

Finally, last month county commissioners also approved new restrictions on “dangerous uses of public roads and rights of way.”

The condensed version is that folks who have been soliciting money and selling goods along major intersections (which has increased noticeably during the pandemic) will have to find another place to operate instead of standing on narrow concrete medians or beside busy roadways.

The good news? The ordinance cited the county’s unpleasantly high ranking among the country’s most dangerous places for pedestrians as justification for the action, acknowledging a very unwelcome history of pedestrian injuries and deaths along county roadways (even though the activities being prohibited here are rarely the reason for pedestrian fatalities).

The bad news? Some more benign activities may be swept up in the new restrictions, including “Fill The Boot” charitable drives held by local fire departments and some political campaigning where candidates and supporters waving at passing motorists traversing busy intersections.

The new rules apply only to roads in unincorporated Lee County and, while fines and jail time are possible, the Sheriff’s Office plans to work on education and awareness first before more strict enforcement kicks in.

Making county roadways safer for pedestrians is a laudable goal – but the real danger for most pedestrians lies elsewhere than standing at busy intersections. Bad road design, inadequate crossing options, insufficient lighting and inattentive drivers are far more dangerous to pedestrians – and none of these are impacted by the new rules.

And while the tighter regulations are no doubt driven by the rise in homeless people seeking help, it will be interesting to see if charities and candidates push back on the prohibitions once the economy recovers and the restrictions kick in. 

EVENTS 

Summertime has squeezed local running and biking events, with July 4 the biggest bump on the horizon. It’s still smart to confirm events with the organizers and stay flexible in case conditions (and pandemic guidelines) change.

FORT MYERS TRACK CLUB (ftmyerstrackclub.com):

• Priority Business Solutions Freedom 5K Run/Walk & Gunterberg Charitable Foundation Kid's Fun Run, Sunday, July 4, Cape Coral Bridge
  

GC RUNNERS (gcrunner.org):

• SNIP Collier 5K, May 31 
• GCR Firecracker 5K, July 3-5, virtual

ELITE EVENTS (runeliteevents.com):

• USA Independence Day 5K, Sunday, July 4, Estero
  

OTHER RUNS

• Publix Run to the Arts 5K run/walk – in-person is now delayed to Nov. 20, runsignup.com or runtothearts.com
  

OTHER RIDES

• Costco/CRBC Golisano Children's Hospital Benefit Ride, Saturday, May 22, starts at 7:30 a.m. from Costco at the Gulf Coast Town Center. 45 miles, five speed groups, minimum $20 donation, no reservations needed. Info at caloosariders.org.
  
• Wheel Lee Fun instructional series for young riders. Four weekly sessions beginning July 5, go to crbc.clubexpress.com/wheelleefun for details.
  

The Caloosa Riders are offering member rides, but some are open to non-members (and it wouldn’t hurt you to join the club); check their ride calendar (caloosariders.org) for a description of the distance and speed, and to see if the ride is open to all.

SW Florida Critical Mass is offering their usual slate of family-friendly rides. Check out their line-up online (www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/) for details and times (and to make sure the ride is still rolling).

• SW Florida Critical Mass ride, first Friday of the month. A family-friendly slow night ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Helmet and lights required, meet in the parking lot at 2180 West First Street, Fort Myers. 
• Sanibel Critical Mass night ride, second Saturday of the month. Gathers at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended.
• NE Lee Critical Mass ride, third Friday of the month. Gather in the Winn Dixie parking lot on Palm Beach Blvd. about five miles east of the Interstate; gather at 7 p.m. and roll at 7:30 p.m. for a slow ride through Fort Myers Shores.
• Cape Coral Critical Mass ride, fourth Friday of the month. Gather at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly night ride through the Cape; helmets and lights required.
• Saturday Morning Slow Roll, fourth Saturday of the month. Meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction.
  

If racing is not your thing but you’d like to support their return nonetheless, consider volunteering to help out at the few in-person offerings ahead. With Covid concerns still confining some of the usual volunteers, a few new helping hand would certainly be welcomed.

TRIATHLONS:

• 2021 Heartland Triathlon, June 12-13, Sebring. Kid’s event Saturday, adult Olympic and sprint triathlon, duathlon and aquabike Sunday.
• Fort Desoto Triathlon, June 26, Fort Desoto (St. Petersburg), sprint and Olympic
• Sirens & Merman Triathlon & Duathlon, June 27, Sarasota
• Top Gun Triathlon, July 17, St. Petersburg
• Siesta Sprint Triathlon, Aug. 1, Siesta Key
• Fort Desoto Triathlon, Aug. 14, Fort Desoto (St. Petersburg), sprint and Olympic
• Fort Desoto Triathlon, Sept. 11, Fort Desoto (St. Petersburg), sprint and Olympic
• St. Anthony’s Triathlon (St. Petersburg) rescheduled to Oct. 1-3, 2021
• City Island Triathlon, Oct. 10, Sarasota
  

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org.

 

 

BikeWalkLee: This park needs a place to park

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, August 1, 2019
by Ken Gooderham

Image source: wikipedia

The John Yarbrough Linear Park is a unique facility, as much a piece of transportation infrastructure (especially for cyclists) as it is a park. As such, it lacks one element that would make it more popular as a park – a place to park.

The linear park, which opened its first phase in 2005, stretches about 5 miles from Colonial Blvd. south to Six Mile Cypress Parkway along both sides of the Ten Mile Canal (which drains land from the City of Fort Myers southward and eventually empties into Mullock Creek and Estero Bay).

Its wide asphalt path conveys cyclists, runners, walker and skaters along a surprisingly natural swath of Southwest Florida. There are tables for picnics, shorelines for fishing and space for your dog to roam a bit (on leash, of course).

But what there isn’t is a place to park.

There is one area where the path intersects Daniels Parkway for a few cars to pull in (and it’s usually busy with walkers and dog owners. There’s an informal parking area at the southern terminus on a vacant lot in a commercial park off Six Mile Cypress… and, of course, people sometimes just pull off the road near where the path intersects, particularly to walk in a little and fish from the canal banks.

Parking is not as big a deal if you’re a cyclist, as many are going from one place to another via the park’s protected (and shaded, very welcome this time of year) pathway. But unless you live nearby (and a lot of people do), walking or fishing or bringing your dog for a change-of-pace walk is really not feasible.

That’s unfortunate, since the linear park is both a unique facility and a great place for a variety of pursuits. The fact that the pathway is removed from vehicular traffic (except when it crosses various roadways) is also a plus for cyclists who’d rather not deal with traffic and would enjoy a wide path with plenty of room for everyone to do their thing.

There are plans to build a trailhead park, which would include parking, restrooms and more, on a county parcel at the Six Mile end of the current path. The park was working its way through the permitting process earlier this year, and seemed on track for approval and construction, with funding proposed to get it under way in the next fiscal year.

The park was included in the draft FY 2019-2020 budget presented to the county commissioners at a briefing in early May. Subsequently, advocates have been informed that the project will not move forward next year as planned. No explanation has been given as of now.

This trailhead park will help boost use of the linear park, making it more feasible for people who aren’t nearby to come and enjoy the park’s unique facilities. It also might kick-start completion of the original linear park plan, which was to extend northward to tie in to the North Colonial Linear Trail and eventually up to Hanson Street. (It would be great to go all the way to downtown Fort Myers, but let’s wish for one thing at a time.)

Let’s hope a county commissioner or two starts asking about the status of the trailhead park once everyone is back from break next week. The funding source is there, the permitting was moving apace… so let’s get this back on track and under construction.

The linear park is a great facility… let’s make it available to more people to enjoy.

Ready to ride or run? 

Run? Not much in organized races until the end of August, with the Aug. 24 Rampage 5K on Aug. 24 at North Collier Regional Park (runelitevents.com). Once we get to September, your race schedule starts ramping up again.

Ride? Critical Mass keeps things moving through the sultry summer, with the big downtown ride Friday night, and Sanibel ride Aug. 10 and the NE Lee ride Aug. 16. These all are  night rides, so front and rear bike lights required; helmets recommended for all (meetup.com).

Both? Upcoming events include:

• Sunday, Aug. 4: Siesta Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon (trifind.com) 
• Monday, Sept. 2: Venice Sprint Tri, Sharky’s on the Pier, Venice (trifind.com)
• Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 7-8: Galloway Captiva Tri. Sprint on Saturday, kids’ events Sunday (https://www.gearedup.biz/captiva-triathlon)
• Saturday, Sept. 21: The Original Siesta Key Tri, sprint (runsignup.com)
• Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org. 


 

Hop on your wheels and celebrate Bike Your Park Day

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 8/30/17
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

Our parks — local, state and national — can be great places to get in a few miles of leisurely cycling, with the added benefit of taking in whatever makes the park a park.

Lakes Park in south Fort Myers is an example of a place to ride slow and easy. A park can also offer the opportunity to ride many miles at a more ambitious pace on single-track mountain bike trail, as is the case in Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva.

International Bike Your Park Day is Saturday, Sept. 30. Bike Your Park Day is organized by Adventure Cycling, a non-profit bike travel organization that provides resources for bicycle touring. The group is the primary force behind the creation of a U.S. bicycle route system, an interstate system for bicycles. In the U.S., the second annual Bike Your Park Day coincides with National Public Lands Day, a yearly event intended to get folks into parks and conservation lands where they will experience the treasures that are sometimes overlooked or taken for granted.

Many national parks and federal land areas offer free entry on that day.

One of the federal gems that are in our own backyard is the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. There you can bike the paved five-mile Wildlife Drive (it’s one way so add three miles to return via the bike path along San-Cap Road). Ding Darling’s Baily tract is nearby but separate from the main area and has unpaved trails that are open to bikers and hikers. In between are plenty of other places to visit on the island via the extensive bike-path network, including a number of beachfront parks and nature areas.

For those willing to drive a bit, another federal property that’s worthy of a day trip is Shark Valley tram loop in Everglades National Park. It’s just over half way across the Everglades off U.S. 41 but this popular bicycling destination gets you as close to the real Everglades as anywhere that’s easily accessible to the public (bring your own bike or rent one there). Undoubtedly you will encounter gators and other wildlife.

Some of our area’s state lands are also excellent choices for bike riding. The one with the most bikeable miles is Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in southern Charlotte County. It offers 37 miles of flat, unpaved roads. Be aware, however, that hunting is allowed there in the late fall into winter with a few weeks of archery hunting taking place in September. Wear safety orange when riding there those times of year. Another very good option is Lovers Key State Park between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach. It has a combination of paved and unpaved roads as well as single track hiking trails that also accommodate those on bikes. And there’s one of the state’s best beaches there as well.

Lee County offers Lakes Park, Caloosahatchee Regional Park and John Yarbrough Trail Park. A good ride to consider starts at Lakes Park and follows the Tour de Parks route, which includes John Yarbrough Trail Park and a number of other parks and nature centers (fortmyers-sanibel.com/media/16998/tour_de_parks.pdf). You can ride anywhere from five to 25 miles on bike paths or roads, whichever you prefer.

Anyone wishing to “officially” participate in Bike Your Park Day can design your own ride of any distance, any speed, and in any park or public land that is open to bicycling (not all parks allow bikes or use is restricted so be sure to check). Participants may register the ride at BikeYourParkDay.org (it’s free) and it will be added to an interactive map displaying all of the rides taking place around the world. If you register by September 18 you’ll be entered to win a bike and an Amtrak train trip for two, with bikes, to Glacier National Park.

For more complete listings of parks and other public trails and green spaces in our area the following websites should be helpful: National Park Service – nps.gov; US Fish and Wildlife Service – fws.gov; Florida State Parks – floridastateparks.org; Florida Office or Greenways and Trails – dep.state. fl.us/gwt; Lee County Parks and Rec – leeparks.org; Cape Coral Parks and Rec – capecoral.net/department/parks_and_recreation-home; Lee Visitor website parks and trails link – fortmyers-sanibel.com/discover/on-land/biking-and-hiking; BikeWalkLee’s blog – bikewalklee.blogspot.com.

For Lee County cycling and tri events visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL). The Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) is your source for statewide happenings. BikeWalkLee’s blog site (bikewalklee.blogspot.com) has all the information you’ll need to stay abreast of advocacy efforts in Southwest Florida as well as statewide and nationally.¦

- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334-6417. 

It’s sweltering, but hit the parks for great hiking, bike rides

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 6/7/17
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

Getting out and about for recreation and exercise during the heat of Southwest Florida’s sweltering summer can be challenging for many of us, but with thoughtful planning it’s a great time of year for outdoor activities. June has been designated as National Great Outdoors Month as a way to encourage Americans to visit national, state and local parks. We have plenty of each to choose from in our backyard.

Here’s a sampling of what’s out there.

• Our national system includes J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/refuge/jn ding_darling), known by visitors for its paved, five-mile long Wildlife Drive, three-mile natural surface Indigo Trail and other nature trails, including one to a Calusa Indian shell mound site. But the refuge is much more than what most people know as “Ding” Darling. It’s actually quite expansive and is comprised of a number of natural lands and waterbodies, making it one of the nation’s largest protected areas.

• On my personal list of best parks anywhere in Florida is Lovers Key State Park. There’s a great beach as well as many miles of nature trails on which to hike, run or even ride bikes (skinny tires won’t cut it on these trails).

• Also managed by the state, a hidden gem that’s great for hiking and running is Estero Bay Preserve State Park, with access points at the end of Winkler Road off Summerlin Road and a trailhead on Broadway West in Estero. Very near that access point is Koreshan State Historic Site.

• On Pine Island one could make a full day out of riding the island-long bike path (16 miles, one way) and hiking the trails at Calusa Heritage trail. Go to floridastateparks.org for a complete listing of state parks in Southwest Florida.

• Excellent local parks abound throughout Lee County, many of them being part of the Lee Parks and Recreation Department system (leeparks.org), which also includes quite a few Conservation 2020 lands (conservation2020.org) that have had public access trails added to lands in their natural states.

The Tour de Parks Route links eight parks.
Dan Moser / Florida Weekly

• While too numerous to mention all of them, some of my favorites that offer opportunities for hiking and biking are Lakes Park in south Fort Myers; Caloosahatchee Regional Park and Hickey Creek Mitigation Park, both in Alva but on opposite sides of the Caloosahatchee River; Matanzas Pass Preserve on Fort Myers Beach; Prairie Pines Preserve in North Fort Myers; and John Yarbrough Linear Trail Park along Ten Mile Canal and the Seminole Gulf rail line. Yarbrough Trail is also the spine of the Tour de Parks route which links at least eight parks together in south-central Lee County (map can be found at leegov.com and bikewalklee.org).

• Other notable parks that are operated by other than Lee County government are Calusa Nature Center (calusanature.org) on Ortiz Avenue near Colonial; North Colonial Linear Trail and Trailhead Park (cityftmyers.com); CREW Land Trust properties (crewtrust.org) in east Estero; and Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve in Cape Coral. Cape Coral, which doesn’t have many large parks or public greenspace other than a few private golf courses, will hopefully have that fact updated if the city purchases the long-closed golf course property in the south-central area and transforms this sprawling parcel into a park (visit saveourrecreation.us for information about the efforts being undertaken to that end).

• One thing most of these parks and refuges have in common is that there are ample opportunities to get some miles in, often times under some shade. And by venturing out to our neighboring counties you’ll find many more to do the same. A few in particular make for good day trips: Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park off Burnt Store Road in southwest Punta Gorda; Collier-Seminole State Park in southeast Collier County; Cape Haze Pioneer Trail Park in southwest Port Charlotte; and Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST, dep.state.fl.us, floridahikes.com) a partially paved trail on top of the Hoover Dyke that will eventually be completely paved the entire 110 miles around the lake.

• For those willing to perhaps spend a night or two there are great places with miles of hiking and biking just up the coast on the Venetian Waterway Trail and Legacy Trail in Venice and Sarasota respectively; in Oscar Scherer State Park (floridastateparks.org) in Nokomis; at Fort Desoto Park south of St. Petersburg (pinellascounty.org); and on the 47-mile Pinellas Trail, which runs through many communities and environments (pinellastrails.org) north of the Skyway Bridge. ¦

- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334-6417. 

Moser Column: Safe bike/ped access to area parks is hit and miss

Dan's column this week highlights the history of efforts to enhance the connection between biking and walking and area parks and the need for more attention to this important aspect of our area's quality of life.   Take Dan's challenge: "If you know of a park that needs better access please contact your elected representative to make them aware and take action"
 
Florida Weekly "Outdoor" section Jan. 13, 2016

Everyone knows about Lee County’s many gulf beach parks but there are also a number of other public parks and recreation areas that offer a variety of features, environments and outdoor activity opportunities. Unfortunately, as is the case with far too many other popular destinations in our area — from shopping centers to schools — gaining access to some of them by foot or on bike is challenging at best and downright risky at worse. Besides the obvious safety issues, having to provide what should be unnecessary additional parking for park users is costly and a waste of what would otherwise be additional green or recreation space. Considering how important parks are to the area’s economy and quality of life for residents and visitors alike, it’s frustrating this condition persists.

One reason I personally find it so disappointing is because about 35 years ago I first became involved in bike/ped advocacy due to this particular infrastructure shortcoming. In the late ’70s I got hooked on running and quickly realized how few safe places there were for anyone venturing onto our roads by foot. And not only for recreational runners like myself. A few years later I ended up living a mere mile from the entrance to what was then the newly opened Lakes Park and its network of shaded paths. However, unless I wanted to drive there, my only option was to use the ditch along the dead-man-curve segment of Gladiolus Drive before it was turned into the six-lane highway it is today, which includes a multi-use path on one side. Riding my bike there back in the day was even more risky (there are still no bike lanes on that segment of Gladiolus). My exasperation from that particular situation and my day-to-day running and cycling experiences led me to join others who were looking to help attain better conditions for both cyclists and pedestrians, an effort that continues today. While access to Lakes Park is now a good example of what should be the norm, there are still way too many parks and recreation spaces that lack even the basics for people — many being families and children — to get there safely via foot or bicycle.

A good step in the right direction toward that becoming reality came about in 2006 when the city of Fort Myers approved a Parks and Open Space System Master Plan, a plan that made non-motorized linkages to their parks and recreation areas a top priority. In fact, the development of that plan led directly to the city following it up with a bike/ped master plan, which also includes non-motorized connections to these destinations as a critical element of this plan. Unfortunately, neither of these documents have been utilized as fully as those of us who provided plenty of input had expected, thus many parks, community centers, and greenspaces still lack adequate access. The good news is that at least a few of the recommended improvements have been made in the city. As well, throughout all of Lee County there’s a fairly comprehensive inventory of what’s on the ground and where such needs exist, thanks primarily to the Metropolitan Planning Organization working with each jurisdiction to document that information. With that resource in place there’s still hope that the various governments responsible for providing safe non-motorized access to our parks and other public facilities will truly make it a priority to do so. If you know of a park that needs better access please contact your elected representative to make them aware and take action.

Upcoming events

>> Cape Coral Critical Mass ride, Saturday, Jan. 26, downtown Cape Coral (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL)

>>Tour de Cape, Sunday, Jan. 17, Cape Coral (capecoral.net)

>> Naples Bike Brunch & Family Festival, Sunday, Jan. 24, (naplespathways.org)

County Commissioners consider deep budget cuts in park and transit services

 Now is the time for citizens to tell their elected officials what they think about proposed service cuts in transit and parks.  Make your voices heard before the June 24th BoCC budget workshop.

 It's that time of year again...budget season.
In March, BoCC asked staff to say how they'd cut $14 M from the General Fund budget and these are the cuts that staff proposed on May 16th:
Human Services:  $5.4 M
Public Safety:        4.6 M
Transit:                  3.2 M
Parks & Rec         2.2 M
Total:               $15.4 M
For transit, they would eliminate Route 60 (FGCU/San Carlos Park); Route 160 (Pine Island); Route 595 (NFM-Cape); Route 40 (Cape); eliminate all Sunday bus service; Eliminate Saturday evening service; and increase fares from $1.25 to $1.50.

For Parks & Rec, they would close the following parks:
City of Palms
Caloosahatchee Regional Park
Hickey's Creek Preserve
Manatee Park
Six Mile Cypress Interpretive Center
Six Mile Cypress Slough
And would discontinue the UF Extension Service Program

 On Monday, June 24th (1:30 p.m.) the Commissioners will instruct staff on whether these proposals should be incorporated into the budget.  There is no opportunity for public comment at the workshop but it can be viewed on Ch. 97, on their website, or in Commission Chambers. Take the time to communicate with your elected officials before the June 24th meeting. 

  

See news articles about the proposals:

News-Press: 5/21

News-Press: 5/20
Naples Daily News:  5/20
Naples Daily News:  5/16

Invite to participate in survey about Lee County Parks & Rec facilities

 One of the gems of Lee County is its Parks and Recreation facilities.  The agency is updating its Strategic Plan and needs YOUR input, so please take 5 minutes to participate!

Do you use Lee County parks on a regular basis? what about their many recreation centers or its wide offering of recreational programs?  Would you prefer smaller facilities in a geographic area near you or larger recreational complexes?  Would you like to see more emphasis on their biking and walking facilities, such as John Yarbrough Linear Park?

Here's your chance to provide your input, rank your experiences at the places you visit and use, provide comments and feedback about the programs and activities you'd like to see more of.  There's also a place to write your narrative comments about what the park system means to you.  So, if you care about the future direction of Lee County's Parks and Rec facilities and programs, speak up. 

Click here to participate in the survey.  Thank you!

Get outside and get active Lee County lifts fees for Park and Recreation Month

Florida Weekly, 7/20/11

Parking and admission fees will be waved at Lee County parks, boat ramps and pools the last weekend of July in honor of National Park and Recreation month.

“Lee County is pleased to be a part of the nationwide celebration and help recognize the value and benefits of parks and recreation,” said Dave Harner, deputy director of Lee County Parks & Recreation.

Another way to celebrate is to enter the first-ever Lee County Parks & Recreation video contest for amateur videographers to showcase its parks, preserves and recreation centers on the department’s new YouTube channel. The contest can feature yourself, your family or your friends participating in an activity or just enjoying the facility. In the video, make sure to mention the name of the park and state what you love about Lee County Parks & Recreation.

Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park is one of the sites offering free parking during the last weekend of the month. Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park is one of the sites offering free parking during the last weekend of the month. Finalists will have their videos featured on the Lee County Parks & Recreation website and YouTube channel and the winner will receive a free Lee County Parks & Recreation annual parking sticker. The deadline to enter is Aug. 1.

The National Recreation and Park Association is also gearing up for Park and Recreation Month with its own promotions and contests. Take the Five in July Park Pledge by making a personal commitment to get outdoors every weekend. Take the pledge for a chance to win an iPod Touch by visiting a park, trail, playground, swimming pool or natural area every weekend in July.

The National Recreation and Park Association is also holding the 2011 Rock Your Park Flash Mob Contest. The contest has two categories, one for Public Park and Recreation agencies and one for citizens and community groups. Gather a group together and visit any park or recreation facility and “show the power of parks” together in flash mob form.

Enter before Aug. 5 for a chance to be featured in the September digital and print editions of Parks & Recreation Magazine, featured on the NRPA website and YouTube page, and have a public showing of the video at the NRPA’s 2011 Congress & Exposition in Atlanta, Ga.

For more information on National Park and Recreation Month, contest entry forms and locations of Lee County-managed parks, boat ramps and pools, visit www.LeeParks.org.