Yellow Fever Creek Preserve
Nature preserve
219 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cape Coral
Cape Coral has 43 miles of mapped trails, 0.4 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Yellow Fever Creek Preserve (2.6 mi), Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve (1.4 mi), Del Prado Linear Park (0.6 mi). 1,561 acres are parks and preserves, 7.2 per 1,000 residents. 2% of Cape Coral’s land is conserved, about 1,442 acres.
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns · #391 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
1,442 acres · of 106.3 sq mi of land
Trails
43 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,561 ac
7.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
43%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
139 mi
125 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
45
2 beaches · 14 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cape Coral have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cape Coral is ahead of 38% of U.S. towns, #391 of 638 in Florida. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cape Coral’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (43 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4BPark land7.2 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,561 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home43% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 38%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 39%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Cape Coral ranks #381 on Outdoors.
Water is 11% of Cape Coral’s area (13 of 120 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
Park acres per resident are where Cape Coral trails most U.S. towns: 7.2 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 236,264 people share 1,561 acres.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to C+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, with 2.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve
Park
374 acres1.4 mi of trail
Kayak Portage
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Del Prado Linear Park
Park
50 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
129 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 44 parks & preserves
Yellow Fever Creek Preserve219 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFour Mile Cove Ecological Preserve374 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDel Prado Linear Park50 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Calypso Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Sandoval Homeowners Association Inc.
Jaycee Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Yucca Pens Unit State Wildlife Management Area6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Horton Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMatlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge129 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Randell Research Center74 acres · Florida Musuem of Natural History
Rotary Park Environmental Center62 acres
Cape Coral Sports Complex46 acres
Lake Kennedy Community Park30 acres
DirectionsNorthwest Softball Complex22 acres
DirectionsStrausser BMX Sports Complex21 acres
Kurt Donaldson Community Park20 acres
DirectionsPelican Baseball Complex18 acres
DirectionsJim Jeffers Park18 acres
DirectionsCoral Lakes Recreational Park17 acres
Cultural Park16 acres
Yacht Club Community Park15 acres
DirectionsSeahawk Park13 acres
Pelican Soccer Complex13 acres
DirectionsKoza/Saldino Park13 acres
Storm Football Complex13 acres
DirectionsCaloosa Park12 acres
DirectionsBurton Memorial Park12 acres
DirectionsRosen Park10 acres
DirectionsJoe Stonis Park9 acres
DirectionsCamelot Park8 acres
DirectionsWilliam "Bill" Austen Youth Center & Eagle Skate Park8 acres
DirectionsSirenia Vista7 acres
DirectionsJason Verdow Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsSaratoga Lake Park6 acres
Burnt Store Boat Ramp6 acres
DirectionsPaul Sanborn Park5 acres
DirectionsVeterans Park4 acres
DirectionsGiuffrida Park4 acres
Four Freedoms Park4 acres
Rubicond Park4 acres
Reflections Park3 acres
Bernice Braden Park2 acres
DirectionsSmiles Park2 acres
DirectionsBMX Park Boat Ramp2 acres
Founder's Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,442 conserved acres
2% of Cape Coral’s land. Water is left out: Cape Coral has 106.3 square miles of land and 13.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cape Coral’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County615 ac
Town or city587 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service266 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits74 ac
State fish & wildlife32 ac
Local Conservation Area · 678 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 266 acState Conservation Area · 207 acLocal Park · 191 acLocal Recreation Area · 158 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 343 | Open |
| Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 266 | Restricted |
| Yellow Fever Creek Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 220 | Open |
| Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 175 | Open |
| Rotary Park Environmental Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 102 | Restricted |
| Calusa Land Trust and Nature Preserve Of Pine Island Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 74 | Closed |
| Del Prado Linear Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Cape Coral Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Yucca Pens Unit State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 32 | Restricted |
| Northwest Softball Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
75 places to go in Cape Coral
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cape Coral
Cape Coral Yacht club beachIn Yacht Club Community Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Cape Coral
CCHS Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlus 15 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Cape Coral
All Superstars Preschool
DirectionsBurton Memorial ParkIn Burton Memorial Park
DirectionsCoconut Grove Playground
DirectionsGiuffrida ParkIn Giuffrida Park
DirectionsJoe Stonis ParkIn Joe Stonis Park
DirectionsLiam J. Perk PlaygroundIn Rotary Park Environmental Center
DirectionsSonrise Academy
DirectionsYacht Club Community ParkIn Yacht Club Community Park
Directions34 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Cape Coral
Barkley Park
DirectionsHappy Paws Park
DirectionsVCA Baywood Animal Hospital & Pet Resort
DirectionsWagging Tails Dog ParkIn Rotary Park Environmental Center
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Cape Coral
BMX Park Boat RampIn BMX Park Boat Ramp
DirectionsBoat Ramp Herman Horton ParkIn Horton Park
DirectionsCape Coral Yacht Club Boat RampIn Yacht Club Community Park
DirectionsRosen Park Boat RampIn Rosen Park
DirectionsRosen Park Boat RampIn Rosen Park
DirectionsPlus 9 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Cape Coral
All 4 Chuck Fishing Charters LLCHours: Mon–Sun 7 am – 11 pm
DirectionsCalypso Park Fishing Pier
DirectionsPlus 1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Cape Coral
The tower at Rotary ParkIn Rotary Park Environmental Center
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 45 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 24.6 mi
Future Access0.7 mi
Dirt Trail0.3 mi
Kayak Portage0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Alahambra LakelakeApache LakelakeBimini BasinBritannia LakelakeCat Cay LakelakeCherokee LakelakeCypress LakeFinisterre LakelakeHoneymoon LakelakeJolie LakelakeKillarney LakelakeKuhn LakeLake KennedylakeLake KillerlakeLake LouiselakeLake YumalakeLeguna LakelakeLost PondlakeManitoba LakelakeMohave LakelakePalos LakelakeRose LakelakeRosemary LakelakeRound Table LakelakeSan Carlos BasinlakeSaratoga LakelakeSeabreeze LakelakeSeminole LakelakeSerenade LakelakeShadroe LakeShamrock LakelakeSidon LakelakeStarfish LakelakeThirsting LakeThunderbird LakelakeValmora LakelakeVenus LakelakeWeatherly LakelakeBig Dead CreekBikini BasinBuccaneer BasinCaloosahatchee RiverCastle BasinClipper BasinYellow Fever Creek
Biking & sports
139 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
125 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
83Tennis
40Baseball
36Basketball
24Soccer
18Pickleball
7Football
6Softball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Cape Coral
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.6 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.4 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 13.1 | 12.3 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 10.5 |
| High (°F) | 75 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 87 | 81 | 77 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and August the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Cape Coral →
Next door
Cape Coral and its neighbors
Cape Coral has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Cape Coral43 miFort Myers41 miNorth Fort Myers33 miLochmoor Waterway Estates0.1 miMatlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 2% | 0.4 | 7 | 43% | C+ |
| North Fort Myers | 8% | 0.7 | 53 | 54% | A− |
| Matlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fort Myers | 8% | 1.0 | 23 | 75% | A− |
| Lochmoor Waterway Estates | under 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 51% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cape Coral
Where can I hike in Cape Coral?
The longest trail networks: Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, 2.6 miles; Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, 1.4 miles; Del Prado Linear Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cape Coral is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 3% for a Florida town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cape Coral’s trails?
Yellow Fever Creek Preserve and Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cape Coral?
139 miles of bike routes are on the map: 125 of painted or protected lanes and 14 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Cape Coral?
31,370 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cape Coral or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,561 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Cape Coral have?
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #391 of 638 in Florida. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cape Coral neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →