Six Mile Cypress Preserve North
Managed by Lee County Parks and Recreation
1,215 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Fort Myers
Fort Myers has 41 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Six Mile Cypress Preserve North (3.6 mi), Billy Creek Preserve (1.2 mi), Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium (0.5 mi). 8% of Fort Myers’ land is conserved, about 2,114 acres. 2,222 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #103 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
2,114 acres · of 40.1 sq mi of land
Trails
41 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,222 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
75%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
52 mi
37 mi lanes · 15 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Fort Myers?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fort Myers have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fort Myers is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #103 of 638 in Florida. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fort Myers’ overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (41 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,222 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home75% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 84%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Fort Myers ranks #181 on Outdoors.
Water is 19% of Fort Myers’ area (9 of 49 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. 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 Six Mile Cypress Preserve North, with 3.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Billy Creek Preserve
Nature preserve
48 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium
Managed by City of Fort Myers
101 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Billy Bowlegs Park
Park
11 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 39 parks & preserves
Six Mile Cypress Preserve North1,215 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Lee County Parks and Recreation
Billy Creek Preserve48 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium101 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Fort Myers
DirectionsBilly Bowlegs Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve487 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Lee County Parks and Recreation
Doctor Ann Murphy-Knight S.T.A.R.S.Complex21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCentennial Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Fort Myers
DirectionsCaloosa Sound Amphitheater6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Myers Regional Library3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Lee County
DirectionsShady Oaks Community Center & Park29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBennett-Hart Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLee County Player Development Complex38 acres
DirectionsSam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex21 acres
DirectionsCity of Palms Park16 acres
DirectionsTowles Garden8 acres
Roberto Clemente Park7 acres
DirectionsLions Park6 acres
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park6 acres
Riverside Park5 acres
Bowling Green Park5 acres
Dunbar Park4 acres
John Yarbrough Linear Park3 acres
DirectionsFitness Court at the Forum3 acres · City of Fort Myers
DirectionsTrail Head Park3 acres
Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Park3 acres
DirectionsNorth Shore Park2 acres
DirectionsBurroughs Home and Gardens2 acres
DirectionsJefferson Park2 acres
DirectionsWinkler Park2 acres
Seminole Park2 acres
Buckingham Community Park & Dog Park1 acres
Manor Park1 acres
Golfview Park1 acres
DirectionsMcCutcheon Park1 acres
Harlem Lakes Park1 acres
DirectionsDupree/Aztec Park1 acres
Coronado Park1 acres
DirectionsVivas Palm Park1 acres
DirectionsKennon (Caloosa) Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,114 conserved acres
8% of Fort Myers’ land. Water is left out: Fort Myers has 40.1 square miles of land and 9.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Fort Myers’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,858 ac
Town or city151 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits104 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,751 acLocal Recreation Area · 222 acLocal Park · 139 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve North Local Conservation Area | County | 1,215 | Open |
| Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 486 | Open |
| Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 104 | Open |
| Lee County Player Development Complex Local Recreation Area | County | 56 | Open |
| Billy Creek Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 50 | Open |
| Terry Park Local Park | County | 36 | Open |
| Shady Oaks Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Stars Complex / Dunbar Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Trailhead Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
46 places to go in Fort Myers
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Fort Myers
Edison pool
DirectionsGolfview PoolIn Golfview Park
DirectionsSTARS Complex PoolIn Doctor Ann Murphy-Knight S.T.A.R.S.Complex
Directionsswimming pool 18+
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Fort Myers
32 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Fort Myers
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Fort Myers
Kayak LaunchIn Shady Oaks Community Center & Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Fort Myers
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
52 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
37 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
15 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
63Tennis
33Baseball
30Golf
19Basketball
15Pickleball
6Football
5Soccer
3Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Murphy-Burroughs HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itHenry Ford EstateBuilding · listed 1988
About itJewett-Thompson HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itAlderman HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itLee County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itFort Myers Downtown Commercial DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itEdison, Thomas, Winter EstateDistrict · listed 1991
About itDunbar, Paul Lawrence, SchoolBuilding · listed 1992
About itTerry Park BallfieldSite · listed 1995
About itGilmer Heitman HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itCasa RioBuilding · listed 1996
About itEdison Park Elementary SchoolBuilding · listed 1999
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Fort Myers
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) | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
November is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Fort Myers →
Next door
Fort Myers and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lehigh Acres46 miCape Coral43 miFort Myers41 miNorth Fort Myers33 miBuckingham19 miGateway2.3 miTice0.8 miPine Manor0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | 8% | 1.0 | 23 | 75% | A− |
| Tice | 2% | 0.7 | 3 | 99%+ | B |
| Gateway | 1% | 0.4 | 4 | 28% | C |
| Buckingham | 18% | 1.1 | 362 | 92% | A+ |
| Pine Manor | 3% | under 0.1 | 2 | 99%+ | C+ |
| North Fort Myers | 8% | 0.7 | 53 | 54% | A− |
| Cape Coral | 2% | 0.4 | 7 | 43% | C+ |
| Lehigh Acres | 2% | 0.5 | 8 | 26% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fort Myers
Where can I hike in Fort Myers?
The longest trail networks: Six Mile Cypress Preserve North, 3.6 miles; Billy Creek Preserve, 1.2 miles; Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 0.5 miles; Billy Bowlegs Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fort Myers is conserved land?
8% 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 Fort Myers’ trails?
Six Mile Cypress Preserve North and Billy Creek Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fort Myers?
52 miles of bike routes are on the map: 37 of painted or protected lanes and 15 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Fort Myers?
39,135 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fort Myers or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,222 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Fort Myers have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #103 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 Fort Myers 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 →