Lee County will open Lynn Hall Memorial Park, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Bonita Beach Park and Bonita Beach Accesses 1-10 starting Saturday, March 4.

These locations previously had been slated to reopen later this spring. There will be no charge for beach parking until further notice.

“We are thrilled to announce the reopening of our beach park facilities after the devastation of Hurricane Ian. It is heartening to hear from our residents and visitors how eager they are to once again enjoy these amenities, and we are grateful for their patience during the rebuilding process,” said Brian Hamman, Chairman of the Lee Board of County Commissioners. 

“I would also like to commend the county staff for their hard work and dedication in getting these facilities back up and running. These efforts have helped to restore a sense of normalcy and community pride to our area.”

The announcement comes after Boca Grande Beach Accesses and Dog Beach opened on March 1. Alison Hagerup Beach Park on Captiva is anticipated to open March 10. Bowditch Point Park and Crescent Beach Family Park remain closed as work to reopen them continues.

Residents and visitors are advised:

• Beaches and beach parks have not been restored to pre-Hurricane Ian conditions.
• Some amenities such as restroom facilities, piers and walkovers have not been repaired or replaced at this time.
• Debris continues to wash onshore and quickly may be obscured by sand.
• Beach shoes should be worn at all times.
• Debris can still be found in near-shore areas, such as dunes or mangrove-lined coastlines.
• Check for any beach or water advisories from the Florida Department of Health-Lee County at lee.floridahealth.gov. FDOH-Lee on Feb. 20 issued a red tide alert for portions of the coast in Lee County.
• Closure signs are posted where necessary, and www.leeparks.org has status updates.

The entrance to San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, 18201 John Morris Road, will be closed every Tuesday and Wednesday beginning March 7, to allow the state’s licensed contractor to remove hurricane debris along the preserve’s coastline safely.

To ensure safety, the contractors need to keep the road and beach area closed and clear of all pedestrian and vehicular traffic while the debris is moved off the beach.  

Hurricane Ian damaged Lee County’s beaches and sensitive ecosystems with storm debris, pollution, and the removal of healthy, safe sand and dune vegetation. The county is ensuring that the beach restoration process’s many elements are rigorously documented to support full reimbursement through federal funds.