"Bonita deserves better, and we're finally getting it." That's how a Bonita Springs local named Opteyndt described it to NBC2 in September. Crews had just fenced off Bonita Beach Park, the first visible work on facilities that have been damaged since Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
The work is welcome, and it will take a while. Lee County expects most of its beach park projects to run about 11 months. The sand stays open, but the parking goes away for most of that time, and that matters most to the people living just south of the county line. For the 2026-27 season, most of the remaining public beach parking at the south end of Hickory Boulevard sits in Collier County, at Barefoot Beach Preserve.
The Count After November 1
There are three Lee County sites between Little Hickory Island and the county line, and each one closes on its own schedule.
| Site | Address | Parking status | What's being rebuilt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Hickory Island Beach Park, Access No. 10 | 26082 Hickory Blvd. | Closed since Sept. 8, 2026 | Boardwalks, pavilions, replacement restroom building |
| Bonita Beach Park | 27954 Hickory Blvd. | Closed since Sept. 8, 2026 | County office building, restroom, boardwalks, pavilions |
| Bonita Beach Access No. 1 | 27890 Hickory Blvd. | Closes Nov. 1, 2026 | Parking lot restoration |
NBC2 put the effect in one sentence. Once Access No. 1 closes, only 39 of the more than 200 Lee County parking spaces at Bonita Beach will be usable. The same report said parking is available nearby at Collier County's Barefoot Beach Preserve.
Compare that with the preserve's own capacity. Collier's concession solicitation lists 402 parking spaces at Barefoot Beach and puts annual attendance above 261,000 for the operating year it cites. So when Access No. 1 closes in November, the preserve will hold roughly ten times as many spaces as the Lee County lots still open on that stretch, and that's just as the winter season begins.
Two other details make the Lee side harder to use. First, Bonita Beach Park lists a paddlecraft landing and launch among its amenities, and the whole park is now behind construction fencing. Second, beach access goes through Access No. 1 for now, and that site has no restrooms of its own. Lee County's page points visitors to the restrooms at Bonita Beach Park, which are among the facilities being rebuilt. At Little Hickory, portable toilets have been moved outside the fence near the road.
Lee County suggests LeeTran's ULTRA On Demand service instead of driving. You book a ride through the ULTRA app from a pickup point at the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road, with free parking in the shopping center lot at 3300 Bonita Beach Road SW. WGCU identified that lot as the Publix center at the same intersection.
Why the Rebuild Started Four Years After the Storm
The schedule makes more sense once you see how the money came together. Restrooms at Bonita Beach Park and Access Point 10 had been closed for four years when crews arrived. A county spokesperson told NBC2 the delay came from waiting on federal reimbursement so local taxpayer dollars wouldn't have to cover the work.
- 2024: FEMA allocated more than $570,000 to design the repairs.
- 2025: The county put the construction out to bid, and only one contractor responded. FEMA requires at least two bids before it will consider funding.
- June 2026: Four contractors submitted bids.
- August 2026: FEMA funds were awarded, covering part of the roughly $7 million project. State emergency funds and tourism tax dollars cover the rest.
- Sept. 8, 2026: Fencing went up at Bonita Beach Park and Little Hickory Island.
According to The News-Press, the contract went to O-A-K Florida Inc. for $6.95 million. It covers boardwalks, pavilions, showers, landscaping and parking lot restoration at Bonita Beach Park, Little Hickory Island Beach Park and Access No. 1. The county has published "nearly a year" as its estimate but no reopening month. Lee County's Bonita Beach Park page is the place to watch for changes.
The bidding history is why the closures fall where they do. Federal approval landed in late summer, so construction runs straight through the 2026-27 winter season, the busiest months on this beach.
What the Preserve Has Now, and What Is Still Listed as Coming
Barefoot Beach Preserve covers more than 340 acres. Collier County describes it as one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's Southwest coast. It's open year-round from 8 a.m. to sunset. Here's what the county's Barefoot Beach Preserve page currently lists:
- Beach rentals and sundries daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: loungers, umbrellas, cabanas, towels, sunscreen, bug spray and kids' toys.
- Kayak and paddleboard rentals, listed as "coming soon" to Parking Lot 3.
- Food and beverage, listed as "coming soon" to Parking Lot 1.
- Docents in Parking Lot 1 during the 2026 season, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays through Fridays, with literature and children's activities.
- Barefoot Beach Access, a separate small access 20 feet off Bonita Beach Road on Lely Barefoot Boulevard, just north of the preserve.
The two "coming soon" items don't have a date or a named operator yet. Collier's procurement portal marks the Barefoot Beach concession project as awarded, but its results tab still says no vendor has been selected. Until the county names an operator, plan on packing lunch for a beach day at the preserve. Restrooms are in the Lot 1 pavilion.
If you want a meal on the Lee County side, Doc's Beach House stands at 27908 Hickory Blvd., between Access No. 1 and Bonita Beach Park. Published hours for Doc's vary from one listing to another, so check with the restaurant before you go.
The Permit Decides What a Preserve Visit Costs
Collier County replaced its beach parking meters with Mobile Pay To Park. Visitors who don't qualify for a resident permit pay a flat $10 a day at both Barefoot Beach Access and the preserve. You text a code or scan the QR code on the sign, enter your plate and pay, with no app to download. Vehicles with a Collier County beach parking sticker park free.
The permit itself is free, and the paperwork depends on how you own or occupy your home:
- Full-time residents need a current Collier County vehicle registration and a matching driver's license.
- Part-time property owners need a driver's license, a vehicle registration or rental agreement, and a current property tax bill or a recent warranty deed.
- Every permit goes on the lower-left windshield of the registered vehicle and can't be moved to another car.
The non-transferable rule matters most for seasonal households. A permit on the car that stays in the garage over the summer won't cover a rental car or a guest's vehicle in February. Lee County's parking is still $2 an hour at the sites that remain open, so this season the two counties' parking rules sit closer together than usual. Full details are on Collier's beach parking information page.
The Estuary Side Gets Less Attention
All of the closures above involve Gulf-front parking. The preserve's back bay works differently. Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve, the volunteer group that supports the park, documents a canoe and kayak launch near Parking Area 3 on the estuary side. Launching is free. Visitors fill out a float plan at the attendant's booth on the way in, and the only cost is the $10 parking fee for cars without a Collier permit.
From the launch, a numbered trail runs through the mangroves from marker 1 to marker 15 and ends at the entrance to the river. Preserve management asks paddlers not to go past marker 15, because motorboats use the Intracoastal Waterway beyond it. Motorboats aren't allowed in the shallow, protected back bay. Paddlers are asked to stay in their boats to protect the seagrass beds and mudflats. The Friends group posts a downloadable map of the route.
Park rangers also lead canoe trips through the estuary from January through April. Reservations are required, the cost is $10 per person, and dates come from Collier County Parks and Recreation at 239-252-4060. Bonita Beach Park's paddlecraft launch will be fenced off through the season, so this launch near Lot 3 is the closest public paddling access on this stretch. The kayak rentals planned for the same lot would make it usable without a boat of your own once they open.
For more on how the parks around the neighborhood are changing, see our notes on the Lovers Key tram and why Wiggins Pass keeps shoaling in. Our Barefoot Beach neighborhood guide covers the wider area.
If you're a part-time owner and need to know which documents count as proof of ownership for your Collier beach permit, or you're hosting guests this season and want to work out the parking ahead of time, Bryan Tipple is glad to help you sort out the details. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
