You will find Barefoot Beach just south of Bonita Beach at the west end of Bonita Beach Road. It occupies the southern half of Little Hickory Island. This is the northern most section of Collier County's beaches.
The entrance to this public beach appears as a gated community, and that is because it is. However you'll find a public access point called Barefoot Beach Access. Its just past the turnoff before the gate into the gated community. You are also welcome to enter the gate and proceed to Barefoot Beach Preserve. Just tell the guard that you are headed to Barefoot Beach Preserve and they will let you in.
You will find 3 miles of beach in this area. The areas abutting nature preserves are 100% open to the public. Areas along developed neighborhoods are public up to the HIGH TIDE LINE.
Barefoot Beach Access
This sometimes referred to as the “Collier County” side of Bonita Beach Park as the two parks adjoin and are connected by a pedestrian path. There are picnic pavilions and a restroom, but no other services on the Collier County side. Walking just over the county line there is a full service beach park available at Bonita Beach Park.
From here you can easily access Bonita Beach, or you can walk south (MUST stay below mean high water mark to avoid trespassing) along the beach of the Barefoot Beach neighborhood to admire the many mansions and their unique architecture. This area offers a sampling of the architecture of the area with a wide array of styles on display. You'll find futuristic ultra modern estate homes here located gracefully alongside Tuscan inspired grand estates. Most homes here feature coastal designs with the popular rooftop “widows” walk common amongst these magnificent 3 sometimes 4 or even 5 level homes.
Beach parking here is $10 per day, and is FREE with a Collier County beach parking permit. At this location there is ample parking (96 Parking Spaces) so there is never a hard time finding parking.
Barefoot Beach Preserve
Just pull up to the guardhouse and say you are going to Barefoot Beach Preserve, and they will wave you through. This is one of the best kept secrets in the Bonita Springs area and after passing through the gates you will wind through this beautiful neighborhood. After passing the mansions described earlier, and then the mid-rise condos of the Barefoot Beach Club, you reach the park entrance.
The park is located on the far south end of Little Hickory Island and is a nature lover’s paradise. Here one will find 3 different beach access areas. within the park is 1.4 miles of preserved natural beachfront with no homes or high rises abutting the shore.
The park includes a two mile-long nature trails, and a small craft launch for exploring the estuary waters of Wiggins and Little Hickory Bays (no combustion engines allowed).
The northernmost of the beach areas features a nature center, restrooms, and has drinking water available. The other two areas have no facilities available but tend to be much less crowded. Its a mile walk from the southernmost of the beach areas via either the beach or the nature trail down to Wiggins Pass which separates the preserve from Delnor Wiggins Pass andVanderbilt Beach.
Parking here is $10 per day and the park has 356 parking spaces but it almost NEVER crowded owing to its “best kept secret” location.