The rules, beach by beach
Lee County ordinance prohibits dogs on county beaches and beach parks, and Fort Myers Beach enforces this actively in the Times Square area. Service animals are exempt everywhere under the ADA; emotional-support animals are not.
Sanibel is the outlier: the city allows leashed dogs on its beaches year-round, which makes it the practical choice for anyone travelling with a dog who still wants Gulf sand.
- Fort Myers Beach (Lee County): no dogs
- Lovers Key State Park: no dogs on the Gulf beach; allowed on trails and at the dog beach area on the back bay
- Sanibel beaches: leashed dogs allowed
- Captiva: leashed dogs allowed on most public beach access points
- Dog Beach, New Pass (Bonita Springs): off-leash, the only one of its kind locally
- Bonita Beach Park: no dogs
Dog Beach at New Pass
Dog Beach sits at the south end of Lovers Key on Estero Boulevard at the Bonita Springs line. It is a calm, shallow, off-leash stretch on the pass — great for swimming dogs, with a small paid lot that fills early on weekends. There is no shade, so go early or late.
Related questions
Can you take a dog to Fort Myers Beach?
No. Dogs are prohibited on Fort Myers Beach under Lee County ordinance. Take them to Sanibel or to Dog Beach in Bonita Springs instead.
Are dogs allowed on Sanibel Island beaches?
Yes, leashed dogs are permitted on Sanibel beaches year-round. Owners must clean up after them, and dogs are not allowed in the "Ding" Darling refuge beyond designated areas.
Where is the off-leash dog beach near Fort Myers?
Dog Beach at New Pass, on Estero Boulevard at the south end of Lovers Key by the Bonita Springs line, is the area's only off-leash beach.