Fort Myers Area
During the American Indian Wars, Fort Myers was a fort that was placed near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. Its location was strategically well-designed, as the fort gave views of all of the nearby waterways, including the Gulf of Mexico and the river. The fort was abandoned following the Civil War, but then, Captain Manuel Gonzalez, who was familiar with the area around the fort, because of being present during the Seminole Indian Wars, traveled from Key West to the Fort Myers area to begin settling it. Fort Myers became an incorporated town in 1885, and even though it had only 349 residents at the time, it was the second largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast south of Cedar Key. However, the city steadily grew after the completion of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and later the Edison Bridge. Today, Fort Myers is part of a large metro area along the Gulf Coast with a total population of over six hundred thousand people.
The area around Fort Myers is popular with vacationers due to the vast expanses of waterfront property and beaches on islands such as Sanbiel Island and Estero Island. Much of the recreational opportunities in the Fort Myers area are focused along the coastline. For example, there are many hiking trails in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Cayo Costa State Park has a trail system on Caya Costa Island, a wild island that has no residential areas and is accessible only by boat. There are also short trails on Pine Island and Estero Island, although not as well-known as the first two. Other than the coastal hiking near Fort Myers, there are also numerous hiking opportunities in the vicinity of the Caloosahatchee River, as well as further south in portions of the CREW Land and Water Trust. Lastly, towards the eastern fringe of the region, there is Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest that protects over thirty thousand acres of mostly wetlands. Several hiking trails in the forest give visitors a taste of what the pristine slough is like.
The area around Fort Myers is popular with vacationers due to the vast expanses of waterfront property and beaches on islands such as Sanbiel Island and Estero Island. Much of the recreational opportunities in the Fort Myers area are focused along the coastline. For example, there are many hiking trails in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Cayo Costa State Park has a trail system on Caya Costa Island, a wild island that has no residential areas and is accessible only by boat. There are also short trails on Pine Island and Estero Island, although not as well-known as the first two. Other than the coastal hiking near Fort Myers, there are also numerous hiking opportunities in the vicinity of the Caloosahatchee River, as well as further south in portions of the CREW Land and Water Trust. Lastly, towards the eastern fringe of the region, there is Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest that protects over thirty thousand acres of mostly wetlands. Several hiking trails in the forest give visitors a taste of what the pristine slough is like.