Bonita Beach Park - a 2.5-acre beachfront park that features a boardwalk and swimming area. Sand dunes and coastal vegetation surround a gazebo and 8 picnic shelters. (Website)
Barefoot Beach Preserve Park - is 342 acres of natural land and one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's southwest coast. It is located on the border of Collier and Lee Counties and accessible by Bonita Beach Road. (Web Site).
Little Hickory Island Beach Park
There are also 10 beach accesses with public parking located up and down Bonita Beach.
Bonita Springs is located west of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a significant Bald Cypress reserve under management of the National Audubon Society.
The northern border of Bonita Springs is shared with Lover's Key State Park, a 1,616 acre park made up of four barrier islands. The park features nature trails for hiking and bicycling, a canoe launch, acres of unspoiled mangroves and miles of pristine beaches. A haven for wildlife, the islands and their waters are home to West Indian Manatees, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits and bald eagles.
The Everglades Wonder Gardens features a large collection of Florida wildlife including exotic birds, panthers, alligators, flamingos and bears. The facility, originally opened in 1936 as both a wildlife exhibition and a refuge for injured animals, also boasts a botanical garden and a natural history museum.
The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track is located in Bonita Springs.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 32,797 people, 14,807 households, and 10,276 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.8/km² (929.4/mi²). There were 23,329 housing units at an average density of 255.2/km² (661.1/mi²).
There were 14,807 households out of which 14.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.54.
Sunset over the bay in Bonita Beach
In the city the population was spread out with 13.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 31.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,603, and the median income for a family was $53,436. Males had a median income of $31,227 versus $25,358 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,958. About 3.5% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
