Don Pedro Island State Recreation Area is a State Park

Florida State Parks

The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. It is located on a stretch of Don Pedro Island

Don Pedro Island

Don Pedro Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, in Charlotte County. It is just north of Little Gasparilla Island, separated by a thin strip of beach and mangrove swamp. It lies west of the census-designated place of Rotonda West, separated by a narrow channel. It is separated from...

, a 129 acre (0.52204494 km²) barrier island lying across the Intracoastal Waterway from Cape Haze in Charlotte County

Charlotte County, Florida

Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...

, between Knight Island

Knight Island

Knight Island is an island 1.5 nautical miles long, lying 1 nautical mile west of Reeve Island in the Wauwermans Islands, in the Wilhelm Archipelago. The island was shown on an Argentine government chart of 1950. It was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1958 after...

 and Little Gasparilla Island

Little Gasparilla Island

Little Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, in Charlotte County. It is just north of Gasparilla Island, separated by Gasparilla Pass. It lies west of the town of Placida, separated by Placida Harbor. It is connected with Don Pedro Island to the north by a thin strip of...

. The park has mangrove forests, dunes and white beaches. Activities include swimming, sunbathing, shelling and viewing nature. Among the wildlife of the park are Loggerhead turtles

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...

. Amenities include beaches, docks, and picnic areas as well as guided nature talks and walks. The park is only accessible by boat and is open from 8:00 am till sundown year round.