W.P. Franklin South Recreation Area

Summary

WP Franklin South Recreation Area is a day use area on the Caloosahatchee River offering facilities for boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and picnicking. Visitors can explore the visitor center, boat ramp, playground, and covered picnic sites, as well as two group picnic shelters. Nearby attractions include Lee County Manatee Park, Hickeys Creek Mitigation Park, and the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Overview

WP Franklin South Recreation Area is a day use area located on the Caloosahatchee River adjacent to the WP Franklin Lock and Dam. Visitors can watch boats traversing the 152 mile Okeechobee Waterway that spans South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, enjoy the exhibits at the visitor center or just relax with a picnic lunch.

Recreation

Boating, canoeing and kayaking on the Caloosahatchee River are popular activities. Anglers can try their luck with catching both freshwater and saltwater fish.

Facilities

This day use area has a visitor center, boat ramp, volleyball and horseshoe courts, a playground and several covered picnic sites. Flush toilets and drinking water are also available. There are two group picnic shelters available for reservation. Each shelter has water and electricity, six picnic tables, a large charcoal BBQ grill and can accommodate up to 50 people.

Nearby Attractions

Lee County Manatee Park is six miles west on Palm Beach Blvd. Hickeys Creek Mitigation Park is two miles east on Palm Beach Boulevard, Gulf of Mexico beaches and the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge are 30 miles to the west.