New plan for Gasparilla Island State Park includes new seawall and entrance road

Draft plans released for comment for all local Florida State Parks

The state of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Park Planning on Friday, March 6 released new management plans for Gasparilla Island State Park, Cayo Costa, Don Pedro Island, Gasparilla Island and Stump Pass, all in advance of public meetings set for April.

The state has released an extensive set of plans for each park in this district. Plans include rebuilding a campground on Cayo Costa, resurfacing parking areas and changing road access at Gasparilla Island, upgrading parking at Stump Pass and improving trails at Charlotte Harbor Preserve.

Several ideas for Gasparilla Island are new; the entrance at the south end of the park would be moved. There are also discussions about Amory Chapel; the draft plan says a “storm-prone coastal environment such a minimalist approach to historic structures interpretation may be advantageous.” There is also a mention of the importance of the Quarantine House, where “multiple potential acquisition and management options (e.g., by local conservation/preservation entities) may be viable. Even under potential management by an alternative entity, DRP emphasizes the preservation and interpretation need for this contributing cultural element of the Port Boca Grande landscape.”

For Gasparilla, the seawall at Belcher Road is mentioned. The state, which has paid for the rip-rap protection at the tip of the island, is concerned about protecting the end of the island. “Management of safety and appropriate visitor use are addressed as necessary. The seawall, however, is considered essential infrastructure to prevent further erosion at this vulnerable point along the Gasparilla Island shoreline.”

At the south end, there are discussions about parking, where the state feels there is need to resurface/stabilize the parking area and improve delineation of parking spaces, as well as restore beach dunes. The report states that the park is essential in state tourism economic impact, with $128 million related to the existence of the park. In the report, they state that the park has 706,000 visitors yearly on average.

Other park highlighted changes from their draft plans:

Cayo Costa State Park

• Reconstruct the camp store and concessions building and rebuild the park’s maintenance facilities to support park operations.
• Rebuild one staff residence destroyed by recent hurricanes and construct up to three additional off-island residences to support faster storm recovery.
• Redevelop the semi-primitive tent campground designed to be more resilient and easier to restore.
• Expand interpretive opportunities by developing a park-wide interpretive trail plan and installing new interpretive signage.
• Evaluate improvements to visitor facilities at Pelican Bay, including docks, slips and visitor support services.

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park

• Improve trail access throughout the park and expand hiking opportunities near water bodies, including the Garrod Lakes area.
• Enhance visitor orientation and interpretation at key access points.
• Coordinate with local partners to improve pedestrian safety along Burnt Store Road.
• Replace maintenance facilities and establish RV sites for park volunteers to support park operations.
• Install low-water crossings and other stabilization measures along flood-prone trail segments to improve safety and maintain access during wet conditions.

Don Pedro Island State Park

• Improve the mainland parking area to better accommodate visitors and provide access to the park.
• Stabilize pathways to improve pedestrian access and support park operations.
• Replace culverts as needed to maintain water flow and support healthy mangrove habitat.
• Repair and replace boat slips, paddlecraft landings and access paths on the island damaged by recent hurricanes to improve water-based recreation.
• Develop interpretive elements to enhance the visitor experience.
• Construct a maintenance facility with storage, ranger residences and volunteer sites on the mainland to support park operations.

Gasparilla Island State Park

• Resurface and improve parking areas for safety and easier visitor access.
• Repair beach access boardwalks and establish accessible beach access points.
• Construct a permanent restroom at the Seagrape Use Area and upgrade maintenance and administrative facilities to support park operations.
• Preserve the historic Amory Chapel and install interpretive elements highlighting the area’s cultural and maritime history.
• Conduct assessments and repairs to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse complex to preserve this historic landmark and improve visitor access.
• Restore beach dunes, improve stormwater management and construct a replacement seawall to increase resilience to hurricanes and flooding.

Stump Pass Beach State Park

• Upgrade the park entrance and parking area to safely manage high visitation and improve visitor access.
• Reconstruct the restroom facility and operational support areas damaged by previous hurricanes.
• Rebuild the bayside paddlecraft launch to restore water-based recreation opportunities such as kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding.
• Reestablish beach access pathways, remove damaged boardwalks and plant native species to restore habitats and support storm resilience.
• Evaluate the establishment of a Critical Wildlife Area at the southern tip of the park to protect sensitive habitat while maintaining current recreational access.

Public Comments

The state specified in notices that written comments are also welcome and can be submitted either at the comment table during the meeting or by email to FLStateParkPlanning@FloridaDEP.gov. The public comment period will conclude on Aug. 1, 2026.

The Boca Beacon published details about the meetings last week, though we had no formal public legal notices.

Links:

• The Draft Management Plans Southwest District Introduction

Below are individual plans for each park.

• Gasparilla Island State Park (March 2026)
• Cayo Costa State Park (March 2026)
• Don Pedro Island State Park (March 2026)
• Stump Pass Beach State Park (March 2026)
• Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park (March 2026)

Below, a visual from the entire report which shows plans for the park.