by Mike Hammond
Cayo Costa State Park is one of those places I pass many times along the Calusa Blueway but never had enough time to stop and enjoy until a recent filming of Facing Waves.
The 2,426-acre state park is accessible by watercraft only. This includes kayaks and SUPs, but most people travel by motorboat so they can haul more gear. We were lucky enough to catch a ride with Rob Wells from the Tarpon Lodge. Rob’s tour of the islands and fish houses had the family psyched up for a tropical adventure. For those who don’t have a boat or a good friend with a boat, just contact Captiva Cruises to reserve a ride. Other entities – such as Tropic Star – offer rides as well.
Check-in for camping is done inside the ranger station near the dock. There is a small camp store, restrooms, and a paddlecraft rack there as well. Kayaks are not allowed on the tram. This generally limits many paddlers to the Pine Island Sound (east) side of the island for paddling opportunities, but it is still worth bringing your paddle craft or renting from the camp store. A fun little lagoon is less than a mile north of the docks. It is almost a mile walk to the campsites if you decide to schlep your kayak there. We brought inflatable SUPs, which were allowed on the tram.
It seemed as though most campers chose to be near the bathrooms and tram drop off point. We booked sites closer to the water with a little more shade. After setting up our tents under the sea grape trees, we took a short hundred-yard walk to a beautiful lagoon and were very happy we had our SUPs with us. The family being filmed for the show explored the lagoon and surfed the Gulf until it was time for dinner. Yes, we do have surfable waves. After a camp meal, we had an amazing sunset and then the most stars I’ve ever seen in Southwest Florida. The mosquitos were active. I recommend taking all precautions including mosquito netting for the kids, so a perfect day isn’t ruined.
The next day included more filming on the lagoon and some fantastic shelling. It felt like the cast and crew had the whole nine miles of beach to themselves. With nobody else on the beach, the kids had thousands of great shells to choose from.
Reservations for camping are made through Reserve America. In addition to the tent sites, the park offers cabins. It may seem strange to write a Calusa Blueway article about camping in the middle of summer, but sites are often booked 11 months in advance. If you’re looking to take the family out for a winter or spring break adventure, start checking the calendars soon. It will be an epic adventure in their backyard that they won’t forget.