"The seawall, however, is considered essential infrastructure to prevent further erosion at this vulnerable point along the Gasparilla Island shoreline."
That line comes from the state's draft management plan for Gasparilla Island State Park. It was written about the Belcher Road seawall, and it is the only structure at the tip that the plan defends in such firm terms. The rest of the south end is getting a more selective rebuild. Some pieces are coming back, some are being redesigned, and the island's own park society has asked that at least one be left out entirely.
For people who live at this end of the island, Boca Bay included, the park's long recovery is nearly over. The bigger change is the plan the state reviews in December, and its open question is how much built structure returns at the tip. The local park society has argued for less, and the draft has not yet settled the matter.
The sand came back first
The south-end renourishment started in February 2025. More than 150,000 cubic yards of compatible beach sand were placed under a state contract with Waterfront Property Services/Gator Dredging. The work closed the park's southernmost entrance and the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum for part of the summer of 2025. The Boca Beacon reported the work finished in the week of October 9, 2025. The south-end park and its public lot reopened the next week.
So this October is the first time in two years that the season starts with the sand in place and the south lot open. The park opens daily at 8 a.m. and closes at sundown. The state lists five parking areas with Gulf beach access. Admission is $3 per vehicle for up to eight people, or $2 for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge toll is separate.
Two towers, two tickets
The south end has two lighthouses, and the Barrier Island Parks Society runs programs at both. They have different histories and different climb fees.
The Gasparilla Island Lighthouse, known locally as the Range Light, is the 105-foot iron tower on Gulf Boulevard. The Phoenix Iron Company built it in 1881, and it first stood near Lewes, Delaware, as the Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light. In 1927 the U.S. Lighthouse Service took it apart and rebuilt it on Gasparilla Island, and it was lit on January 1, 1932. Its restoration followed Hurricane Ian, and BIPS held the reopening at 220 Gulf Blvd on February 7, 2026. Climbs that day were limited to 48 people, first come, first served.
The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse dates to 1890 and stands at the tip. Its museum covers Calusa history, the island's phosphate industry and tarpon fishing.
| Range Light (Gasparilla Island Lighthouse) | Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum | |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1881, moved here and lit in 1932 | 1890 |
| Public access | Tours October through April; 7.4 acres of trails and a butterfly garden open daily | Museum free with park admission |
| Climb fee | $15 adults, $5 under 12 | $10 adults, $5 under 12 |
| Height minimum | 48 inches | 48 inches |
| Hours note | Climbs on scheduled dates | November–May daily, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; June–October Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. |
The Port Lighthouse is still on its shorter summer schedule until November 1. One detail is unsettled. BIPS and the state's hours page list the museum as open every day in season, but the state's separate lighthouse page says it closes on Mondays. Call BIPS before a Monday visit with guests. BIPS also says Port Lighthouse climbs can sell out.
The repairs still underway
The last hurricane repairs at the tip started in mid-May. "Right now they are sanding and repainting the pilings that hold up the lighthouse," Sharon McKenzie, executive director of the Barrier Island Parks Society, told the Boca Beacon on May 14, 2026. The same report listed the lighthouse's ADA lift and the park boardwalk as remaining work.
The research for this post found no public report that the lift is finished. BIPS's own hours page still says the lift was damaged by Hurricane Milton and is out of service. If a visitor needs the lift to reach the museum, call BIPS before going.
The plan the state takes up in December
These repairs restore the pre-storm park. The state's planning process decides how the park will look for years afterward. The plan currently in force for Gasparilla Island State Park was approved in July 2014. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection released draft plans for this park and four others nearby on March 6, 2026. DEP's planning page now lists a September 2026 draft that goes to the Acquisition and Restoration Council in December 2026. Until then, all of it is a proposal.
For Gasparilla Island, the draft calls for:
- Resurfacing and improving the parking areas, and repairing beach-access boardwalks along with accessible access points
- A permanent restroom at the Seagrape Use Area
- Preserving the historic Amory Chapel, with interpretive elements
- Assessing and repairing the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse complex
- Restoring dunes, improving stormwater management, and building a replacement seawall
At the south end, the Beacon reported that the state wants to resurface and stabilize the parking area, mark the spaces more clearly, and move the park entrance. The September draft keeps a roadway realignment and a parking reorganization, but the cited text does not say exactly where the new entrance would be. The draft also lists the Quarantine Station at 895 Boca Grande as a parcel within the park's optimum boundary. The March draft suggested local conservation or preservation groups might manage that building, and noted that "multiple potential acquisition and management options" may be viable.
The state's figures help explain the attention. The report puts the park's average annual attendance at 706,000 visitors and attributes $128 million in economic impact to it.
The boardwalk BIPS asked the state not to rebuild
The clearest example of the "less infrastructure" approach came from the advisory meeting on April 9, 2026, where 22 representatives reviewed the regional drafts. The draft had slated the boardwalk on the east side of the museum for replacement. Sharon McKenzie said BIPS would like it removed from the plan and not replaced, so the dunes can recover. Bryon Maxwell of the park staff agreed with removing it. Daniel Alsentzer of the Office of Park Planning said repeated storms had shown that some infrastructure, this boardwalk included, does not suit barrier island parks. He noted that no firm decision was made at the meeting, and that beach access there could be kept with at-grade options such as natural materials or mobility mats.
The September draft has not resolved the question. Its implementation table still lists "reconstruct boardwalk" for the Dunes and Lighthouse Use Areas, next to repairing the lighthouse elevator and stabilizing Amory Chapel. Another section of the same draft says dune-crossing boardwalks have proven highly vulnerable to storm surge, will not be reconstructed in the area it covers, and should give way to on-grade paths, with natural coir matting as an option. Which approach governs the walk from the museum to the beach is one of the things the December review will decide.
Amory Chapel, with the doors open
McKenzie also asked that the Amory Memorial Chapel restoration include visitor access to the interior. The ideas included a meditation space, a museum element, and a way to honor African American heritage on Gasparilla Island. Alsentzer said those passive uses, without electricity, could be considered if the fragile building can be stabilized. He said raising the chapel is not considered feasible because it would undermine its historic integrity. McKenzie said BIPS would help raise stabilization funds if needed and would provide docents once the chapel is restored. The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association submitted written comments as part of the same process.
The fall calendar at the south end
Between now and the December council meeting, BIPS has a full schedule:
- October 7, 9:30–10:30 a.m.: A Brew With A View at the park.
- October 17, 10–11:30 a.m.: An Eastern Screech Owl nesting-box workshop with the Boca Grande Woman's Club. RSVP is required, and there is a $15 materials fee.
- October 24, 28 and 31: Range Light climbs.
- November 2, 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.: The Light Keeper's Open charity tournament at Coral Creek Club.
- December 2, 5, 9, 12 and 16: Range Light climbs, with December 16 the latest date currently listed.
The beach changes with the season too. The state notes that rare and endangered birds pass through during the spring and fall migrations. Manatees, gopher tortoises, bald eagles, terns and American oystercatchers are among the wildlife seen in the park. Shelling is most popular in winter, and taking live shells is prohibited. This winter's shelling will be on renourished sand, with the Range Light open for climbs and the final plan for the tip up for council review the same month as the December climbs.
If you own on the south end and are wondering how a moved park entrance, a rebuilt seawall or a change to the boardwalk at the tip might affect your property, the team at Zeke Sieglaff follows these decisions block by block. We are glad to talk through what your home is worth as the plan moves toward its December review.
