FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee County Parks and Recreation is transitioning its paid parking locations to an updated parking system, that is said will let people pay by text message, a mobile app, through a website or at a kiosk.
The transition will begin May 1, 2025. It will provide a standardized and user-friendly parking experience across all sites. The parking vender, Premium Parking, is already used at some downtown Fort Myers spots.
The transition will take be at the following Lee County Parks & Recreation managed sites:
- Beach Parks: Bonita Beach Park, Bonita Beach Access #1, Bonita Beach Access #10, Bowditch Point Beach Park, Bowmans Beach, Turner Beach, Lynn Hall Memorial Beach Park and San Carlos Bay/Bunche Beach Preserve.
- Boat Ramps: Alva Boat Ramp, Davis Boat Ramp, Imperial River Boat Ramp, Lavender’s Landing, Matlacha Boat Ramp and Pine Island Commercial Marina.
- Regional Parks: Lakes Park, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Manatee Park, Hickey Creek Mitigation Park and Caloosahatchee Regional Park.
Payments can be made using the following methods:
- Pay by Phone: After scanning the QR code, users will receive a text message with a link to pay for parking. Alternatively, texting PARK to the designated short code will generate a payment link.
- Pay at Kiosk: Locate the Premium Parking kiosk in the parking lot, enter your license plate number, select the amount of time, and pay using cash, debit, or credit card. Kiosks do not provide change. Beach parks will initially only offer text-to-pay and online payment options until kiosks are installed at a later date.
- Pay Online: Visit www.premiumparking.com [premiumparking.com], locate the parking lot, enter your license plate number, and follow the instructions to complete payment.
- Mobile App: The Premium Parking app is available for download via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The $60 annual Lee County Parks & Recreation parking pass will still be available. Instead of a physical sticker, users will register their vehicle’s license plate digitally, eliminating the need to display stickers. Patrons who currently have physical stickers will be automatically transitioned to the new digital system.
Parking rates at all Lee County Parks & Recreation locations will remain the same. (No additional paid lots are being added with this transition; many Parks sites have free parking.) A $0.35 convenience fee will apply to all credit card transactions.
For more details on parking changes, visit www.leeparks.org [leeparks.org], call 239-533-7275, or email leeparks@leegov.com. Follow @leeparksandrecreation on Facebook and Instagram for updates. You can also visit www.leegov.com/parking [leegov.com].
