Tail-Waggers Explore the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida
- Luie Boone
- Sep 13
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 5
This travel spot is featured in our fourth blog series, Hounds Honored.
Ten thousand? Even Luie Boone knows that's a big number. Ten thousand pets? Yes, please. Ten thousand treats? A dream come true. Ten thousand walks? His tail might never, ever, ever stop wagging. But ten thousand islands? Now that's a whole different kind of adventure. Luie can only imagine how long it would take to swim around all those islands. Fur-ever, probably. Luckily, exploring the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida doesn't require a doggy paddle marathon!
The Ten Thousand Islands of Florida are a hidden paradise. It's a maze of mangroves, keys, and waterways stretching from Marco Island down to Everglades City. It's perfect for travelers who love nature, small-town charm, and canine companionship. The region offers quiet beaches, calm waterways, and scenic trails, where dogs can explore alongside their hoomans.
The city of Naples is located on the Florida’s southwest Gulf Coast. It is the main gateway to the islands, and it's a must-stop visit during your vacation to the Ten Thousand Islands. Luie Boone recommends packing a picnic basket and heading to one of these two local beaches: Lowdermilk Park Beach and Vanderbilt Beach. Please note that only leashed dogs are allowed on these two beaches, and that dogs are only allowed on Vanderbilt Beach in the mornings. Luie Boone doesn't mind that, because who doesn't love an early splash in the water, as the sun rises beautifully in the horizon?
Be sure to visit the local parks of Naples, such as Cambier Park and Baker Park (not Barker Park; again, Luie Boone, you cannot just rename places, because you feel like it and are trying to lead a doggy uprising)! Both of these parks have spacious trails and lawns. There are also downtown restaurants and cafés to check out, including The Dock at Crayton Cove and a variety of cafés along Third Street South! You can relax on their pet-friendly patios, before checking out the nearby dog-specialty shops for treats and toys!
Marco Island is a barrier island in the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida, which Luie Boone recommends that you check out during your vacation! This island lies just south of Naples, and it is the largest in the region. While on Marco Island, be sure to check out Tigertail Beach Park, which allows leashed dogs. Luie Boone believed there'd be numerous tigers with big tails at this beach park. But you don't need to worry, there are zero tigers at this park... unless someone brings their orange kitty cat, then Luie Boone better watch out.
Nearby is Keewaydin Island, which is accessible by boat or kayak. It is a secluded favorite for adventurous pups. If traveling over by kayak, the hoomans of Luie Boone recommend packing an extra pair of clothes, because if your pup is anything like Luie Boone, your kayak is toppling over before you reach the island. Back on Marco Island, you can enjoy many different pet-friendly restaurants. Two special spots are Snook Inn and Doreen's Cup of Joe, which both welcome dogs at their outdoor tables. After getting a cup of joe and maybe some whip cream for your pooch, head over to the neighborhoods near the Marco Island Historical Museum. These neighborhoods provide scenic walking routes to saunter along with your pup.
Everglades City is another great city to visit. It is located at the northern entrance to the Ten Thousand Island, and it serves as a historic waterfront base. Here, dogs can stroll along the Waterfront Boardwalk. We recommend keeping a tight grip on your leash, because Luie Boone's telling us that any water-loving pooch would try to do a cannonball! The Camellia Street Grill is a wonderful place to pop into for a dinner. There might not be a dog-friendly menu, but Luie Boone's sure that you could find something on the hooman menu to share with your dog. After a tasty meal, be sure to check out the Smallwood Store Historic State Park. This state park blends history and scenery, with many local kayak tours allowing dogs to come along for mangrove explorations and wildlife watching!
Chokoloskee is a small island, located just south of Everglades City. It offers calm streets and quiet waterfronts, which are perfect for strolling or picnicking. Here, Oyster House Park makes a great stop for short walks. There are also local outfitters, which provide dog-friendly kayaking and boat trips through the mangroves!
Copeland—a community in the northeast of Everglades City—sits along the edge of Big Cypress National Preserve. While dogs must remain leashed in preserve areas, the shady dirt roads and rustic trails make it ideal for long, quiet walks! The community’s old Florida character and outdoor dining options add to its appeals.
The town of Goodland is a great place to check out. It is east of Marco Island and the Port of the Islands. This is a slower-paced retreat. The Goodland Dog Beach is a small, but welcoming spot, where pups can play in the sand. The Goodland Grill offers outdoor dining! At the Port of the Islands, the marina provides dog-friendly boat rentals and tours. Nearby mangrove trails also invite peaceful exploration.
There is no shortage of places to enjoy in the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida. From beaches to boardwalks, every stop is paw-some adventure. Just don't let Luie start calling it "Ten Thousand Bone Islands," because we all know he's going to try!
Paws Rest Here
Luie Boone paw-selected this perfect vacation rental for your stay at the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida. Check it out below!
Rental Name: Rovigo Vacation Rental
This rental has 4 bedrooms with 4 beds and 4 bathrooms.
Photos courtesy of Naples Florida Vacation Homes
It features the following amenities:
Enclosed lanai
Direct access to the private pool
Picturesque views from the lake and side yard
Multiple outdoor dining tables
Comfortable outdoor lounge chairs
BBQ Gas Grill
Walking trails around the lakes
What does Luie Boone think of this rental? He woofed:
My hoomans keep talking about Rovigo Vacation Rental in Florida's Ten Thousand Islands. It’s in the neighborhood of Kings Lake, which has trails, shiny lakes, and shady trees. You know what that means? Walks and new smells galore! The house has a lanai with a pool overlooking a lake. Woah! I'm wondering if my hoomans would allow me to do a big cannonball from the lanai... probably not, but a pup can only dream. Ali, my stuffed alligator, is coming along with me. My hoomans say that I can't swim with her in the pool, because she'll drown. I guess that's fair. I wish my plushies could float. Hoomans, that's a gentle nudge to buy me more floaties for my swimming adventures. Anyhow, there are also chairs and tables outside too, which is ideal for family lounging. Plus, there's a BBQ grill for delicious meals and smells. Inside, there’s a fancy kitchen with a “waterfall island." Hopefully, all the snacks waterfall right in my mouth. At night, I’ll curl up in one of four bedrooms. Maybe I'll try a new bedroom out every night! The hoomans love the primary bedroom with pool access, but I’m just excited to snooze somewhere new. Best of all, the house is dog-friendly, so they’re expecting me! There’s even a welcome package when we arrive. Paws crossed that package includes treats.
Paws Venture Here
Luie Boone sniffed out and dug up these local gems for you to check out while vacationing in The Ten Thousand Islands of Florida!
Royal Palm Hammock Nature Trail
This beautiful nature trail leads you through a mangrove forest. You'll also walk through a tropical hammock, which will bring you to a boardwalk loop across marshy habitats, before you reach the mangrove fringe of Florida Bay. To Luie Boone, that sounds like a royal adventure of fun!
Bark on the Ark Dog Cruises
At Bark on the Ark Dog Cruise, you can bring your dog on a sightseeing eco-cruise. The cruise will take you along Naples Bay to Keewaydin Island. Upon arrival to the island beach, you can enjoy playing and swimming. Each pup will receive their own doggy bag from the cruise—including water, a tennis ball, waste bags, and healthy dog treats!
Otter Mound Preserve
Just over 2 acres, this preserve is a hidden gem. You can walk along shady mulched trails, which loop 700 feet through a small forest, past extensive walls and borders fashioned in the 1940s—out of thousands of conch shells! Don’t hope to find playful otters on the property, as the preserve was named for a settler named Ernest Otter. That's right, Luie Boone, it wasn't named after your buddy, Roger the Otter. Sorry!
Gordon River Greenway Park
The Gordon River Greenway Park is 140-acres. It provides an ecological corridor in the heart of urban Naples. Visitors and their pals can stroll along the boardwalk trails, which meander through six different native plant communities! Luie Boone cannot wait to smell plants from all six different communities. He promises not to tinkle on them... except he can't pinky swear.
Briggs Nature Center Boardwalk Trail
Briggs Boardwalk is a half-mile, self-directed nature trail. It passes through several unique habitats, including scrub forests and mangrove-filled waters. The boardwalk is pooch friendly, so it might just be the perfect place to enjoy time in nature with your best buddy. Look closely and listen carefully; there is some cool wildlife that you see!
Picayune Strand State Forest
Picayune Strand State Forest offers a 3.2-mile trail, which provides hikers and their pups with the opportunity to view the many cypress trees that were too small to harvest back in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of these cypress trees are now over 100 years old! Birdwatchers might even be able to catch a glimpse of wood storks, hairy woodpeckers, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. Luie Boone cannot wait to catch sight of them all!
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
This preserve is the largest state park in Florida! It is home to a variety of plant and animal species, which can be found nowhere else in the continental United States. There are miles-and-miles of pooch-friendly hiking trails, including dry and easy-to-walk ones. Luie Boone doesn't mind getting a little wet! You can stroll through a vast and beautiful cypress forest. Some visitors are lucky enough to spot panthers here! Personally, Luie Boone hopes he is not one of those lucky visitors.
Mango's Dockside Bistro
This restaurant is located on the edge of Smokehouse Bay on Marco Island. Your pup can join you at an outdoor table shaded by umbrellas. They offer a dog menu with options for your pup, including chopped bacon, chopped grilled chicken or Captain's Crunch! Captain Luie Boone is reporting for duty! For the hoomans, popular menu choices include seafood omelets, handmade crepes, corned beef hash, coconut shrimp, whiskey burgers, jumbo sea scallops, baby back ribs, and fresh sushi. Yum, yum, yum!
Luie Boone's Pet Peeve about
The Ten Thousand Islands of Florida
There's just so much to love about this vacation destination, but there's one thing that's got Luie Boone's leash in a twist. He woofed:
Want to know a fun fact about the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida? There aren't actually ten thousand islands. Nope. There are actually just hundreds of tiny, mostly uninhabited ones. That still means there's plenty of room to sniff around, splash in the water, and maybe even dig a hole or two. I can already imagine the smells, the sound of the waves, and the thrill of chasing a few speedy crabs or birds—oh, what an adventure! Of course, every adventure comes with a little caution. My hoomans told me that many of these islands offer very little shade, which worries me because my paws heat up quickly on sand and rocks. I absolutely do not enjoy burning paws or overheating, especially when I'm trying to sniff and explore. My hoomans said that I'll need to take breaks, seek shady spots, and maybe even dip my paws in the water to cool off. Adventure is amazing—but overheating? Not so much!
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