Friday Climbs Return to the Lighthouse at the End of Belcher Road

Starting Friday, October 23, the 1890 tower at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum, 880 Belcher Road, opens to climbers every Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You have to show up in person, and you can only sign up that same day. Barrier Island Parks Society runs the climbs. The fee is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. According to BIPS, all of the proceeds "directly support BIPS' historic lighthouse preservation efforts." For Boca Bay and its neighbors on the south end, that means the tower down the road opens its upper floors one afternoon a week. Whoever climbs is helping pay to keep a building standing that recent storms closed for most of a year.

One afternoon a week at 880 Belcher Road

An ordinary museum visit doesn't include the tower. BIPS sends people to its calendar for climb dates and says climbs run "during climb tour hours as space allows." This fall, the climb tour hours are Friday afternoons.

These are the dates on the BIPS calendar through November 20:

The first climb goes up at 11 a.m. and the last one starts at 3 p.m., so arriving at 3:15 means you've missed it. An older BIPS listing from the spring gave November 7 as the start date. The current event page moves it up to October 23, so this year's climbing season begins about two weeks earlier than first announced.

The walk-up rule is what shapes the day

You can't reserve a spot ahead of time. BIPS says "No advanced RSVP." You check in at the museum gift shop on the day of the climb, and the society warns that "Climbs sell out quickly!" Put together, a short weekly window, first-come access, and a warning about selling out mean that showing up early counts for more than anything else you plan.

The weather also gets a say. BIPS cancels climbs "in inclement weather or high winds." At the mouth of Boca Grande Pass, a breezy Friday can end the afternoon before it starts, which is a good reason to call ahead.

BIPS posts these safety rules for climbers:

• Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall, and babies are not allowed.
• No heels or flip-flops. BIPS asks for "sensible climbing shoes."
• No large backpacks or purses on the climb.
• No wet clothing. Swimwear must be covered.
• No commercial photography or drones.
• Climbers must be physically able to make the climb.

Beach day and climb day don't mix well. The swimwear rule and the flip-flop rule both mean that if you come straight off the sand, you'll need to change before you go up.

The island's other tower works the same way. When BIPS reopened it in February, the free climbs that day were capped at 48 guests, first come, first served. Tower access on this island is limited, it goes to whoever is there in person, and BIPS runs it.

Why the $10 matters to this particular building

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is an iron screw-pile structure with a wood frame, built in 1890 to guide ships into Charlotte Harbor. When lit, it can be seen from up to 12 miles away. Florida State Parks calls it "one of only six lighthouses in Florida to be open to the public, and the only one on the west coast." It is also the island's building most exposed to storms, because it sits where the island ends.

Its recent record shows what preservation money pays for here. The Boca Beacon reported in May 2025 that the museum would reopen May 5 after nearly eight months closed for hurricane damage, following months of restoration and safety work. A follow-up in the Beacon called the stretch eight months of "stormy setbacks."

Some of that damage is still there. The BIPS hours page says "The elevator lift was damaged in Hurricane Milton and is currently out of service." For anyone who has trouble with stairs, that is worth knowing before Friday. It also helps explain why BIPS ties climb fees so directly to preservation.

The north tower went through the same thing on a shorter timeline. BIPS reopened the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse, the Range Light at 220 Gulf Boulevard, on February 7, 2026, after "two months of careful rehabilitation and preservation." The society says the work left it "fortified to withstand future storms and coastal conditions." BIPS states that "All climb fees and merchandise purchases directly support BIPS' historic lighthouses," in the plural. A Friday climb at the south tip helps pay for both towers.

Sundays come back in November, but the two calendars disagree

Climbing is a Friday-only event. The museum on the ground floor keeps much longer hours, and they get longer on November 1.

Florida State Parks lists June through October hours as Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sundays and Mondays. From November through May, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Monday. It is free with park admission. BIPS's own hours page agrees about Sundays but describes November through May as "Open Every Day," 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It adds a New Year's Eve schedule of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and says the museum is closed New Year's Day.

Both calendars agree that Sunday afternoons start November 1. They disagree about Mondays, so call the museum at 941-964-0060 before planning a Monday visit.

Inside, volunteer docents walk visitors through the Calusa, the island's phosphate years in the early 1900s, and tarpon fishing in Boca Grande Pass. There is also a "please touch" area with local bones, fossils, and shells, plus a small gift shop, which is also where Friday climbers check in.

A Wednesday morning on the front porch

The other regular reason to drive down Belcher Road this season is A Brew With A View. BIPS describes it as a monthly series held on the lighthouse front porch, with local coffee and a short talk.

The next one is Wednesday, November 4, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Ashey Cook of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center will present on Vertical Oyster Gardens. The event page doesn't list a price or sign-up process, so check with BIPS if you want to plan ahead. A morning program on the porch doesn't compete with the Friday climbs. Between Wednesday coffee, Friday climbs, and the new Sunday museum hours, the lighthouse now has something on three days of most November weeks.

Before you drive down on a Friday

The park entrance changed this month, and it affects the first few minutes of any visit. Since October 5, 2026, Gasparilla Island State Park entrance fees at the Dunes parking lot are paid at a Remote Off Grid Kiosk, which takes credit or debit cards on a touchscreen. Put the printed receipt on your dashboard. The other lots still use the QR code or the website. The vehicle fee is $3, and the park is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year. BIPS points climbers to the state park lot at 880 Belcher Road for public parking.

A Friday climb, in order:

1. Check the wind. High winds cancel climbs.
2. Bring a card for the Dunes kiosk, or plan to pay by QR code at another lot.
3. Wear closed shoes and dry clothes over any swimwear, and leave large bags in the car.
4. Check in at the museum gift shop first. The climb costs $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
5. Arrive well before 3 p.m., the last climb start, because climbs sell out.

Our family has watched the south tip through more than one hard season, and we pay attention to what keeps its landmarks open. If you're weighing a home near the end of Belcher Road and want to know how the island's south end works through the year, Jeff Moore and The Moore Team would be glad to talk it over. Book a Private Consultation.