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Pinellas County Beaches - Fort De Soto Park
Every time I go to Fort De Soto Park, I discover
something different. The boomerang-shaped island (which is also
known as Mullet Key) offers white beaches, mangrove-covered shores,
fishing piers, ruins of an old military fort, miles of
biking/rollerblading trails, a camping area, and an expansive boat
launch. There's simply so much to explore, you'd better plan on
spending an entire day.
So what makes Fort De Soto Beach so
special? Sparkling clean water, a complete lack of commercial
development, and easy access. The park is only about 40 minutes
away from Tampa via interstate, and only about 10 minutes from downtown
St. Petersburg. It's an easy drive the entire way, which in my
opinion, pushes it ahead of other area beaches (like Clearwater Beach).
Let's break down the park into
different sections, and take a look at what each area has to offer.
North Beach
There's no better place to start, or
end, your visit, than North Beach. In 2005, this outstretched spit of
sand and dunes was chosen by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, also known as
Dr. Beach, as
America's #1 Best Beach.
When you cross onto the island, take a
right, and travel to the end of the road. The final, long parking
lot is where you want to stop. From there, a couple of foot
bridges will take you through the trees and onto the sand. This is
a great area to swim, lay out in the sun, or otherwise play in the surf.
Plenty of shade trees and picnic tables are nearby.
A while back, I discovered a hidden
area near North Beach. A dirt trail (chained off, so you'll have
to walk) starts at the end of the paved road, cuts through the trees,
and leads to a small clearing. From there, you can walk to the
water's edge, where you'll find broken slabs of concrete and old brick
columns (likely from the fort's old houses), now used to stop erosion.
This isn't a place to swim, but perfect
for picnicking and watching wildlife (water birds often hang out here!).
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