I had the pleasure of exploring this park, guided by bird watching expert friends, early on a Saturday morning during spring migration. We saw more birds than people as I think most folks just go to the beach. This park includes three distinct environments... beach, freshwater marshes and forest all very close to each other, with easy-to-follow unmarked trails and clean public bathrooms. We walked and explored and enjoyed for several hours, seeing osprey with young chicks, a pileated woodpecker, herons, ducks, a variety of stunning warblers, a loggerhead shrike and more! We also saw a variety of native butterflies and plants/trees/flowers, so I contributed those identifications since that's more my area of expertise. I was thrilled to see, for the first time in my life, the elusive Blue-Winged Warbler! Score! While I didn't obtain a photo, the sighting was definite and confirmed by my friend / guide / birding expert! Life is great when a small group of friends explore a beautiful and serene park, taking our time to really take it all in and as a bonus, I am able to add to my growing bird life list. read more

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Great time at Sand Key Park! Love the it's only $5 for parking all day. There are restrooms with changing rooms. Also, a shower outside to rinse off. The beach is nice and wide, so plenty of space to spread out. The beach is also clean! There are lifeguards, but not this day. I think they are there typically in the summer. read more

The area is clean and well-kept, with easy access to the beach and bathroom, showers, and food available. Parking is $6, plenty of parking, wasn't overcrowded when we went at 11am and easy to find a spot close to the beach access. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Came here for a walk on the beach while we were in town in January. The parking was cheap and plentiful. There was easy access to the beach with bathrooms and foot rinse available. The beach was beautiful even in winter and we saw lots of birds and dolphins. This is a pretty long stretch of beach and was perfect for a stroll. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Sand Key Beach Park is a great place to spend some time. Located right in Clear water, but not super crowded, at least in October. We were near the rock jetty where people fish, so you can see the bay side with all the boats and hotels on the water. Beach is clean, water is beautiful, there is a lifeguard stand (did not see a lifeguard), beach chairs and umbrellas for rental, food truck, clean bathrooms you can enter from front or the back, large amount of parking for only $6 the entire day (park closes at 8pm), big playground, and lots of walking trails. We saw several people bird watching with their big cameras as we drove in. This park is surprisingly large for where it is located. Just follow the clearly posted signs. People were friendly and kept to themselves. Looked a lot like a local crowds. I look forward to going back. read more

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If you want to hang out at the beach all day, or you have a big group and need lots of parking, this is much better than Clearwater Beach. There is a huge parking lot. Download Park Mobile and parking is now just over $6 to park all day. They close at dusk, so after 7:59, you don't have to pay. The police will definitely kick you off the beach once sunset has passed. They drive their cars on the beach. Getting out of the parking lot can take some time, so be patient. They have showers and bathrooms here. If you do use the bathroom, once it's dark, make sure to use your phone flash light. It's dark. It is a bit of a hike from the parking lot to the beach so just keep that in mind. It is worth it when you get to the beach. read more

Sand Key Park - Sunset - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Dirtiest beach I've ever been too! Trash literally everywhere. Trash cans completely full and trash blowing all over the beach. I was scared to walk through the sand to the beach barefoot because I was afraid I'd step in glass or needles it was so dirty! Huge disappointment! Paid $6 for parking, stayed 20 mins and left. We saw much better beaches up the shoreline and will not be back to this one! read more

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Beautiful! Clean! Very well kept and tons of shade for dogs and people to get out of the sun! read more

Sand Key Park - Dog park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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This 95 acre park is at the northern most part of the Sand Key barrier island, a short hop through Sand Key Bridge up to Clearwater Beach, and 21 miles west of Tampa airport TPA. The parking at the park is $5 for the day. The amenity (list) includes outdoor showers @ Boardwalk #3, and #4 which is behind the bathroom and changing room. I only used the beach because I'm here for the 1.2 mile open water swim: it was fantastic!!! Our event has 167 swimmers. I car pooled with my friend. At 7am on this Saturday, the parking lot looks vacant. But by the time we leave, at 11am, there are still many parking spots. Not sure it has anything to do with the water temp hovering around 69°F. Some swimmers say they saw dolphins. I see plenty pelicans, and a few other water birds: Willets, Laughing Gull in breeding plumage, and American Oyster Catcher. read more

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The beach was stunning, it was a bit crowded but also there's enough space for everyone to be spaced out. The water was gorgeous, even with all the huge waves after storm Debby. We loved digging in the sand and finding HUNDREDS of tiny shells too! read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

I'm originally from Largo, and this has been a beach I've been coming to since I was a kid! The water is gorgeous and calm. We always are in awe of the fish we get to see when in the water! This most recent time we were here we got to swim with large schools of fish! The park itself has a lot of space available for recreational activities like fishing, walking, shelling and swimming! A huge perk to this park is having showers, restrooms, and changing rooms! The park also has lifeguards on duty, and often will have police or security patrolling as well. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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This is a great beach if you want to avoid Clearwater, although it is super close to there. It's $5 to park all day, and the parking lot is huge. There are bathrooms and a food truck, which is pretty good. We went on Mother's Day and it was SO crowded. I think the secret is out about this hidden gem. read more

Sand Key Park - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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By far my favorite park in all of Florida! Just over the bridge from Clearwater and 100% more convenient! Perfect beach and fishing location and I never have to fight for a parking spot! The beach is always clean and beautiful! There's also a cute and convenient little food cart that sells ice cream, drinks and food, which is pretty decent! read more

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The beach and parking lot were very clean. It is a good walk from the parking lot to the water.

This is a great spot, especially during the week. Had lots of parking and the place was well maintained and clean. Recommend going to the far end of the lot for the best spots. read more

Love this place ! Great family atmosphere love the cabanas thanks Capt Dave love that they had lifeguards and that was just a joyful time! read more

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Beautiful park, white sandy beaches and facilities for public use. Make sure to bring your own food and drinks as there aren't many options close by. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Sand Key Park is a smaller park with a white sandy beach and beautiful views. Conveniently located near the heart of Clearwater, FL there's sufficient parking and amenities (including umbrella and cabana rentals). It's a great place for families to relax and enjoy the scenery and it is CLEAN! The fees aren't bad, and the staff we encountered were friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend Sand Key Park if you're in the area. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

This park is a great alternative to Clearwater Beach when you want to avoid traffic and crowds. Just drive seven minutes further and you will have $5 parking and endless white sand beaches and a calm peaceful crowd to enjoy family and friends in the sun and sand. They have bathrooms, showers and everything you need within brief walking distance. There is a playground and walking trails as well as barbecue pits and places to grill. To make things easier you can download the parking app and pay by phone. We had a great day here at sand key beach! read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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This is a "hidden gem". Clean, easy access, great water. Beware, no public restrooms available. read more

Sand Key Park - The Gulf..: of course! - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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If you're coming to Clearwater or Pinellas County for a vacation and you want to go to a huge white sandy beach away from huge crowds, Sand Key Park is the place for you! It's located on the tip of Sand Key on the gulf side of the island. There isn't any entrance fee but there is a $5 flat parking fee for the day. This park has two distinct area: a beach and a park. The park has two picnic shelters with grills, a playground, restrooms and a dog park. They do offer beach wheelchairs. In the 'off season' you would need to contact a park ranger to get one. The beach is beautiful and spacious. There are two very well kept public bathroom/changing buildings on the property. There are also umbrella and cabana rentals along with kayak and bicycle rentals. At present, there are no life guards on duty. There's also parking spaces for electric car charging. If you've never been to Sand Key, you should go! It's great! read more

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I was recommended this beach over Clearwater and the reviews looked good, so in the end I am very happy about my decision to drive the extra 5 minutes to get here. Parking is super simple and is $5 to park all day. The lot is very large. There are clean restrooms AND separate changing rooms (free of course) with easy access to the beach. We brought chairs and an umbrella, and weren't worried about anyone coming around our stuff when we were far into the water because it was a very small crowd. Easy to socially distance and everyone had a fun time. I will return here again sometime. read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

I've stayed at the Sheraton Marriot which the hotel is right next to the park so I've been to the beach area before. Since I wasn't staying at the hotel this year but wanted to escape the craziness of downtown clearwater beach we opted to come here... twice over 4th of July weekend. Plenty of parking (despite clearwater beach having no available parking). Parking was $6 for the day. There were bathrooms, and water fountains, life guards. The beach itself was not crowded despite all the cars. It truly is a hidden gem, and not as crowded or expensive as clearwater beach. read more

This is a beautiful park. Only $5 a day for parking, with restrooms, showers, and changing rooms. I personally don't think that the sand is as nice as the other nearby beaches, but I will take less of a crowd any day. It's a little bit of a walk from the parking lot to the water, but it's doable because the sand is packed. I noticed some catering trucks and umbrella/chair rentals, but none were open, as we went later in the day, closer to sunset. My family really enjoyed it, and we can't wait to go back soon! read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Sand Key Park & Beach is located on Sand Key Island, South of Clearwater Beach and North of Belleair Beach. Sand Key Park amenities include picnic shelters with grills, a playground, restrooms, showers, changing rooms, a dog park, concessions, a nature trail, and most importantly, tons of parking! Kayaks, bicycles, umbrellas, and cabanas are available for Rental. Parking is a flat $5 for the whole day with no hourly parking options available. Many prefer coming to Sand Key because finding parking is very difficult and a lot more expensive at neighboring Clearwater Beach. The Belleair bridge to Sand Key also does not get nearly as backed up as the Clearwater Beach bridge during busy days of the summer and spring break. Sand Key Park houses the base of operations for the artificial reef program, an interdepartmental cooperation program to build a reef in the Gulf. Sand Key Park's natural communities include a beach where sea turtles annually deposit eggs. The nearby Clearwater Aquarium takes responsibility for these nests and keeps statistics. Sand Key Beach Park offers a pristine, peaceful paradise among the hustle and bustle of Clearwater Beach, it's the perfect place to get away without going away. Its the best of both worlds with a beautiful white-sand beach and dog friendly park at the same locale. Two large full service resorts offering numerous amenities lie within steps of the park which is conveniently located next to Clearwater Pass, making boating access to the Gulf a snap. Restaurants on Sand Key include the Columbia Restaurant, Maggie Mae's, Backwaters, Rusty's Bistro but there are no beach bars at Sand Key Beach. Sand Key Beach is populated primarily with pretty high-rise condomoums with the exception of 2 hotels: the Sheraton Sand Key Resort on the beach side and Clearwater Beach Marriot Suites on the Intercoastal side. When visiting Sand Key Beach, I prefer to park south of the Sand Key Park at Bay Park for free and avoid the $5 parking fee. There is a public Sand Key beach entrance between Ultimar Condominiums and South Beach Condominiums. Some patrons complain that the Beach's sand is more coarse and less fine and soft as Clearwater Beaches but I don't mind it. If you're looking for more restaurants, hotels, and beach bars, head north to Clearwater Beach. Sand key provides more of a calm sleepy island feel with much easier parking options. read more

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Oh boy, this place is a must when you visit Clearwater. This ample park has beach access, many parking spots available, it's not free for parking, and the view is simply outstanding. When we went it was too windy so we were not able to sit down on the beach but we still enjoyed it. It has also picnic areas and a playground. It's definitely a complete park. read more

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$5 dollar parking. Ok park, there's a peninsula you can walk out on which is pretty cool. The beach is ok, not as pristine as some other beaches close by. read more

This is a beautiful park on the beach that Mark family and I visit every time we are out Clearwater Beach. It's awesome pretty pretty the ocean is great the beach is great everything about this place is fantastic definitely worth checking out read more

Sand Key Park - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting more of a hiking-trail park and most paths here just lead to the beach. I did find one circular foot path through boring brush that dumped me off where it started after about five minutes of walking. The beach itself is nice if you are looking for something less crowded than nearby Clearwater Beach. The northern shore of the park has great views of Clearwater Beach across the water. One interesting thing I saw near a sign saying "Construction Work Ahead" was a thick, huge, very, very long snake of some kind (see photos). I was scared to get too close. read more

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Always love this beach so much, as a local it is my favorite beach to go to. Always plenty of parking, $5 to park and you can use an app. Well kept, bathrooms and wash off stations. read more

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I was coming to Clearwater Beach and didn't really see where to park at with the large amounts of car traffic. It doesn't seem that Clearwater has that much public parking as the only I saw was next to the traffic nightmare round about. So I kept driving looking for more public parking/beach access and encountered this beach park by chance across the bridge. It's free to get in but parking is $5 for until the park closes. There were tons of empty parking spaces as it definitely wasn't a busy day at the beach. It might been because it just rained, cloudy weather, and some distant thundering going on. Lol The beach was a short walk to from the parking lot. There was a nice wooden walkway with a shower on the side for when you get back. The beach itself wasn't too large but there wasn't many people here so it didn't matter much. There was a life guard but I believe they operate only until 5pm as we got our after 5pm and he was already gone. The beach was pretty and wasn't dirty at all. There was some small shells in the sand so it's the your white white sand. The water itself was decent and decently clear but since it wasn't sunny, I couldn't really see much through the water. I did see some medium sized fish in the water which was neat. There was minimal seaweed which was good. There are so many beach parks around this area. It's so hard to choose which one to go to. I didn't get to go to Clearwater Beach which was right across this park but I guess this is the next best thing especially beating the large crowds. read more

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One of my new favorite beaches!! I didn't know about this area until my friend told me about it recently. It's breath taking! I love it! It's less busier than the main Clearwater beach area. I want to keep going back again and again. I wish I lived closer, takes us an hour to get there. Next time family is in town, I will take them to this beach! There's a playground we completely didn't even get a chance to go to but will have to check out next time we are in the area. There was a little food truck Sand Key Grille that was perfectly stationed on the beach for hungry beach goers. I look forward to making lots of memories on this beach this summer!! read more

Sand Key Park - Sand Key beach - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

An excellent park that my family likes to frequent. It's never too crowded and there's a lot of space. As with most Gulf Coast beaches the sand is fine, white, and soft. The water is warm and not too rough. The park provides clean restrooms and changing areas. Parking is also readily available. It's a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the water but worth it. The park also isn't too far from the more popular beaches and all the eateries there. To address any covid concerns, on our Friday visit, we never felt at risk in terms of social distancing, and we stayed there pretty much all day. There's plenty of space to spread out on the shore. It's a little more difficult in the water with the current and all but everyone seemed mindful not to get too close. read more

This is a great hidden gem. We rented chairs and umbrella. The man that we rented them from was very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed our day. Great beach. read more

I believe this is one of the best beaches in the area. We were planing to go to clear water beach. However, the parking lots in the area were all full, even though we came here close to 9 am. Figured I'd drive further and I was not disappointed. Day one. The water was very clear and calm, No waves, we were able to see fish swimming. Day two - we came here a few days later same experience except for some waves and no fish around. Side note. We ended up going to clear water beach and here are the differences. The sand is cleaner and softer at clear water beach. It's more crowded, possibly because it's geared towards tourism, the water wasn't as good as it was at sand key park. read more

Got here early around 5am for a sunrise run but found out the automatic gate in front does not open til 7am; so parked 3 miles down and ran to Sand Key. My favorite part was the bathroom as it turns out it is the only public restroom for miles. It was great to see different groups accessing beach such as CrossFit, kayakers, and group fit classes like yoga. There's also tons of parking. My pics tell a better story... read more

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Great alternative to Clearwater Beach! Much less busy, plenty of parking, cheaper parking....quieter. We came here twice on our recent visit to the area. Both time, there was plenty of parking...as in maybe 30 cars total? And for $5 (for the day!), you can't beat the price. If you like seashells, come here. They are everywhere. You can find good ones without even looking. The downside, you have to step over quite a few to get into the water. They have restrooms here which were pretty standard for the beach. There's a food stand/trailer which served the basics; burgers, dogs, beverages ect. The beach isn't as clean as Clearwater Beach. There were some piles of seaweed and some litter hear and there. But overall, hard to complain given the lack of crowds, noise ect. Again, great alternative to the business of Clearwater Beach. But do be mindful of the seagulls. They're just as bad here; if you feed them, they'll be around you all day. read more

Sandy Key Park is just the place for when you need to get the heck away from the touristy hustle and bustle of Clearwater Beach. If you love a good walk along the sand, this is a great spot to do it. My husband and I got all our steps in and then some. read more

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This is my favorite spot for the beach. Easy to get to, away from all the tourists, clean bathrooms and rents available for umbrellas and chairs. Flat fee parking $5.. easy to make a day out of the beach with the food truck that is on site. read more

Sand Key Park - View - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Great park for a family visiting from out of town or locals. We enjoy the beach and views. It's really busy on the weekends so that's one downside. The sand is nice but pretty full of shells. $5 parking so really affordable. read more

Sand Key Park - View from the beach - Beaches Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida