Spotlight:
Fort De Soto
named America’s Top Beach!
Pristine Area Favorite Lauded as “Portrait of Tranquility”.
Travelers agree, the St. Pete/Clearwater area is home to America's top beaches. Made official by TripAdvisor's
2009 list of the top ten beaches in the U.S., Fort De Soto Park took
top honors for the second consecutive year, while Honeymoon Island
State Park ranked ninth.
Fort De Soto Park & Beach is described by TripAdvisor as a
“spectacular combination of soft white sand, calm, clear water
and a laid-back atmosphere,” the popular online travel network put the
park’s North Beach at the top of its annual best-of list, based on TripAdvisor's
Popularity Index.
Pinellas
County maintains three major parks along the Gulf
Coast. Fort De Soto, located in the south
end of the county, is one of the largest county
parks in
the State of Florida, with over seven miles of
shoreline.
Sand Key Park, located in central Pinellas
County, has almost a half mile of beachfront. Howard Park is a gem located on the Gulf
of Mexico in the northern reaches of the county
in Tarpon Springs.
These
three parks
offer a list amenities that
include picnicking facilities, fishing opportunities
and other items of interest to residents and tourists
alike.
In
addition to these major beach park facilities,
Pinellas County has six beach access parks; Indian Rocks, Indian Shores, Redington Shores, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach.
These
beach access parks expand public access, and
include restroom and shower facilities.
Pinellas County beach access parks
are used by almost eight million visitors each
year.
Two major state parks in Pinellas
County, Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island, provide almost five miles of direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.
Honeymoon Island State Park is accessible by car, while pristine Caladesi Island State Park is easily reached by
modestly priced public ferry that departs several times per day from Honeymoon Island State Park. Both facilities
have amenities, and ample public parking is available within the grounds of Honeymoon Island State Park
for both park facilities.
In
addition to the county and state parks
mentioned above, several important municipal
parks provide direct beach access, amenities
and public
parking as well. St. Pete Beach's Pass-A-Grille
and Upham Beaches, Treasure Island's four
city-operated beach access parks, Madeira
Beach's Archibald Park and Clearwater's
North and South Beach Parks are examples
of
major municipally operated beach access facilities.
