Fort De Soto Park, FL
Enjoy seven miles of incredible Florida waterfront, three miles of gorgeous white sand beaches, more than two miles of fun kayaking trails, a seven mile family-friendly bike path, a great historic fort to explore and more at the beautiful Fort De Soto Park in Florida. Located less than 30 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg, Fort De Soto Park is a fantastic site to add to any family vacation in the Tampa Bay area.
Growing up and raising our family in this beautiful area of Florida, Fort De Soto Park has quickly become one of our family’s favorite places to get away from it all. It’s absolutely beautiful here! And Fort De Soto really has something for everyone.
But don’t just take my word for it. In 2014, USA Today named Fort de Soto Beach, the Best Beach for Families. In 2009, Trip Advisor, the world’s largest online travel community, named Fort De Soto, America’s Top Beach! And in 2005 “Dr. Beach” named Fort De Soto the nation’s #1 Beach!
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Where is Fort De Soto Park Located?
Fort De Soto Park is located approximately 20 minutes south of downtown St. Petersburg, on the southern tip of the peninsula of Pinellas County in Florida. This park consists of 1,136 acres and covers 5 interconnected islands.
Address: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S. Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Traveler Tip:
- If you are coming from I-275 in St. Petersburg, there will be two toll booths on the way into the park. The tolls will run you $1 and $0.75 (as of May 2021). Change is provided at both booths. You can also purchase a SunPass, for convenience, so you don’t have to stop at the toll booths.
- If you are coming north on I-275 from Sarasota, there is an additional $1.50 toll to cross the beautiful Skyway Bridge.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit?
Fort De Soto Park costs $5. This is collected at the entrance station, which is approximately 1 mile into the park.
Fort De Soto Map
Easily get around Fort De Soto with this map of the park.
7 Top Things to Do at Fort De Soto Park, FL
1. Fort De Soto Park Beach
Fort De Soto’s beaches are a must when visiting this park. Here you can find almost 3 miles of practically unspoiled, white sandy scenic beaches to enjoy with no high rises ruining your view. And they are perfect for families!
There are two main beaches to pick from when you visit and both are great. East Beach is to the left when you enter the park and North Beach is to the right, past the Historic Fort.
North Beach
North Beach is a fascinating and distinctive beach that I think is perfect for families. This is due to the unique, calm tidal pool that separates the sand that is closest to the parking lot and the sand that lies past. This allows for people to choose from two different beach experiences. On the beach closest to the parking lot, the waters of the tide pool are still like a swimming pool, but on the further out beach you can find the fun waves of the Gulf of Mexico. (See pictures above and below.)
This tidal pool section is also important to note if you are wanting to visit the beach area by the waves of the Gulf of Mexico. This is because you will need to walk through the tide pool while carrying all of your beach stuff in order to get there. This has never been a problem for us, but I thought I would mention it in case you were planning on using a wagon (or something similar) to carry your beach equipment.
Great Beach Gear for Your Trip
Aside from the two main beaches, that have lots of conveniences like picnic pavilions, restrooms, etc, you can also find fun, small secluded beaches to enjoy throughout the park. For example, the small beach below is found north of East Beach. These little beaches are great if you’re looking for something a little less crowded or more remote.
2. The Historic Fort & Museum
The Historic Fort of Fort De Soto lies within the heart of Fort De Soto Park, and if you’re heading toward North Beach, you’ll drive right past it. But surprisingly you may drive right by and not even realize at first what it is.
This is because the Historic Fort is different from traditionally styled forts that are composed of exposed stone or brick exterior walls. Instead, the Historic Fort, built in 1898, was constructed with a new design in mind. At this time exposed fort walls were a problem because they were vulnerable to a canon’s direct fire. So instead, the Historic Fort was built with incredibly thick walls (8-20 feet thick!) and 5 foot thick ceilings that were camouflaged with massive amounts of dirt. From the coast, you can’t even tell there is a fort sitting behind the massive mound of sand and vegetation that hides its walls! And even from the road in front of it, this historic fort seems to magically blend in with its surroundings.
The Historic Fort is a fantastic site to explore while visiting Fort De Soto Park. And kids will love wandering through the huge rooms with insanely thick walls and then climbing to the top of the fort for some incredible views. (See picture below.)
Historic Fort Fun Facts for Your Visit
- In 1849 Robert E. Lee and three other U.S. Army Engineers recommended that Egmont and Mullet keys (the future Fort De Soto Park) be used for a coastal defense.
- Construction began in 1898. In 1900, the fort was completed.
- It was named Fort De Soto after Hernando De Soto.
- Fort De Soto never saw combat.
- In 1940, during WWII, this island was used for bombing practice.
- Fort De Soto Park was officially established in 1963.
- In 1977, the batteries here were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Today, Fort De Soto houses the last four 12-inch M 1890-MI mortars remaining in North America!
Please note that while visiting this fort there is not a lot of signage around to help explain what you are looking at, therefore we recommend printing out the Park’s Fort Map & the Historic Fort Guide before visiting this site.
3. Bike Riding
Fort De Soto Park is a fantastic place to go for a bike ride! Just imagine biking for seven miles on a wide, traffic-free, family-friendly path where ocean views will wow you along the way. It’s incredible!
The bike path at Fort De Soto stretches across the entire park. And on this ride you’ll pass both of the main beaches within the park, a few secluded beach areas, several trailheads and the fun Historic Fort that you can explore.
When biking at Fort De Soto, our family likes to park at North Beach and then bike down past East Beach all the way to the other end of the park where the road ends and then head back. Biking this route, we like to stop at the Historic Fort (this is at approximately the 1/4 and 3/4 of the way points in the ride) and also stop at the small secluded beach at the far end of the park, past East Beach (at the approximate 1/2 way point) in the ride.
Please know that there is not a lot of shade along this bike trail so make sure you bring plenty of water. Biking during the cooler Florida months or in the mornings or evenings, will give you a more enjoyable experience on this path as well.
Bike Rentals
If you don’t have your own bikes with you, don’t worry, bike rentals are available at the fort, on the west side, so that anyone can enjoy this great bike path.
If you do happen to live near, then I highly recommend bringing your own bikes (if you can) and exploring Fort De Soto by bicycle. It’s a fantastic way to see this park!
How We Carry 5 Bicycles on the Back of Our Car
If you don’t have a bike hitch rack for your car, then I recommend checking out the one that we have and love. (See below.) It’s the Thule Apex XT Bike Hitch Rack and it can carry 5 bikes comfortably! And it’s so easy to use! If you’ve ever thought about taking your family out for fun bike rides that are a little further away from your home then definitely check this one out. For us, it’s been amazing and completely worth it!
4. Bird Watching
Fort De Soto is a bird watching paradise! Over 320 species of birds are part of this park’s natural ecosystem and more species are being added every year! Here’s a few of my favorite shots that I’ve taken on my most recent visits.
With so many incredible birds to see at this park, I could easily spend all day just watching them.
5. Kayaking
Kayak the family-friendly 2.25 mile kayak trail along a protected inlet near the Soldier’s Hole area of Fort De Soto Park. Along this trail, the waters are remarkably calm almost the entire way (assuming the weather is nice) and it is only slightly rougher as you round the small island at the furthest out point of the trail. Here you briefly enter the waters of Mullet Key Bayou before you reenter the protected cove of this easy kayak trail.
This is a great trail to kayak and I think it’s perfect for families! And there’s even the possibility of seeing some of Florida’s amazing wildlife while out on these waters here. On this kayak trail our family has been fortunate enough to see dolphins swimming by and even a mother manatee with its baby!
Kayak rentals and the launch area is located near Soldier’s Hole on the north side of the road, before you reach the Historic Fort. (For rental information – the park website says to call (727) 864-1991.)
Kayaking Gear We Love
6. Hiking
There are three short, easy trails at this park to explore.
- The Barrier-Free Nature Trail (2,200 feet long) which is located just south of the headquarters building. When you get to the T junction, turn right and it’s almost immediately on the left. This trail is handicap accessible.
- The Arrowhead Nature Trail (1 mile) which is located across from North Beach.
- Soldier’s Hole Nature Trail (3/4 Mile) which is located on the north side of the road, before you reach the Historic Fort.
These three trails are a great way to experience some of Florida’s natural habitat.
7. Camping at Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto Park is a great place to go camping in the Tampa Bay area. Here you will find 238 campsites, with facilities, all nestled among Florida’s nature, just steps away from the water. And although I was wishing the sites here were a little further apart (like I always do when camping), the amazing sunset views in the evening more than made up for it.
Camping sites go fast here so make sure you reserve one as far in advance as you can. For more information call (727) 582-2100.
Fort De Soto Campground Map
Camping facilities here include picnic tables, grills, water, electricity, modern restrooms, showers, a playground, laundry, a camp store and even special sites for people camping with pets.
Where are the Top Sites within the Park Located?
- Beaches – After the park entrance, at the T junction, turn left for East Beach or turn right for North Beach.
- Historic Fort – After the park entrance, turn right at the “T” junction and the Fort will be where the road curves to the right. Parking is located on both sides of the fort.
- Bike Path – the seven mile, 12′ wide, bike path stretches from North Beach all the way to the other tip, past East Beach.
- Hiking – There are three short hikes in the park.
- The Barrier-Free Nature Trail (2,200 feet long) is located just south of the headquarters building. When you get to the T junction, turn right and it’s almost immediately on the left. This trail is handicap accessible.
- The Arrowhead Nature Trail (1 mile) is located across from North Beach.
- Soldier’s Hole Nature Trail (3/4 Mile) is located on the north side of the road, before you reach the Historic Fort.
- Kayaking – The 2.25 mile Kayak Trail launch area is located just past the Soldier’s Hole area on the north side of the road, but before you reach the Historic Fort. (Rentals are available – the park website says to call (727) 864-1991 for more information.)
- Camping – 238-site family camping area with facilities is located on the right before the park entrance.
- Ferry Service to Shell Key – located before the park entrance at the Fort De Soto Boat Ramp. (Camping Available)
- Ferry Service to Egmont Key – located at the Bay Pier within the Park.
Have A Great Trip to Fort De Soto Park with Your Traveling Feet!
Nearby Attractions
- The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg – ~25 minutes away
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater- 1 hour away
- Busch Gardens in Tampa – 1 hour away
- Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton – ~40 minutes away
POPULAR TOURS NEAR FORT DE SOTO
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This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy. We only share products with you that we use and love for our family. Thank you for supporting 10 Traveling Feet.
Read More on Nearby Attractions:
- 10 Fun Trails to Hike near Clearwater, FL with Kids!
- How to Walk to Caladesi Island From North Clearwater Beach
- 10 Gorgeous Beaches near Clearwater (that Locals Love)
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