Sand Key Park

Sand Key Park is sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Clearwater Pass. It features a dog park, picnic benches and pavilions, grills and playgrounds, concessions and cabana rentals. There also is the beach. There are not too many good places for surfing on Florida's west coast, but when the weather is right, many try here. More than a million visitors a year come to the 95-acre park.

There...

If you don't fee like shelling out the change for parking, you can always leave your car at home and hop on the Jolly Trolley.

The park's open from 7am through dusk, so night owls should head elsewhere.

This is a mellow counterpart to often-crowded Clearwater Beach to the north. It has a lovely beach, plenty of green space, a playground, and a picnic area in an otherwise congested area. Parking is a flat $5. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming.

Sight Lines
Picnic tables, grills, volleyball nets, wide expanses of grass perfect for sports, restrooms, parking as far as the eye can see. Oh yeah, and a half-mile of some of the...

South of Clearwater, this park with its wide swath of powder-soft sand and gentle surf has often been voted one of the nation's top beaches. Here you can transport yourself from the bustle of Clearwater to a slice of tropical paradise designed for sunning, swimming and picnicking under the palms. A boardwalk with railing assists you to the beach, and what a view you get of the Gulf's famous...