13 Best Things to Do at Fort De Soto, St. Petersburg, Florida
Explore the best things to do at beautiful Fort De Soto County Park in St. Petersburg, Florida!
Located at the southern end of St. Pete Beach on the Tampa Bay, Fort De Soto is the largest of the Pinellas County Parks and straddles five small islands.
Whether you’re a local or a first time visitor, you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities here to keep you busy.
The St. Petersburg area is one of my family’s favorite beach destinations—and Fort De Soto is a place that we return to year after year.
In our many visits to this county park, we’ve explored every nook and cranny, and I’m sharing my best tips on what to do and see below.
Bird walks in the surf at one of Fort de Soto’s beautiful beaches
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What to Know about Fort De Soto
While there are miles of beaches along the Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg, Florida, some of these beaches are better than others.
Whether you’d like to spend the day doing watersports or relaxing on a powdery white beach, Fort De Soto has something for everyone in your family.
Here are my top tips for making your day here perfect.
There is a $5 entrance fee.
While you’ll be able to access the boat ramp and parking on Madelaine Key without a fee, all of the other amenities are located beyond the entrance station on St. Jean Key.
At the entrance station, you’ll get a map of the park. Since the park is large, having that paper map does come in handy.
Once you’ve paid that entrance fee, you don’t need to pay for most of the activities. The fort, beaches, access to the kayak launch, and bike path are all included in that fee.
The park is spread out over 5 connected islands.
The largest of these is Mullet Key, which forms an L. This is where you’ll find most of your activities, including the historic fort, beach access, the multipurpose trail, and the picnic shelters.
Madelaine Key offers a public boat ramp and parking, and is the first island you’ll cross as you make your way to the entrance station.
St. Christopher Key is where you’ll find the campground.
St. Jean Key is where you’ll pay the entrance fee, and it connects St. Christopher Key and Madelaine Key to Mullet Key. It also has additional campsites.
Finally, Bonne Fortune Key offers parking and water access.
There are some food and beverage options in the park.
PIN ME!
Unlike nearby Egmont Key and Shell Key, Fort De Soto does have some options for eating and drinking.
You can read more about those options below.
If you’re on a special diet or have a picky family member, it might be best to bring your own snacks and/or meal.
Plus, you’ll want to bring plenty of water as the park can heat up in the spring, summer, and early fall.
Be prepared for the sun.
The Gulf Shore of Florida stays warm nearly year round—and can climb to sweltering temperatures in the heart of summer.
Come prepared for a fun day in this beach environment!
Nothing ruins a vacation faster than a bad sunburn, so pack a hat, sunscreen, and a long sleeved cover-up.
If you’re planning to spend your day biking, know that there are long stretches of the multipurpose trail that do not have trees or shade.
Bring plenty of water, too.
There is a small store near the fort where you can purchase sunscreen and branded hats if you forget these items.
The kids exploring the fort’s cannons
Best Things to Do at Fort De Soto County Park
Ready for a day of sun and fun? Fort de Soto has everything you need for a day of family fun and memory-making.
To get to Fort de Soto, you’ll turn onto Pinellas Bayway/ 54th Avenue South at the Don CeSar.
Then, at Isla del Sol, you’ll turn onto Pinellas Bayway South. Follow this road through Tierra Verde, and you’ll cross the bridge at Bunces Pass.
You’ll see the parking lot for the Shell Key ferry and the boat ramp almost immediately to your right.
Continue on straight for the entrance station to the county park.
Kayaking
Fancy an inexpensive day out on the water?
The kayaking at Fort de Soto is beautiful, thanks to the mangrove trees and clear water of Mullet Key Bayou.
You can rent both single and double kayaks at the small stand on Mullet Key. Look for the break in the mangroves and the kayak storage on the right side of the road just before the road bends to the right at the fort.
If you already have your own kayak, you can also put in at the kayak rental stand.
There are many Fort de Soto kayaking trails, so you can stick to the shorter distances within Mullet Key Bayou or venture out to Egmont Key or Shell Key if you’re more experienced.
Self-guided fort tour
If you do nothing else here, you need to walk through Fort de Soto, which is where the park draws its name.
The fort was built as a response to the Spanish-American War with the Tampa area needing additional reinforcements against a potential attack.
When it was being built between 1898 and 1900, there was an issue with the stones that were being sent from the North down to Florida.
Rather than wait for the delayed building stones, the workers decided to make use of the plentiful shells around the island to construct the walls and ceiling of the fort.
With walls that range from 8 to 20 feet deep and ceilings that are 5 feet thick, this place was built to last. Yet, the fort has never been in any battles and the weapons have never been fired!
The men assigned to Fort De Soto didn't see any conflict--unless you count the hordes of mosquitos that harassed them day and night. The bugs were so bad that they even made it into the post quartermaster's report in the early 1900s. Yikes.
Thankfully, the bugs aren’t nearly as bad now, though bug spray is always a good idea in the warmer months.
You can walk through many of the old buildings, which are located on Mullet Key right where Anderson Boulevard makes a sharp turn to the north.
There’s free parking near the gift shop and beach access.
Beach Time
With 7 miles of beaches, there’s no lack of places at Fort de Soto to play in the Gulf.
Named the best beach in America in 2009, Fort de Soto offers up white powder sand beaches and warm, emerald green water.
The beaches are wide and flat, making them perfect for relaxing and sun bathing.
One reason that we love this area so much is that the Gulf has few waves and gentle slope into the water. My kids can play in the water without any of the rough waves that we get back home near Charleston, South Carolina.
Bring your own beach chairs and umbrella, or rent gear daily at the gift shop.
The easiest beach access is near the historic fort, where you’ll find plenty of free parking.
Guided bike tour
The multipurpose path is wide enough for walkers, bikers, and surrey riders.
One of the best ways to experience this area is with a guided bike tour of Fort de Soto.
Over the course of 2.5 hours, you’ll learn about the fort, the island’s history, the unique ecosystems here, and the animals who call this area home.
The e-bikes provided mean that you can see nearly the entire island without overexerting yourself.
Keep in mind that there are several stretches of bike trail without shade, so a hat and sunscreen is a must.
Check available dates to reserve your e-bike tour of Fort de Soto:
Or, if you have your own bike, you can explore along the seven mile multipurpose trail that cuts through the park.
On a self-guided tour, I suggest starting at the bay pier parking lot on Anderson Boulevard between the fort and the park’s headquarters.
From here, you can turn right or left onto Anderson Boulevard to explore different areas of the park. Go left from the parking lot to see the fort and picnic shelters. Go right to get into the less crowded areas of the park.
Our daughter checking out the available bikes and surreys at the rental kiosk.
If you need to rent a bike, you can do so at the kiosk outside of the gift shop near the fort on Anderson Boulevard.
The rates are reasonable, and you can choose from half or full day rentals.
The bike kiosk has adult beach cruisers available and a limited selection of smaller bikes for kids.
Fishing
Inside the park, you’ve got multiple options on great shore fishing spot.
You’ll find plenty of fellow fishermen on the 500’ bay pier off of Anderson Boulevard. There’s also a bait shop here if you need to stock up on tackle, a new rod, or other equipment.
The bay pier allows you to fish into Tampa Bay.
Just around the corner on Anderson Boulevard is the 1000’ Gulf pier, which is accessible via the sidewalk behind the gift shop.
You can also find a small bait shop here.
You’ll need a Florida fishing license to fish anywhere in the park, so make you have that in hand.
If you’d prefer to fish in a wider variety of areas around Mullet Key Bayou and Tampa Bay, I suggest taking a private inshore fishing charter.
This fishing tour comes with a knowledgeable captain who can guide you to the best areas for the types of fish you’re after.
You’ll motor around Egmont Key and Fort de Soto looking for sheepshead, trout, redfish, and more.
Check availability to reserve your Fort de Soto fishing charter:
Picnicking
Picnic among the palmettos
Bring a picnic for a complete day out at Fort de Soto County Park.
There are uncovered picnic areas available throughout the park. If you’re out bike riding, I like the picnic tables just north of the gift shop.
As you approach North Beach and the covered picnic shelters, you’ll see several picnic tables nestled into the palmetto trees.
These are first-come, first served.
If you’re having a party or family gathering, you can rent one of the covered picnic shelters in the park. These offer up grills and plenty of seating for a crowd.
Shelters 1-10 are located at the northern tip of Mullet Key along North Beach. There are 5 others scattered throughout the park.
Shelter 11 is on the far side of the historic fort from the gift shop, making it the shelter with the best location in my opinion.
Shelter 12 is at the foot of the 500’ bay pier on Anderson Boulevard, and Shelters 13-15 are on the eastern end of Andereson Boulevard past the park headquarters in East Beach.
Concessions Stands
If you forget to pack a picnic or just want a treat for lunch, stop by one of the park’s 3 concessions stands.
You’ll find the biggest one inside the gift shop near the historic fort and Gulf Pier.
There’s another at the Bay Pier, and a third near the North Beach picnic shelters.
These are open seasonally and serve up fountain drinks, burgers, chicken fingers, and ice cream.
It’s nothing original—just fast food fare—but it is served up fresh and quick.
Surrey rental
Renting a surrey is one of my favorite things to do at Fort de Soto.
It’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s a unique experience for the entire family.
The first time we visited Fort de Soto, I was on a press trip with the St. Pete Beach-Clearwater Visitors Bureau. My contact there told me that renting a surrey had to be on my itinerary, and he wasn’t wrong!
It’s now become a tradition for my family every time we’re in St. Pete Beach, and I hope you’ll do the same on your next visit to Fort de Soto.
To rent the surrey, you’ll head to the bike kiosk behind the gift shop near the historic fort.
Rent by the half day or full day. If you’ve never used a surrey, I’d suggest doing a half day first as they are great exercise.
The surreys do have a learning curve, even if you’re used to riding a bike. The steering isn’t super responsive, but wobbling your way down the multipurpose path is half the fun.
You can rent a 2 or 4 person surrey. For a family with 1 or 2 smaller kids, get the 2 person surrey, as the kids can ride in the front storage bucket (which also doubles as seating).
Families with bigger kids will need to get the 4 person surrey. This style still has that storage bucket up front, which is great for backpacks, hats, and picnic baskets.
Ferry to Egmont Key
This day trip is full of incredible Egmont Key adventures!
After cruising across Tampa Bay, you’ll be let loose on the island to go shelling, explore the ruins of Fort Dade, snorkel, fish, or hike.
The Camping Kiddos meet an island resident on Egmont Key
There’s all sort of wildlife here from tortoises to dozens of bird species.
Unlike Fort de Soto, which is a county park, Egmont Key is part of the Florida State Parks system. There’s also a National Wildlife Refuge on a section of the island.
To access Egmont Key, you’ll need to take a ferry from the Bay Pier at Fort de Soto or private boat charter over to the island.
Check availability for the Egmont Key private boat charter:
Ferry to Shell Key
Another incredible day trip from within Fort de Soto is out to Shell Key.
While Egmont Key is south of Mullet Key and in the mouth of Tampa Bay, Shell Key is north of Mullet Key and in the Gulf.
Meet the ferry at the boat ramp near Bunces Pass Bridge on Madelaine Key. (This is the part of Fort de Soto County Park that is outside of the entrance fee area.)
There’s ample parking here, though you will need to pay for an hourly pass.
Once on the ferry, your captain might give you the option to first stop at Outback Key if the tides and weather allow.
Outback Key is a gorgeous spit of land in Bunces Pass without any amenities, but it is incredible to have the entire island to just yourself and a handful of others from the ferry.
We took our captain up on this offer and spend our first few hours shelling, fishing, and walking the beach.
Later in the day, the captain took us over to Shell Key for more beach fun. Shell Key is more crowded, but that’s a relatively term as it is only accessible by boat—and, therefore, will be limited on the overall number of people willing to make the trek out there.
On both islands, bring plenty of water and sun protection as there is nowhere to get out of the baking sun. We lathered up with sunscreen, and used hats, protective lip balm, and long sleeved sun shirts.
Dog park
Don’t leave your furry friend at home—bring them along to Fort de Soto’s dog park.
This pet-friendly area of the county park is located to the left of the Bay Pier.
You’ll find 2 separate fenced areas for your dog. The play areas are divided by size—one for larger breeds, and one for smaller.
It has beach access as well so you and your pup can go for a swim.
You can take your dog elsewhere in Fort de Soto (except for the piers), but your pet should be on a leash.
Campground
Finally, come stay at one of the St. Petersburg area’s most sought after campgrounds!
This large campground has 3 areas: a primitive/tent camping section, an RV section for dog owners, and an RV section where dogs are prohibited.
You’ll want to book your site several months in advance. They fill up quickly, so pre-scout the Pinellas County website if you’re interested in a specific area or campsite.
If you live in Pinellas County, you can make reservations 7 months ahead of your arrival date. Everyone else can book 6 months before the expected arrival date.
Many of the spots are waterfront and look out onto Mullet Key Bayou. At these sites, you can launch your own kayak for the ultimate in beach adventures.
You won’t have beach access here, but you are directly on the bayou. For beach access, you’ll need to head further into the park at North or East Beach.
NOTE: There is also primitive camping available on Shell Key, which is accessible only by ferry. You can also book these spots through the Pinellas County website linked above.
