Ok, so at the entrance to the doggy park there's a big sign reminding you to pay for parking. But where, how? Except for that faux pas the park is great. Two dog runs, broad beach, a walkway for fishing (but where are the big fish), etc.

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.

First we went to clearwater beach, which was wall-to-wall people with three rows of cabanas and chairs. You couldn't enjoy the ocean because there were too many people in front of you. Sand Key is only a quarter of a mile away from Clearwater Beach and was perfect! There were fewer people, $5 parking, cabana rental was less, flat sand, and trails. The bathrooms were clean. We loved watching the ocean waves and shelling. Many of the parking meters were not working. There is an app, but there was no zone number posted. We finally found a fee machine by the bath house that worked.

We spent a week in Orlando and wanted a beach day! We had planned to head to Clearwater, but happened upon sand key beach and were so pleased. The Clearwater beaches were PACKED (it’s spring break-we knew they would be). Sand Key was busy, but nothing like the other beaches. We were able to rent 2 chairs and an umbrella for $30, and parking was $5 for the whole day. Our kids had plenty of room to play in the sand, and the changing facilities weren’t bad at all! So glad we found this gem!

Today I tried the hard-packed sand walking trails that begin near the park entrance and continue through the parking lot towards the beach. These trails connect to many different boardwalks that lead to and from the parking lot and to and from the sandy beach along the Gulf. Today I saw a food truck on the beach selling high-priced beverages and fast food. I will appreciate this concession if I ever run out of water while walking in this park. I believe there are 2 buildings with bathrooms near the parking lot.

Beautiful beach. Not at all crowded and parking was only $5! We went the week of July 4th and couldn’t have asked for a better first beach experience with my toddler. Would highly recommend especially with young children!

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.