Fort De Soto Park – North Beach

North Beach is the main swim center at Fort De Soto, Pinellas County's largest park, a Gulf-facing stretch of white sand near the mouth of Tampa Bay reached by a toll road. Integrity Multisport's Fort De Soto Triathlon Series holds its quarter- and half-mile swims here. Swim only in the marked areas; lifeguards cover them from April through September.

Directions

Photo: Christopher Hollis · Public domain

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Latest reading · SwimScore 89/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 32°C, wind 6 km/h, waves 0.2 m, UV 4. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: Pinellas County park at 3500 Pinellas Bayway South, reached by toll road; open daily 7 a.m. to sunset. The park has almost three miles of beach and two swim centers (North Beach and East Beach).
Parking & transport: County parking fee of $6, payable by mobile app, pay-by-text ($0.35 convenience fee), parking terminals or annual pass.
Lifeguards: Park brochure lists lifeguards on duty April–September; swimming only in designated areas.
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Fort DeSoto North Beach' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70.
Season: Year-round park; lifeguards April–September.
Who swims here: Integrity Multisport's Fort De Soto Triathlon Series stages four races a season from North Beach, with a 0.25-mile (sprint) or 0.5-mile (international) salt-water swim in full view of spectators.
Watch for: Swimming outside designated swim areas is prohibited
Red tide (Karenia brevis): FWC says blooms occur in the Gulf almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall, most often between Clearwater and Sanibel Island
Facilities: Restrooms · Showers · Food concession at the North Beach Swim Center (cashless) · Beach chair, umbrella and kayak rentals · Playground · Paved trail linking the beaches