One of my favorite places. Beautiful park with everything you need for spending time with your family or on your ovn. Kayaking, boating, fishing or grilling on overlooking Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg.

Launched kayaks at the mangroves and 1) no directional markings, 2) very tight, and 3) mosquito haven!! I highly recommend launching off the beach side of parking lot. Once your out, plenty of paddling to be had.

A bit rocky, but a fun place for dogs.

Nice place to have a picnic, take a nature walk, fish, play etc... Its clean, they have restrooms and a outside shower. Also dog friendly too.

Large park on a peninsula. Has a variety of features: boat ramp, Frisbee golf course, dog park, beaches and plenty of space to walk about. Bathrooms are unfortunately closed in off/ summer season. You must drive through an industrial part of town and the park attracts a variety of characters

Some improvements are really nice. Wondering why they didnt add seating on the fixed dock area. The beach area is further away from the renting picnic pavillions now that they built up the eroding areas. It is peaceful though.

Hidden gem of a park in South Tampa. Great views. Pet friendly.

The beach area isnt anything to boast of. Its kinda dirty and not something youd want your kids to play in. But the surrounding area is nice! There are quite a few shelters and its pretty quiet. You also catch a nice view of downtown St Pete, the bay, and a pretty sunset if youre lucky!

This is a beautiful park. Nice walk, nice views. My only very small complaint is that I saw two shady characters in the park, one of which was sleeping on a picnic table. Other than that, awesome!

Best dog beach in Tampa. Lots of space for the dogs, both beach, water, and green space - which helps ensure the pups all get along even on the busy weekend days. There are hoses to rinse your dog, water fountains, and restrooms. While there are some rocky portions, that’s typically only an issue on the back half of the beach. We’ve been coming for 5 years and still enjoy it. Be watchful of the broken glass on the beach as sometimes it’s an issue. Also, mid-summer gets ridden with mosquitoes like most of the Tampa area.

I grew up in this place back in the fifties sixties and seventies and I was living there before there was even a picnic island when it was just Mangrove islands and water swamp area but I love that you love growing up there and love to go back there the only thing I miss about Tampa now its going out on the water and enjoying the fishing have a nice day

Love this beach. Nice place to bring kids. Has a couple playgrounds.

Very nice location if it werent sometimes neglected by the city of Tampa it would also be nice if people would clean up after themselves. But thats true of almost all parks

This is one of the nicest parks in Tampa overall. It’s really big and on the beach. It’s not the ocean or Gulf but not far off. They have multiple play areas including a large climber gym which isn’t as common in the Bay Area, frisbee golf, workout gym and volleyball. It does seems like it’s way out there when driving but it’s not bad and worth it. They have some events here and a lot of families have get togethers so they have decent size shelters even seen a wedding and couple receptions here. They have a double wide boat ramp and a dog park as well.

Serene & Over all a great place to relax .......

The park has been kept really clean

Decent waterside woods with trails through the mangroves....disc golf... Free admission..

Catfish central, caught a Ramora, and great for cast netting for little finger mullet

DO NOT GO HERE!!!Okay....I had high hopes for this, especially after looking at it on a map and seeing that it was closer to the actual gulf than other options.Got here and had to drive to find the actual dog friendly beach (its right next to the fishing pier and boat launch ramp).Finally got to the dog beach area....not too bad but a ton of grass and then some mediocre sand. How can sand be mediocre? you might ask....well...it was rocky and incredibly dirty. Seaweed and leaf debris and dog poop everywhere. The people were friendly but thats kind of a dog owner thing not an attribute of the park.So we get in the water, my 7 year old goes in with me and instantly we realize that the sand in the water is COVERED in razor sharp rocks and shells. My son went a little bit on and sliced his foot wide open on a rock. He HAD SHOES ON.So if the rocks/shells are sharp enough to cut him through his shoes....what would they do to a dogs paw??We are now sitting in the emergency room waiting to be seen about whether he needs stitches.I urge you not to take your pup here if he/she wants to play in the water.

I love this place️

“A beautiful example of tax dollars at work!”Dont let the drive through an industrial area to get to this park fool you. The park is nicely landscaped and well maintained. It has a boat launch, lots of sheltered picnic tables w/grills, water spigots, decent restrooms with outside shower/rinse off, beach area, volleyball area, childrens playground, disc golf course, observation deck, and a great view of downtown St..

I played disk golf with my BOYS today. Nice course. Thank you for this place whoever helped with it.

Always a good time

Nice spot to get out and see the water

We launched our kayaks from their kayak launch. It was low tide but we were able to float through the mangroves without a problem. The area was well kept and had plenty of picnic tables and a playground area. The bathrooms were clean and adequate. It looks like a nice place for a family picnic.

Nice to see they are repairing the pavilions. Nice place to cook out but we brought our own grill. The large grills provided are good for large groups but too big for just 2 people. They also got the little dock repaired. Fun to play disc golf here.

This a review of the kayak launch itself, not the park. The park is gorgeous and well maintained. The park deserves 5 stars.The kayak launch is pretty awful. Its overgrown, not marked at all when you re-enter from the bay and is easy to get lost in. Its basically a narrow tunnel through the mangroves going in 3 directions, 2 of which just take you deeper and deeper into thicker mangroves and one which actually takes you to the bay. The one that takes you to the bay on your way out/takes you to your car on the way in is not marked, so good luck if its your first time here. The launch is also too narrow for two kayaks to get past each other at low tide, and with all of the twists and turns/mangrove branches youd have no idea if someone else was coming until youre feet away from them.It works in a pinch, but its easier to just launch at the boat ramp. Id only use the kayak launch if you want to fish the flats on the backside of the park.

I really wish theyd upgrade the playground for the children but this is a great place to spend a family day. They offer a dog beach, a pier for fishing and a boat launch as well, a disk golf course, playground, gazebos for parties, walking paths and a great view. The mosquitoes can be a little much so be sure to bring bug spray as well as sunscreen!

Its a little difficult to navigate through the mangroves during high tide at the kayak launch. It is much easier to launch a kayak from the beach area. Otherwise pristine.

Theres plenty of space for everyone! You are encouraged to bring your four legged family members! Yes there are some rocks but only in small areas. Playgrounds for the kids. Also a picturesque area for some awesome photoshoots!

A hidden gem on the southern tip of Westshore Boulevard. One of the few real beach parks in Tampa. Theres a boat launch that puts you right into Tampa Bay. The views of Downtown St. Pete AND Downtown Tampa are gorgeous! Lots of space for picnicking, lots of playgrounds, and a nature walk. A really great way to spend an afternoon with your family!

Nice small stretch of beach for owners and pups. Water and hose for dogs. Owners all cleaned up after dogs that I saw.It would be nice to have some trees for shade.Dogs had fun :)

I went for a second time today and considered it just fine. Nothing too fancy but it has plenty if parking, requiring very short walk. Convenient for carrying things to reserved tables. Nice view and I enjoyed a jog there today as well. I would go back and even recommend it.

Awesome park, huge space for grilling and tossing a football, amazing folf course, lots of wild life to be seen and killer sunsets with either an ocean or a city sky line depending which way youre looking. personally I got one of my favorite pictures of Florida at sunset in this park. Seriously post card worthy sunsets, great for a first date walk.

Disappointed with this beach. The sand is too rocky and not safe for anyone going barefoot. Theres a portion of the beach that is designated as dog beach but the whole place is dog beach as pet owners ignore the posted signs and dog feces are everywhere. It has so much potential as a park, but if you plan on doing water activities - there are more better places to go to.

Quiet place right on the bay good fishing and pet freindly.

Thousands and thousands of rocks. All of my three pups cut their paws while trying to play and have a good time in the water. My pit tried to play with a smaller dog but the owner reacted so over sensitively that he didnt only push my dog away but me as well and not very gently, thats for sure. They thought only because shes a pit she must be one of those vicious kinds. Watch out for the rocks and people there.

First time at this beach/park was 3 weeks ago after having lived here 9 years. Went back the next weekend and Im on my way there now. Its a nice little place. No crowds...no loud noises...very relaxing.

Had a wonderful time with my 2yr old daughter. Theres a playground, shelters and large grills, free parking!! The small beach is nice and quaint to chill out on with pretty white sand. Overall a great, clean, and beautiful place for family and friends.

Nice place for picnic! Thats right, the name of the island is as should be! Big shelters and lots of benches under the shelters and around them, nice grills, and the breeze from the ocean make this area the best place for barbecue and party.

Most disappointing dog park experience. I expected a clean and safe beach area for both my dog and me. Nothing but rocks and the water was so dirty. If we were in the Flinstones, then this would be considered the perfect dog park in Bedrock.

Still the same. Love it

If the bay is calm, you can kayak about a mile or less out from here there is a reef. also grouper if you fish the ship channel. many tarpon under gandy bridge at the right time of year.

A natural beauty! Our fuzzy child loved it here!

My dog had a great time playing until she cut her paw running into the water. The vet bill set me back $500 for 5 stitches via an emergency veteran clinic. I wont bring my dog to a place again that has numerous rocks in the water. I would suggest bringing Fido to a safer beach such as Fort Desoto.

Very quiet. A diamond in the rough so to say. Grounds are well kept and there is something for almost everyone.

A very good dog beach. Every once in a while someone will come in with a dog that is completely aggressive and let them loose so you definitely have to watch out for that. Youll also have some people who set all their beach stuff up right in the middle and act completely surprised if a dog walks over to them to see whats up. Im all for controlling your dogs. If I see my dog getting too close to someone I will do something about it but dont come in and put out a full spread of food and not expect every dog in there to come running to your table.

The fact that the park has separate little areas with playground and they have a dog area and all of that makes it a little better. But, the water was just not clean, a few dead fish, some people bring their dogs over to the area where dogs arent allowed, makes this place a bit less attractive. We probably wont be going back.

One of my favorite places to go. So many options here. Parties, beach, playground for kids, frisbee golf, dog beach, fishing, canoe/kayaking, boat ramp. Also usually stays pretty clean.

Beautifiul place, good location and good local area, The area was well kept and had plenty of picnic tables and a playground area.

Went here for the dog beach because it is fenced and my dogs can play off leash. However, the dog beach is extremely rocky and even the sand has LOTS of debris. Beach is not maintained well at all... we stayed for a little over an hour and left early because I noticed both of my dogs had bloody paws from all the rocks and and junk in the sand. Would be awesome if the beach was cleaned up, but I will not be going back unless it is. Seems great at first until you realize what its doing to their feet.

Amazing view and shine much needed seclusion from the city. Lots of bbq grills and shade! Very nice beach as well. One of the most underrated places in Tampa!

Wonderful beach for dogs. It was my first time there today, I will definitely come back. My pups loved it.

This is a beautiful Beach and Park. Its picture perfect! There are a few playgrounds, a boat launch, areas to fish, areas to explore, mangroves, and more.We even saw porpoise playing in the water!Beware of the sharks!

Really nice park to take the kids too. Also my company picnic was there everyone had a good time. Especially the kids.

So we went to this park today, the park was great many different places with playgrounds, sandy areas, ect, but we were mainly going today for the actual dog beach. When we first got there we had no idea where the actual Dog beach was due to no signs informing us of where to go, then what I assume must have been some type of maintenance worker on a golf cart informed us that it was near the boat rap at the beginning of the park ( which by the way the maintenance office on the cart was very rude about our dogs being at the at wrong place and in the water, actually threatened to call the cops on us) So we went to the dog beach here and it was very dirty such as lots of rocks and debris around the water looks like they never take the time to clean the beach, and it did not smell well at all when you first walked into the dog park, so needless to say due to our experience today we will not be returning nor will we recommend anyone else to go either.

Picnic Island has a lot to offer. Fishing pier, boat ramp, playgrounds, pavilions for reservation, dog park. It is beautiful!

Nice park but the water is filty like the rest of the bay. Tampa city needs to do something about the bay, you have oil and power plants contributing to the pollution.

Good place.

Very nice small park on Tampa Bay on Tampa side with plenty of picnic spots to reserve. Our Original 50s Rockers Dance Group enjoyed our yearly picnic there. Recommend not to go there when real windy. That day was gusting winds to 50 mph in St Petersburg/Clearwater/Tampa areas.

Lovely spacious park with water views. Dog beach area, some trails. Watch out for mossies in the evening (mosquitos). Pier. In a bit of an industrial area but a fun green oasis. Frisbee gold course. Picnic areas you can rent.

Nice beach with rocks and shells. There is even coral and fish if you stay long enough when the crowd is gone!!! I saw a starfish and a little fish with a blue stripe. Its very peacefull and just incase anybody may be wondering about swimming here there are 2 swimming areas one for dogs and one for...well humans

The park is great for familys. Picnics are abundant, and they have Frisbee golf. But the water is dirty for swimming.

A wonderful park, large and scenic. My favorite disc golf course in the area, normally par 58-61, gorgeous, and has a great layout!

I love the park and so did my dogs. I have to ditto this review because it is spot on. Great dog beach in Tampa Bay. Fences should be a little further into the water.

Nice water front park lots of pavilions huge, bbq grills. Had a baby shower here and it was great!

Nice place to go and relax

Very cool place. Lots of activities to do, including a couple of nice playgrounds for the kids.

This place took a while for it to totally grow on me. That moment happened around 2pm on a random Tuesday. That is because around that time .. almost daily a squad of manatees literally swim below your feet as you stand on a pier and 8-9 of these huggable buses floating on thru.IF you love animals. youll love it.. for sure

Nice place to have a beach day. But the water is not healthy.

Quiet area. Beautiful scenery, clean. Lots of room for running around,

I go there sometimes to launch my Kayak or play disc golf. The disc golf course is fun, some of the holes have narrow fairways and most holes have a lot of brush around so make sure you watch where your disc goes.

The dog park beach is not maintained at all. The shoreline is 100% debris and it is rotting and stinks. I was hoping this would be a good place for my dogs, but it was pretty nasty.

If you want a very cool sunset, no one to disturb you and are looking for some private time, this is a nice escape.

This is a beautiful park, but visitors beware: The beach area is relatively limited, being that its a Bay beach, and the water is full of debris, which is to be expected. Of greater concern is the absolutely INSANE mosquitoes that are here. The bites these things leave on you swell and eventually scab over unlike any mosquito bite Ive ever had. I may go back, but next time Ill be armed to the teeth with repellent spray for my arms and legs.

Very nice park/beach... Plenty fun for the kids as well

I really enjoy coming here and walking in the water. Its very relaxing.

Went and had a blast. Very pretty sights and will be going again very soon!

Park is kept clean and tidy. Along the beach I noticed plenty of seaweed in some places but little to no trash. Grass was recently cut and Ive never seen it otherwise. Pavilions provide shade and a place to eat any food you brought. Grills are also available to use.Space is provided for some sports activities, such as volleyball. Beyond that, theres a decent amount of open space to play just about anything casually.Parking is abundant and plenty of trees provide sufficient shade.The only real problem of note is the mosquito population. Its not the worst Ive seen by far but it does exist so keep that in mind when you go. Some people will say, But its Florida, where are there NOT mosquitos? True but standing/stagnant water exacerbates the problem and I didnt see anything specifically contributing to such a problem while I was there. Many species of mosquito cant breed in saltwater but some can so that may be part of it.Regarding the beach, some parts have signs asking people not to swim. If youre specifically looking for beach activities, try elsewhere. Clearwater area has some nice beaches.Some minor construction was taking place near the southernmost section of Picnic Island park where a wooden deck is being worked on. Looks like it could be a nice place to view the bay or possibly even fish once done. I do not know anything about the rules & regulations for fishing in this area.Near the southernmost area of the park, along the water, there is a path in between the mangroves where you can walk a ways. Its been a long time since Ive done this though so there may have been some changes.Alcohol is not permitted on site. >.> :/

Beautiful park with a awesome dog beach! Its a great place to spend a afternoon!

Nice clean park with a few cool walking trails . Has a beach area aswell. Ill deff be back.

This is a good place to spend the day with Family and friends and the shelters are not expensive if want to reserve one.

Great beach/park. Brought my pup and he loved it.

Nice place for a cookout and picnic. Awesome breeze...

Shore was washed away a little not bad though

Great dog park lots of friendly dogs for your pooch to play with.

Fantastic dog beach

Great atmosphere. Perfect place to locally gather with friends and family.

Awesome park. Good section of beach and plenty of pavilions.

Very nice place with natural beauty and lots of kids playing area.

Quiet not crowded beach with warm water and friendly locals

Great beach for DOGS!! As mentioned in other reviews you have drive through an industrial area (not very pretty to look at) to get to the park. However once there you realize its very nice that someone carved out an area specifically for dogs to swim and play. The water is a little murky as its Tampa Bay harbor but theres a cleaning station complete with hose at the exit. I liked that it felt very safe with the fencing to let my dog run loose off of her leash. I went in the afternoon on a weekday so there were only a couple of other dogs. I can imagine it gets very crowded on the weekend. All in all my dog had a blast I would go again!

Big park, has lots to do. We love the dog beach for our doggie.

I felt like the Florida State Parks Service designed this park as an afterthought. Not citizen-friendly at all.

Great free boat ramp, fishing pier, dog park, frisbee golf, and plenty of park to explore.

Disc golf course is great, but watch out for a windy day. Being on the water, youre very susceptable to the weather.

Lots of space, not crowded, dog beach, but bring bug spray.

Very nice place for family. Has a kids park and covered picnic tables.

Cool hidden side beach/ dog park. However, the water is pretty murky & nats are bad.

The dog beach is very scenic once you are there-- its driving past factories and concrete that is icky.The dog beach is about 200-300 yards long and fenced in on 3 sides with the water being open.Its got a hose and water spicket and several picnic tables.Ive witnessed some stupid people bring picnic layouts which you just NEVER do at a dog park. Of course dogs all hover around the picnic tables with food.It says to only bring 2 dogs per person. There are small to medium sized rocks in the water which sort of defeats the enjoyment that my dogs get from sprinting along in the water.But all in all its a great beach