Caladesi Island State Park

The boat-only beach of north Pinellas

⏱ Half day👤 All ages$$

The island is a geography lesson in motion. Caladesi and Honeymoon were once a single island until a 1921 hurricane cut Hurricane Pass between them; decades later Dunedin Pass to the south filled in, so Caladesi is now technically walkable from the north end of Clearwater Beach — a long, hot sand trek that a few determined walkers make, though the ferry is the sensible way in. That separation from the mainland is why it stayed wild: the state acquired it in the 1960s, and the result is a barrier island that looks the way this whole coast did before the causeways — dune ridges, pine flatwoods, gopher tortoises, ospreys working the sound, and a beach that is cleaned only by tides.

The visit craft is simple and rewards an early start. Take one of the first ferries from Honeymoon Island (the park entry fee for Honeymoon is separate from the ferry ticket), confirm your return boat at boarding, and walk straight across to the Gulf beach; the sand nearest the boardwalk fills first, and a ten-minute walk north or south buys space. Bring everything you need for the hours ashore, because Helene recovery means services can be thin. Paddlers should consider renting a kayak to do the mangrove trail — the shaded tunnels on the bay side are some of the prettiest paddling in the bay area — and anyone with binoculars should watch the shoals for wading birds. Dolphins are common on the crossing; manatees appear in the warm months.

Practicals and fit: ferry departs Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, about 40 minutes north of St. Pete and a short drive from Clearwater; plan a half day. The park itself is open daily for day use; marina and concession limits from the 2024 storms were still posted in 2025, so check the state park page before you go. Pair with Honeymoon Island the same day, and save Egmont Key for the southern end of the trip — between them you have the two best boat-only beaches in Tampa Bay.