Gasparilla Island State Park

Beautiful beach with beautiful water but the riptide made it really difficult to get in and out of the actual water. There were beautiful historical buildings in the area. Wouldn't recommend it for shelling overall but sound some gems there. The shower for rinsing off. I just one head and no foot wash was very low pressure.

Gorgeous beach area and water. 2 lighthouses to see. Visit the lighthouse museum and gift shop.

This was the last beach we visited while in Florida. So sad because it was SO BEAUTIFUL here and I wish we had found it earlier on our trip. Very quiet too. Everyone was spaced out. Had a Florida keys vibe.... water on both sides of the road, amazing turquoise color, and found some beautiful shells

Absolutely beautiful island. I love our Gulf Coast so much. This was our first time here. Spent a few hours exploring by bike. Paradise found.

Lighthouse and Museum. The hours on the website are different than actual hours. But this may also be due to us visiting during off season. The lighthouse is full of information and a small gift shop. Loved learning about the islands history and seeing the different animal life. The water around this is always Red Flag. This is a no swim, no wading, zone. You can definitely find a nice sunny spot to lay out, some people were fishing. But do not expect to swim at this one. Definitely recommend visiting.

Gorgeous absolutely amazing! Iguana, turtle, pelican, abundant shelling, shark teeth, lighthouse. MANATEE swam right up to us!! INCREDIBLE dreamy island. Extremely clean island. Pack lots of water, and snacks!

Beautiful beach with endless seashells to choose from. Scenic views for as far as the eye can see. You can walk the shoreline with ease for miles on end. Places to eat once in a while, different parks as you walk, wonderful homes hidden in the tree line. Truly a beautiful place to probably be able to live here year round.

Highly recommend! We went to the beach yesterday (May 14, 2022) and it was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Only $3 to park and plenty of parking spaces when we arrived at 11:30am. Gorgeous sand, beautiful shells, refreshing water. Clear...you can see to the bottom! Very friendly people there too. Don't listen to the poor reviews! We are locals and this was our first time there. Best beach we have been on since living here (30 years between the two of us).

Shelling Alert - there are lots of reasons to visit this State Park the sand and water here is absolutely gorgeous and this beach presents a great shelling opportunity if you're into that, although the amenities here are somewhat limited due to the last hurricane that came through but this park is still worth the price of admission and they have made lots of progress restoring things. We drove here from Myakka River State Park where we are camping for a few weeks being we had never visited the two lighthouses here and rumor has it that the water is warm and clear and the long stretches of beaches are covered in beautiful seashells everything we were hoping for was true. We spent an amazing few hours here walking the beach and exploring the many walking trails that wind throughout the park. We always pack a cooler when planning these excursions and the sun and temperatures today proved that it would be needed. We love the Florida State Park system and hold an annual pass to support the park but also to save a few dollars and for the convenience since we try and visit as many park as we can while traveling across the state. This is a park that we definitely plan on returning to when in the area, it is a little off the beaten path which is part of the attraction, the crowds were very manageable and we found parking at the lots along the causeway without issue and found lots of large beautiful unbroken shells oh yeah we'll be back...

This park locate at the southern tip of the Boca Grande Island. The park has two light house. One is very tall. The other is small house with a light on the roof. The taller light house is at the middle of gulf Blvd. there is parking next to it. The house light house located at the southern tip. The beach accessible surrounding the end of parking. There is a fees for the parking. Car or golf cart is $3 and bicycle is $2. They only have pay station. The entire park is good and small wave. They do have fresh water wash off and restrooms facilities. No pet allow on beach.

I took my family here for a nice beach day we drove 3.5 hours from the east coast. Parking is extremely limited we got her at around 10 30am and still struggled to find a spot. The most disappointing part was the bathroom shower situation. There was one shower for the entire park that barley worked. There was only two bathrooms and the were men and women's. Bathrooms were gross.Wouldnt come back. Water was nice though.

We decided to take a 2 hour drive from Tampa to check out Gasparilla Island State Park. What a beautiful beach! This is probably as close to the Caribbean as you will get without leaving Florida. We've been to many beaches up and down both coasts of Florida and this beach probably tops the list for the clearest and the bluest water. The beach was spotless and the sand is white. When we were there we saw dolphin and manatees right offshore. There are 4 separate beach areas with each having their own parking lots. The parking lots aren't huge. I imagine it's difficult to park in the wintertime. The parking is $3 and works on the honor system. There are envelopes and a box. You put $3 in the envelope and put the envelope in the box. All the beaches don't have restrooms. We went to the first beach because we were told this ahead of going. The first beach has restroom facilities and the last beach has restroom facilities. A lot of people speak of shelling on this beautiful beach. When we were there I didn't see any shells that you would want to collect, only small broken shells as you see on most beaches. We will definitely be returning to this gorgeous beach another day.

Fun beach with a lot to see and do. You have to cross a toll bridge which knocks $6 bucks out of your pocket before you even get to the beach but parking is then only $3 all day which is very reasonable. The parking lot is medium sized so you should have a good chance of finding a parking spot. Since you are on an island, you get a nice island vibe from the community and everything is very walkable from the beach. Good spot for shore fishing, sun lounging, swimming, and shelling. I don't think I have been to a beach that has had more sea shells on it. I am talking piles and piles of shells. So if you like to search for sea shells, this should be on your list of places to stop. Lots of varieties and many are in good to great shape. We saw dolphins swimming very close to the beach while we were here which was very cool. People were also catching bigger fish and sharks which was really neat to watch. There is also a lighthouse on the point that you can walk to and check out. Restrooms are available onsite, they are spacious and clean. Since you are on the island and paid for the toll bridge, take some time to drive into town square to do some shopping and grab a bite to eat.

Drove 2 hours south to visit this beach. Did not disappoint. The bottom half of the island of Boca Grand is a state park. There are four parking lots to choose from. . Two have restrooms and showers, while two don't. The 1st beach next to a lighthouse has restrooms.There is one restaurant located on Boca Beach next to the 3rd parking lot The most south parking lot is the largest. The water is close in color to the keys. The sand is powdery soft. There are no lifeguards. There is a $3 "honor system" charge for parking.' Most people did NOT pay. A sad state of affairs in this country, but I will not elaborate here. The restrooms were clean and the showers worked well. Except for the one restaurant, there is nothing else here. You need to shop in the town before you get into the park. The town has several stores and restaurants.. The island is a big boating community. You will see many small boats off shore. People also fish from the beach here.

My boyfriend and I visited Gasparilla Island State Park which had the best beach for collecting shells. The beach was so nice and very beautiful. The whole state park was gorgeous. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves walking on the beach and paths at Gasparilla State Park.

This is an excellent beach! There are trails as well. I chose to walk the trail and visit both lighthouses versus hang out on the beach. Walking under the vegetation especially the sea grapes made the trail feel refreshingly cool. There is a small fee for parking, and the parking was tight. I actually blocked someone in so I could have space. They said they were okay with it as long as I left before them as planned. The lighthouse museum staff were knowledgeable and friendly. I do question whether the info listed in the museum about the black community that was on the island had been white-washed. This state park is beautiful and immaculately clean. There are days the Gasparilla Lighthouse is open for climbing. I'll have to come back again for that. This is a great state park!

Absolutely lovely park - beaches are out of this world and the sun always shines although it may be cloudy on the main land. Went several times and will definitely come again

It's a great small town destination. The beaches are beautiful. The "downtown" central business district is very cool. It's worth the $6 one way bridge crossing. The entire island is very comfortable and relaxing,

Beautiful beach with pristine white sand, crystal clear water and amazing sunsets! Here are a couple of things to consider: Toll to get in the island is $6 per passenger car (cash or card are accepted) Parking on Gasparilla Island State park is $3 for the entire day per car (cheap comparing to some islands where the cost if $5 per hour!) Coolers and grills are allowed and encouraged as there are no vendors on the beach besides a couple of restaurants Pets are not allowed on the park but are permitted in other areas of the beach There are no gas stations on the island so make sure you fill up before arrival. Do the speed limit, the island is small and do not tolerate speeders Major mode of transportations are golf carts and anyone over the age of 14 is allowed to maneuver it, so be on the look out and be safe!  Do not disturb turtle's nests, you could be fined a large sum of money if caught but mostly you do not want to damage any eggs. For more info, read my entire blog post on Gasparilla Island beach https://www.jujugurgel.com/single-post/Gasparilla-Island-Exploring-Southwest-Florida

The state park is absolutely beautiful. The water is extremely calm, and the sand is soft. This is a great place to go to and relax. In order to get to where the park is located there is a $6 fee to cross the bridge and it is encouraged to pay a $3 fee to enter the parking lot - I believe the total of $9 spent was worth it. This is a great beach to bring rafts or noodles so you can float in the water. A great place to bring the family, a significant other, or a great friend. It's a beautiful and peaceful beach.

Beautiful state park!! The views are fantastic and the sand is so soft. It was crowded when I went, but we still enjoyed it. Know that there is a toll booth to access the bridge to get to the park.

All I can begin this review is with a WOW. Beautiful beach. Not crowded at all, at least during our visits. Reminded me of being in the Caribbean. Clear, calm water with schools of tiny fish swimming all around you. Pay $6 to cross the gasparilla island causeway and then the $3 to park in the lot and walk past the indoor/outdoor restaurant located directly on the beach. Bargain for the tranquility and natural beauty you step into. Didn't eat there but got some to go drinks to enjoy on the beach. Spent a week and change exploring and visiting the gulf coast beaches and everyone in my fam agreed this was the best.