Fort De Soto Park: North Beach Coastal Shelling & Historic Battery Discovery

About this adventure

Spanning 1,136 pristine coastal acres across five interconnected barrier islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Fort De Soto Park is a premier winter coastal wonderland for families. Winter brings mild breezes, crystal-clear water, and world-class beachcombing along North Beach, where toddlers and children can safely wade on sandbars, hunt for unbroken sand dollars and conch shells, and watch brown pelicans dive. Families can wander through historic Battery Laidley, touch century-old mortar cannons from the Spanish-American War, and climb to the firing deck for sweeping vistas across the Gulf of Mexico and Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The park also features a 7-mile paved waterfront recreation trail perfect for strollers and bicycles, shaded picnic pavilions with grills, modern restrooms with outdoor rinse showers, a pirate ship playground, and two fishing piers.