Three miles of sparkling sand line the Gulf with an array of lodging, from luxury resorts to kitschy hotels and small inns. The beach here is uncommonly wide in most parts, which means you’ll find plenty of space to spread out. Old-school mom ‘n’ pop hotels lend T.I. (as locals call it) a ton of Old Florida charm, as does a quaint neighborhood on its southern tip, Sunset Beach.
There are three different beach neighborhoods. The first area is mid-island. It is a very wide beach and it is here that you will find most of our gulf-front motels, hotels and condo hotels. It is a commercial area with many restaurants, shops and conveniences all within a short walking distance. It is along the mid-island stretch of Treasure Island that you'll find our .85-mile Treasure Island Beach Trail, perfect for walking, skateboarding, dog-walking and bicycling. The trail meanders the beach through sea oats dunes parallel to the shoreline between 104th and 119th Avenues.
At either end of the island, with John's Pass to the north and Blind Pass to the south, the beaches are narrower yet no less beautiful. These beaches, known as Sunshine Beach and Sunset Beach respectively, are more residential than commercial, and home to everything from quaint beach cottages to Key West-style three-story homes, although there are some of the smaller "mid-century modern" motels from the '50s and '60s in these neighborhoods. Here you will find dunes of sea oats lining the beach with walkovers providing access. At the southern end of Treasure Island, in Sunset Beach, there is a 5/10-mile boardwalk encircling the tip of the island. This is where Blind Pass and the Gulf of Mexico meet, and it's famous for fishing and just strolling.
PARKING:
All city-owned parking lots are metered or have pay stations and accept credit cards. You can easily identify city-owned lots because they are named after birds and marked with blue and white numbers. All parking is enforced 24/7 at $3.00/hour during the week and $3.25 per hour on weekends and holidays. The Downtown/Community Center Lot is $2.50/hour every day. You can pay by using a smartphone using the ParkMobile app, or at the meters or pay stations using credit/debit cards only. Click here to find a list and location of city parking lots.
Please note that the City of St. Petersburg Municipal Lot at 112th Ave. and Gulf Blvd. is not a City of Treasure Island lot but is open to the general public.
HANDICAP BEACH ACCESS:
The city of Treasure Island has installed an ADA beach access mobility mat. The mat was installed at Gulf Front Park, 10400 Gulf Boulevard, Treasure Island's busiest beach access location. The MobiMat RecPath is a removable access pathway made out of recycled materials. It extends approximately 350-400 ft. towards the gulf and is 6 ft. wide. It provides improved accessibility for those with mobility impairments and for pedestrians and users of strollers and beach carts.
BATHROOMS & OUTDOOR SHOWERS:
• Sunset Beach Pavilion 8000 West Gulf Boulevard in Sunset Beach (at 80th Avenue)
• Gulf Front Park 10400 Gulf Boulevard (at 104th Avenue)
• City of St. Petersburg Municipal Beach 11200 Gulf Boulevard (at 112th Avenue)
SMOKING & VAPING BAN:
Treasure Island has a ban on cigarette smoking and vaping on the city’s public beaches, city parks and the Beach Trail.
 No smoking or vaping on public beaches, the Beach Trail and city parks. |
 Smoking and vaping are permitted in city-owned parking lots. |
Those found violating the ordinance will receive a warning with a reasonable time to stop. If the person violating the ordinance does not stop, they will be issued a $88 citation. The ordinance goes into effect immediately.
DOGS & OTHER ANIMALS NOT ALLOWED ON PUBLIC BEACHES:
.jpg)
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor, have, or allow any dog, cat or any other domesticated or wild animals as defined in F.S. § 828.02 in his possession, custody or control at any time anywhere on the public beach within the city, except for on the improved surface of the City Beach Trail between 119 th Avenue and its terminus south of Gulf Front Park. Service animals providing assistance to the disabled are exempt from this section. The city commission may permit from time to time a special event that may include dogs, cats or any other domesticated or wild animals. Any person, whether the owner or person in charge of such animal, who shall permit or allow such animal, to be upon any such public beach shall upon conviction be guilty of a violation of this section.
HOW TO ESCAPE A RIP CURRENT:.png)
ALWAYS USE CROSSWALKS:
• Always cross at marked crosswalks. You forfeit your rights as a pedestrian if you cross elsewhere.
• Obey any pedestrian signals and look left-right-left to make sure the road is clear in both directions before crossing.
• If a vehicle approaches, make eye contact with the driver to be sure s/he sees you before you cross.
• Look before walking past stopped vehicles. Do not cross just because a driver waves you on. Be sure all lanes are clear first.
• Please be aware of both foot traffic & bicycle traffic in marked crosswalks.
SEA TURTLES:
Nesting season is from May 1st through October 31st of each year.
The most important thing for beachgoers to understand is not to interfere with sea turtles or their nests (which are marked with a small sign and plastic tape). It is actually illegal to do so because both are protected under state law. Please be careful not to enter the marked-off nest area and if you encounter a sea turtle give them plenty of space and do not touch them.
Do not shine lights at or take flash photos of the sea turtles, fill in any holes and flatten sandcastles/sculptures before leaving the beach. LEAVE NO TRACE BEHIND.
Click here to learn more about what you can do to keep sea turtles safe.
STINGRAY SHUFFLE:
While most local species of sea life are very shy and tend to avoid us, one of these that you should be familiar with is the stingray. A Stingray is a flat, bottom-feeding fish that lives and breeds in our warm shallow waters from April through October. Stingrays are not normally aggressive fish, but they will defend themselves if they feel that they are threatened, such as being stepped on. Stingrays have a stinger in their tails that they use to sting their attacker, usually in the ankle or foot. Just like when you go visiting friends, it's always better to let them know that you are coming.
The best way to do this with stingrays is to do what we like to call the Stingray Shuffle. By shuffling (or sliding) your feet slowly through the sand you will warn the stingrays of your presence and to move out of your way.
Check out this video members of Treasure Island Fire Rescue made on stingray safety:
