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Jack,
I saw the Pinellas Bayway launch and the free parking area. We are planning a trip next month and have never camped on shell Key before. Is that a safe place for overnight parking or would you recommend parking and launching from another area? I will have a camping equipment Kayak in tow so I was also considering strong current issues. Thank you in advance for your advise.
Hi Wayne,
If you launch from the Pinellas Bayway launch site, you should have no issues with a strong current because you would be traveling within the shallow preserve waters the whole way. However, I would not vouch for the safety of your vehicle parked at that location for an overnight trip. There is a sign at that location that says “No Overnight Trailer Parking” – so it’s unclear whether it’s even legal to park your car overnight. The alternative would be to launch from the Ft. Desoto boat ramps – where you will pay a $6/night parking fee and your car would be a bit safer than at the side of the road. However, when you launch from Ft. Desoto you will need to cross the Bunces Pass channel to get to the island. Depending on the time of day, you might encounter a fair amount of boat traffic in the channel. I would not think that a strong current in Bunces pass would be a problem for a loaded kayak as you would be crossing it from a perpendicular angle briefly while crossing the channel.
Hope this helps!
Do I need to purchase a ferry ticket when I arrive or should I purchase one online?
Hi Hannah,
Each of the privately owned ferries (Shell Key Shuttle, Shell Key Ferry (allows camping), Island Ferry) will have different ticketing systems. I would call them directly to be sure to get it right.
Hope this helps!
Hello, I think I may have already seen this question on here but since a boat is required to camp on the island would kayaking or canoeing there be acceptable? Assuming we all get our permits.
Hi Nathan,
Absolutely – You can use any mode of transportation to get to the island for camping. The County website’s permit registration page does require you to put in your boat registration numbers (FL bow numbers) – but I think this is just the result of a cookie-cutter registration system that was designed for normal county campgrounds like Ft. Desoto campground. To camp at a regular county campground, you are required to enter your car’s tag number – presumably so they can keep track of unauthorized vehicles in the campground. So on shell Key, they make you put in the boat registration number – because the system requires a unique identifier for each permit. There’s nothing stopping a bicyclist from camping at Ft. Desoto – but they might have problems using the online form and might need to call or get their permit in person. The Shell Key camping registration page has a similar problem, because kayaks and other small boats don’t have registration numbers. I am waiting for a response from the county about what to put in that part of the form, but I have heard that people use their phone number or driver’s license number instead. I will post the response from the county when I get it.
Hope this helps!
I see that pets are not allowed on the island, are support or service animals allowed? Thanks 🙂
Hi Wyatt,
The Shell Key Management Plan does not specifically address service animals, however, under federal law (ADA), the county must allow service animals in any public place including parks and recreational facilities. As long as you have documentation to prove that your dog is a service animal, there should be no problem.
Hope this helps!
Hi
I was wondering if there are trees on shell key for hammocks for camping
Hi Dion,
There are a few scattered trees in the camping area, but most of the foliage consists of mangroves. The upland mangroves could possibly hold a hammock. After removing the Australian pine forest in the early 2000’s, the county planted some slash pines, bay cedar and a few other types of trees, but I would not count on finding them close enough together or mature enough for a hammock. Maybe bring a tent as a backup – just in case.
Hope this helps!
Thank you Jack for all this information and the detailed responses to questions. I will be in Tampa for Super Bowl week and have been trying to find a way to visit Shell Key. I found all the information I needed via your site. Great job communicating information in ways us non Floridians can understand!
Hi Tracee,
Awesome, that’s great to hear 🙂 Thanks for the kind words and I hope you enjoy your visit!
HI,
I am planning to visit Shell key for the first time. I was wondering if I can
walk the entire beach area or is mostly restricted? Is here any hiking trails. It seems from the map that there is only one area in green that allows to walk on the beach.thanks
HI Radi,
Essentially, the island is split into 3 sections of roughly equal sizes – (1) The public use area in the north, (2) the “bird protection area” in the middle, and (3) the public use area in the south. The middle 1/3 of the island is off limits to people – but the top and bottom thirds are set aside for people. Is is technically possible to walk all the way around the island, but if you are adjacent to the bird area in the middle, you must walk in the water below the low tide mark. If you walk on the beach in the middle BPA, you could be ticketed.
Hope this helps!
Could someone tell me if you can see Shell Key from Hwy 1 & if so what’s the best/nearest mile marker to do so? TY
Hi Linda,
You might catch a glimpse of the island from highway I275 just before you get to the skyway bridge.
Where exactly is Shell Key and can you tell me are only kayaks allowed?
Hi Kim,
Shell Key is located off of the south Pinellas County peninsula – in the waters between Pass-a-Grille Beach and Ft. Desoto North Beach. You can use any type of boat to go to the island. However, there are “No Internal Combustion Engines” areas in many parts of the entire aquatic preserve – so if you have a motor boat, you can’t approach the island from the east side.
Hope this helps!
Is the camping area usually pretty packed with people? Looking to take my family camping August 2021.
Hi Monica,
The camping area consists of the entire south end of the island, so I would only ever describe it as ‘packed’ on a few holidays (like Labor Day). I have not personally camped on the island in August (due to the heat), but I would imagine that campers would be generally few and far between at that time of year. Spring and Fall are typically the busiest – followed by winter (my favorite time). But it’s a big area – and you can almost always find an isolated area to camp.
Hope this helps!
Is it best to paddle to Shell Key as the tide is going out? Id like to avoid struggling against a changing tide on the way out. Is there a resource for checking the times of the tide in the area?
Hi Caroline,
Depending on you launch point, the tides may or may not cause you difficulty. For example, if you launch from the Pinellas Bayway Kayak Launch you will be in shallow water the whole way to the south end – and the effect of tides would be minimal even with a strong incoming tide. On the other hand, if you launch from the Ft. Desoto boat ramps, and travel right through Bunces Pass, the effect of the tide could be a lot stronger. Here is one website that can help you plan around the tides.
Hope this helps!
Does anyone know how long it would take to paddle to Shell Key from Ft. DeSoto? We have our own paddleboards, am just curious about the distance and how long it would take average paddlers to arrive.
Hi Dominique,
I have not crossed Bunces Pass on a paddleboard, but I have gone in a kayak. I would say the distance is about 300-400 yards. Certainly less than a quarter mile. Depending on your speed, you could probably make the crossing in 5 to 20 minutes.
Hope this helps!
We are planning to go fishing on Shell Key for the day. Are there restaurants on Shell Key or do we need to bring our own food?
Hi Connie,
There are no facilities of any kind on Shell Key. No toilets, buildings or structures. You will need to bring all your own food, water and shade.
Hope this helps!
Do we need a permit for a bonfires? We are coming to the island on a rental boat this month. We will not be camping or staying the night. Out by 5pm
Hi Lucinda,
No permit is needed for a bonfire unless you are camping overnight. However, you should be prepared to remove and pack out any trace of the fire including unburned firewood. Basically, you should not be able to tell that there was ever a fire in that location. Leave only ashes – so bring a bucket and scoop out any unburned wood chunks before covering over with sand.
Hope this helps!
Hello, would love to kayak for a couple of hours. Is there anything specific I need to do prior and how much is it ? Thank you !
Hi Cristina,
You would need to contact one of the kayak rental companies for those details. Kayak rentals are available on Ft. Desoto North Beach – and also on the Pinellas Bayway on the way in to Ft. Desoto park.
Is kayaking open?
Hi Carol,
Yep – Full access has been in effect since 5/20/2020.
Enjoy!
Hi! Is it possible to rent a kayak and paddle to Shell Key? If so, where? Not interested in taking a tour, but still want to get out there! Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Absolutely – Kayak rentals are available on Ft. Desoto North Beach – and also on the Pinellas Bayway on the way in to Ft. Desoto park.
Hope this helps!
We are hoping to visit Shell Key Island this week. It appears the Shell Key Ferry is down for routine maintenance. Is the only other option Island Ferry? We don’t want to snorkel, we just go hang out on Shell Key. Thanks!
Hi Sharron,
You might give the Island Ferry a try.
Hope this helps!
For kayaks, is the permit costs $6 per kayak also?
Hi Yeng,
As far as I know, the camping fee is the same no matter the size of the boat. You might get away with a single permit for a couple of kayaks, but that would be at the discretion of law enforcement in the unlikely event that you are asked to show your permit. Technically though, it’s one permit per boat.
Hope this helps!
Are small pop up allowed?
Hi Rod,
If you are referring to a pop up camper, that would not work since there is no land access to the island. You need a boat to get to the island – and once there, you can camp in your boat or in a tent on shore.
Hope this helps!
Is accessing shell key by jet ski an option? If so, recommend where to rent a jet ski?
Hi Cherina,
You are allowed to ride a jetski anywhere that motor boats are allowed – but not in the areas of the preserve marked “No Internal Combustion Engines”. You could try the folks at Blind Pass Boat and Jet Ski – or do a quick Google search for local boat rental.
Hope this helps!