E.G. Simmons Park is a Hillsborough County park in Ruskin on Tampa Bay, with camping, a boat ramp, and a bay shoreline. It is not a Gulf barrier-island beach. The water is bay, not the open Gulf of Clearwater or Fort DeSoto. Use it for camping and launching; swim-day sand is on the Pinellas islands to the west.
Amenities:
Restrooms
Picnic Areas
Picnic Areas
Campground
Activities:
Swimming
Fishing
Camping
Rentals:
Kayaks
Crowd Levels:
Moderately busy with families and locals.
Beach Access:
Free parking with direct access.
Sand Description:
Bay shoreline, often muddy or shelly. Not the white Gulf sand of Pinellas.
Nearby Activities
Featured Nearby Activity
Your business could be here
We feature six local businesses on every beach in this coast — rentals, charters, restaurants, and water sports. One featured slot is $100/month.
Beer Can Island is a small spoil island in Tampa Bay near Apollo Beach, reachable only by boat. There are no facilities, no restrooms, and no ferry. It is a local sandbar stop, not a Pinellas Gulf beach. Check tides; much of the island goes underwater at high tide. Read more...
North Beach is the main Gulf beach at Fort DeSoto Park in Tierra Verde, at the south end of the Pinellas barrier islands. The park charges an entrance fee and has a large parking lot, restrooms, and a long swim beach that faces the open Gulf. East Beach (bay side) and the ferry to Egmont Key are elsewhere in the same park. Come early on weekends; the lot fills. Read more...
East Beach is the Tampa Bay side of Fort DeSoto Park, not the Gulf. The water is usually calmer than North Beach, with a view toward the Sunshine Skyway. Same park entrance fee. Better for kids who want quieter water; the open-Gulf swim beach is North Beach on the other side of the park. Read more...
Pass-a-Grille is the small historic district at the south tip of St. Pete Beach. Eighth Avenue is the main street: restaurants, small shops, and a short walk to the Gulf. Buildings stay low, so the beach feels more like a neighborhood than a resort strip. Park on Gulf Way and the side streets; it is free in many spots but fills by late morning on weekends. Walk to the water rather than circling for a Read more...
St. Pete Beach is the long Gulf barrier island south of Treasure Island, with Gulf Boulevard as the spine. The public beach is wide, the water is usually gentle, and most visitor services sit on Gulf Blvd or a block inland on Corey Avenue. Park in city lots and garages near Corey Avenue or Upham Beach if you can. Street parking on Gulf Blvd is limited and fills fast. Upham Beach at the north end Read more...
Upham Beach is the north end of St. Pete Beach at Blind Pass, where St. Pete Beach meets Treasure Island. It is narrower than the hotel beach to the south and is known for groins and sand movement. Parking is at Upham Beach Park. Stay out of the pass channel; the current through Blind Pass is stronger than the open Gulf. Read more...
