The Brohard Paw Park features a fenced dog play yard that leads to the only beach area in Sarasota County where dogs are allowed. Please observe the posted signage stating where the dog beach ends. Other amenities are dog waste bags, showers, benches and drinking fountains for humans and dogs. Please pick up after your pet, and dispose of dog waste bags in trash receptacles. Open daily, 7 a.m. -dusk.

Caspersen is one of the most enjoyable shelling beaches in the area and an exceptionally good place to find prehistoric sharks' teeth. Enjoy a 20 minute walk along Caspersen's nature trail through a coastal hammock. The southern two thirds of beachfront were left in its natural state and offer a more secluded experience. A dune restoration system with walkovers helps preserve the shoreline. Other habitats here include freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangroves and tidal flats.

Longboat Key’s public beaches (11) access areas, indicated by “Public Beach Access” signs, offer beautiful Gulf views without the usual beach crowds. There are a few small parking areas along or across from the public beach entrances (e.g. Whitney Beach on the north end). Grab a bite at The Lazy Lobster, the Drydock Restaurant, or Shore Restaurant after your beach day. Note: no amenities available.

In 1963, Manasota Beach consisted of a small beach (450 feet of Gulf frontage) with four concrete picnic shelters. Spoil from the construction of the ICW was pumped onto the bay side of Manasota Beach in the early 1960's, expanding the park. Additional beach was purchased by the County in the 1970's with financial assistance from a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. Amenities include: Beach, lifeguard, boardwalk, fishing, boat ramps, docks, canoe/kayak launch, picnic areas, grills, volleyball court, restrooms, parking

This park sits on a picturesque location on the Gulf of Mexico. Large picnic pavilions, grills, children’s play set, and public facilities make it a perfect place for a family outing. The park is around a pond where you can see many types of birds and alligators. A fence separates the pond and a paved walking trail. There is plenty of parking. It is adjacent to Paw Park on one side, and Sharky's restaurant and the Venice Fishing Pier on the other.

Nokomis Beach is Sarasota County's oldest public beach. The Nokomis Beach Plaza was designed and built in the 1950's by Jack West, of the renowned Sarasota School of Architecture, and renovated in 2008. Amenities include: beach, swimming, lifeguards, boardwalk, canoe/kayak launch, boat ramp and dock on bayside, historic Nokomis Beach Plaza, picnic shelters, playground, volleyball, beachside restrooms, bayside portable restrooms, parking.

North Jetty Beach Park offers to visitors the opportunity to watch the boats pass through the channel from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. Lifeguards are on duty year round. This park is also a popular fishing spot, where changing tides yield their catch to patient beach-goers. Just in case you don't catch your lunch at the end of your fishing line, the concession offers a variety of food to enjoy at the beach, or at a shady picnic spot.

This beach will give you a feeling of privacy and seclusion. It is a gently sloping beach with a pristine dune system, alive with native coastal vegetation and a number of resident gopher tortoises. The beach is a popular spot for boaters and people who like to walk along the shore from the south end of Turtle Beach. There is no on-site parking and no facilities present.

This small park near the Venice Fishing Pier offers a walk-on area to the beach with great sunset views as well as a volleyball and picnic areas. Located away from the hustle and bustle of the larger area beaches, it is a perfect spot if you are looking for a quainter and quieter place. Amenities/Activities: Beach Access, Birding, Picnicking, Restroom, Shelter / Pavilion, Swimming, Volleyball, Wildlife Viewing.

South Lido Park consists of one hundred acres containing a variety of coastal habitats influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, Big Sarasota Pass, Sarasota Bay, and Brushy Bayou. Park goals are to maintain an environmentally sensitive area and open space to serve the passive recreation needs of county residents and visitors. Park users may enjoy bathing in the waters of the Gulf and Pass, and picnicking and hiking in the wooded areas. Bird watching and canoeing may be enjoyed near the center of the park at Brushy Bayou, a dynamic estuarine environment of unusual diversity. Dedicated in 1986 by the Sarasota County Historical Commission.

South Lido Beach is located at the southern tip of Lido Key. It offers an exceptional beach experience, picturesque views, picnic tables and a playground. No Lifeguards are on duty. This park provide unique opportunities for visitors to enjoy natural Florida beaches. They are contiguous sections of a 100-acre property that interacts with four bodies of water; the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay and Brushy Bayou. Because of their convergence, currents run swift in some areas of the shoreline. This area is posted NO SWIMMING.

This pier is famous for its gorgeous sunsets and fishing. A bait shop on the pier is the perfect addition. Restaurants nearby, like Fins and Sharky’s on the Pier, provide excellent seafood menu items with a clear view of our glistening Gulf. The nearby Brohard Paw Park and Beach is THE spot to take your 4-legged friend(s) to for a playdate in the sand or a dip in the water.