Bayfront Park (Anna Maria)
South coast launch
Bayfront Park (Anna Maria) is a south-coast kayak and paddleboard launch, free to park, clearest on an incoming tide.
The north tip of Anna Maria Island, where the island ends and Passage Key Inlet opens onto the Gulf. The park has a small beach, a fishing pier, and a wide-open paddling view north toward Egmont Key (the small island with the ruined fort visible on the horizon) and the Skyway beyond. Egmont Key itself is a wildlife refuge accessible only by boat. Half the island is a closed gopher tortoise sanctuary, the other half holds the brick ruins of Fort Dade from the Spanish-American War. Strong paddlers can make the crossing on a calm day (it's about three miles each way), but watch the currents in the pass. Dolphins and tarpon work the inlet in summer; the sunsets from this beach are legendary.
Where do I park, and is it free?
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Limited
Free parking, but spots go fast, so arrive early. Restrooms and showers on site, open about 6am to 10pm. Currents in the pass can be strong; check the wind and forecast before heading toward Egmont Key.
How clear is the water?
Open bay water, clear on incoming tide, especially after dry stretches
What will I see?
- Dolphins and tarpon offshore in Passage Key Inlet
What's the fishing like?
Snook and trout around the inlet, redfish on the flats; tarpon and Spanish mackerel work the pass in summer.
What about the current?
Current readings come from Passage Key Inlet (NOAA, about 0.8 mi away).
How do I share the water here?
Passage Key, the low island just off this inlet, is a National Wildlife Refuge closed to landing because it is a nesting colony for terns, skimmers, and oystercatchers. Stay off the sand entirely and watch the birds from the water, keeping well back so you do not push a nesting flock up off the island. Egmont Key to the north is a refuge too, with a closed sanctuary you reach only by boat, so treat its beaches the same way.