Linda Pedersen Park

Linda Pedersen is the big sheltered park on the east side of Shoal Line Boulevard, 135 acres backing onto Jenkins Creek and the marsh. The kayak launch is a carry down to calm bayou water, which makes it one of the easier put-ins on this coast when the Gulf is churning. In winter this is one of the better places in the county to see manatees, which come up the creek out of the cold Gulf and hang in the warmer water along the bank, sometimes close enough to watch from the dock. There is a swimming area in the bayou and a sandy strip for sunbathing, plus rinse showers, which not many launches around here have. One thing to know going in: the forty-foot observation tower has been closed since 2025 after inspectors found the 1994 timber structure unsafe, and the old boardwalk is fenced off for replacement, so the famous marsh view is off the table for now. The creek goes skinny at dead low, so launch on higher water. Parking runs five dollars a day.

Where do I park, and is it free?

Cost

$5 / day (as of 2026-06)

Parking

Moderate

Restrooms

yes

Showers

yes

County park with a kayak-carry launch. The observation tower has been closed since 2025 (structural), and the boardwalk is fenced off for replacement.

How clear is the water?

Tidal creek, shallow at low water.

What will I see?

• Manatees come up Jenkins Creek out of the cold Gulf, often close to the bank and the dock
• Wading birds and ospreys over the marsh, mullet and the occasional dolphin in the creek

What's the fishing like?

Tidal creek: redfish and snook in the mangroves, trout on the flats at higher water.

How do I share the water here?

The manatees that winter in this creek are here because the water stays a few degrees warmer than the Gulf, and they will leave it if they are pushed. Keep your distance, never get between one and open water, and let it set the pace. Touching or chasing a manatee is a federal offense.