Pine Island: This Is The Smallest Beach Park You’ll Ever Love

The dog days of summer are certainly here. If you have kids, this is usually the point in the summer where they start to get pretty bored with not going to school. If you don’t have any kids, this is the time of year to get outside and enjoy the tropical lifestyle that Florida provides us.

If you’re looking for a fun, low-key, stress-free day trip, I have to introduce you to the Alfred A McKethan Pine Island Park in Hernando County.  The actual physical address is 10840 Pine Island Dr., Spring Hill, FL 34607, the park is operated and maintained by Hernando County.

This was my first time here and I have to tell you, this beach park is like none I’ve ever been to. It’s only 3 acres. It is a very intimate park. The beach isn’t a long wide one like you would see in Clearwater. The entire beachfront has a concrete seawall. I’ve never seen a park quite like this. It also has its own concession stands showers, which I assume work,  they were out of order the day we were there. They also provide changing rooms and other facilities for your comfort. The No-Frills feel of the park is pretty cool.

The park doesn’t only offer, the beach experience. There is a very cool nautical themed playground for the children and an observation deck to look out to the Gulf.  . There are brightly colored pavilions and public barbecue grills for people to use. Off of the edge of the park is a large sand bar that allowed for very shallow water to wade in as the tide was coming in and out of the Weeki Wachee River.

The best part is the whole thing cost five dollars. You can bring your own lunch, you can bring your dinner and stay for the day.The park is open daily from 8:30 AM to Dusk.

If they were any drawbacks, it would be that there were no dogs allowed. The park also had a no smoking policy, as a cigar lover I wasn’t too thrilled about that. But overall it was a unique experience in a unique park that harkens back to the days of Old Florida. And if you’re looking for something to do, it is certainly worth the trip.

It's a Florida pastime, even if it's illegal. Many tourists and locals will crack open a cold one on the beach, even though it's against the law. But there are a handful of beaches in Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, where you can drink alcohol without a hefty fine.

While it is illegal to drink on a lot of Tampa Bay area beaches, many get away with it daily. Popular beaches like Clearwater, Honeymoon, Bellaire, Indian Rocks Beach, and Fort De Soto Park have all banned alcohol. Even though they have the stereotype as the "spring break beach", no beach in the Miami area allows public drinking. But like we said, it's not uncommon to see a group of people with coolers of beer, or even beverages from the beachfront restaurants. Keep in mind that officers do keep watch on the beach. If you get caught, it could mean at least a $250 fine and possibly spend up tp 90 days in jail. Seems like a harsh punishment, but it's there to protect the people and environment.

Remember different beaches have different rules but one thing remains the same. No glass is allowed on any beach in Florida. Even if the beach allows alcohol, you'll have to pour any glass drinks into a different container. It's really for the best, in case you were to break a bottle, it would be impossible to pick up all of the pieces. Eventually, someone will cut themselves on it.

There's another golden rule when it comes to day drinking on the beach. Don't forget to down some water in between alcoholic beverages. It's hot here and there's nothing worse than a dehydration headache and a nasty hangover. And ALWAYS remember to have a designated driver!

They don't call it Mad Beach for nothing! Not only can you bring alcohol on the beach (but no glass), there are also a lot of great bars and breweries to check out around the area.

Alcohol beverages are allowed on the sand at beachfront hotels, but this is limited to hotel guests. 

Alcohol beverages are allowed but not in glass containers. However, no alcohol is allowed on the beach between the 8500 block and the 9900 block of Treasure Island Beach between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Redington Beach is one of the few beaches that allows alcohol no ordinances against glass bottles. Although it is still strongly discouraged to bring glass on the beach.

This beach is widely known to be a party spot. However, PCB has a spring break law where no alcohol is allowed on the beach during the month of March. Thanks to TikTok challenges, you also can't dig holes deeper than 2 feet. A few months ago, it was a popular challenge on social media to dig the deepest hole you can at the beach. This led to lots of people falling into said holes, and now, the new law.

Not only does Siesta beach have some of the softest sand and clearest waters. But you can also sip on a High Noon as you enjoy the gorgeous views.

Head to the other coast to sip some beer and catch some waves all at the same beach. But be careful in the water, Cocoa beach and the New Smyrna beach are known to have some of the most shark attacks in the U.S.