Anclote Keys @ Sandbar Vacation Rentals
About Anclote Keys
Named Best Hidden-Gem Beach 2014 by USA Today, this island getaway is over 400 acres and features miles of white-sand beaches. Four islands make up the park—Anclote Key, North Anclote Bar (this is the “dog beach” everyone loves on the island; it’s the only part of the island that is fido-permitted), South Anclote Bar, and Three Rooker Island.
Get to Anclote Keys
Located three miles off the coast, Anclote Keys Preserve is only accessible by private boat or ferry.
Enjoy the beach
Stroll miles of white sand beaches in relative seclusion. Or, lay down a couple of blankets and simply relax on your very own island getaway.
Lighthouse
The Anclote Key lighthouse is located on the southern end of Anclote Key. Unlike lights of the mid- and upper-Atlantic, this lighthouse is a square pyramid made of cast iron—it seems like a giant iron statue standing sentinel to guide Gulf boaters. The lighthouse's original purpose was to guide ships headed into Tarpon Springs away from the shallow regions surrounding the island.
Sea Shells
Spend hours walking the beaches of Anclote Keys searching for seashells, shark teeth, and sponges.
Birdwatching
Bring your binocs and catch sight of bald eagles, oystercatchers, and other shorebirds.
Park Guidelines
- Hours are 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year.
- All plants, animals and park property are protected, including sand dollars and shellfish.
- Please honor areas of the beach that are closed for vital shorebird nesting/resting.
- Pets are permitted on North Anclote Bar. Pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet, well behaved at all times and must stay out of posted areas.
- A Florida fishing license may be required.
- Fireworks and hunting are prohibited.
- There is no fresh water available on the island. Please bring drinking water with you.
- There are no garbage receptacles on the islands. Please take all refuse off of the islands with you.
History & Nature
The islands that make up Anclote Key State Park are renowned for their diversity and number of nesting shorebirds. On the Three Rooker Island large numbers of shorebirds nest in the summer. Species include American oystercatchers, royal and least terns, black skimmers and snowy and Wilson’s plovers. The adjacent waters are also an important feeding area for long-legged wading birds. At night, between the months of May and October, green and loggerhead sea turtles crawl from the gulf waters and lay their eggs on the beach.
The forest on Anclote Key is composed of a variety of trees such as slash pine, sea grape, and cabbage palm. It provides important shelter and food for migrating birds and other wildlife such as gopher tortoises and box turtles.
Much of the eastern portion of the island is a marine tidal swamp composed of red, black and white mangrove trees. They are salt-tolerant and their roots and leaves create a sheltered nursery area for juvenile fish and invertebrates. Just offshore fishing is excellent in the seagrass beds where sheepshead, redfish, and seatrout are some of the species frequently caught.
The lighthouse at the island’s southern end served as a beacon to ships for many years. President Grover Cleveland declared the island a lighthouse reservation in 1886. The lighthouse was built and began operation on September 15, 1887. Today the lighthouse is maintained as a historic structure.