Took multi generation family "to the beach" during a visit to Florida in April. Fort Island Trail Beach seemed like a good start for us and we enjoyed our visit. Arrived around 11 on a weekday and had a choice of parking spaces. Beach was recently smoothed, keeping in mind the area had suffered during a hurricane 6 months earlier, we found facilities were adequate. Row of porta-potties were available. Boat launch and fishing piers were still closed but we wanted beach that day. There are two rock breakwaters at the far edges of beach and several people were climbing and exploring while tide was out. Rocks were covered towards high tide. Line of markers indicated outer edge of swim area. No lifeguards (we knew that in advance) Plenty of room to set up towels, chairs and toys and room to next group. Kids were originally disappointed no crashing waves (they're use to Atlantic Ocean) but quickly decided the Gulf was better as they weren't getting knocked over. We brought our lunch: be aware, lots of birds trying (and some succeeding) to steal food. read more

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I liked the Area , not all was accessible do to repairs from last years hurricane but all in all is was nice until the alarm let us know the weather was turning and pretty fast it did ,I also enjoyed the drive there and back . Bring Mosquito repellent !!! read more

Nice small beach. There are portable potty's. No parking fees and ample parking. Small area in which to swim. Area was hit by a hurricane so it's a little rough right now. Definitely a locals beach so it's a different vibe. Definitely bring your own food and water. read more

We were visiting the Villages on spring break and it was the perfect place for a beach day. It was close, small, clean, and lots of families. Definitely not a college spring break destination which was nice for us. read more

We were actually going to the gulf beach fishing pier and it was closed! And we had our puppy with us and no dogs are allowed on the beach. It was a cute small beach. They had a restroom. You pay to park. And right before you hit the lot for the beach parking. There was a little area to fish. In the marsh. We enjoyed our time there but decided to go somewhere to fish where dogs were allowed. read more

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The beach is out of town, about 10 miles West. It is a good beach for sun tanning and bathing. The water is not too deep, but the bottom is mucky--not the best place to swim. We like it because it is never crowded, and the people seem pleasant. There are no homeless around because it is too far out of the way, and there is nothing out there. Pack a lunch; there are no facilities to buy food. read more

Soft sand warm water clean beach perfect for small children. Great place for families read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Soft sand warm water clean beach perfect for small children. - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

First and foremost, it's not a beach in a traditional sense or as the average person would expect. It's a roughly 200 foot or so strip of land that's filled with sandy soil , not the sugar fine, off white sand many folks are accustomed to. It's largely laden with bird droppings. According to the water quality notices I've been getting from the state, it's often closed for water quality issues, specifically e.coli. If you're just going to fish at the pier, that's fine but just know the rest of the fam may not be thrilled to hang out on the "beach "while you fish. Also parking is at a premium. You may want to check out Honeymoon Island beach down near New Port Richey instead. Plus , they have a section that's dog friendly so it's holistically family friendly there. read more

Small secluded beach. We didn't feel comfortable swimming in it. Not like the typical beaches I am used to. Only one photo would work for this post. I posted the others on my Twitter (X) page. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Fort Island Trail Beach Boat Ramp - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Horrible beach!!!! Water looks so dirty, we were really disappointed, we were visiting Florida and wanted to go to a beach, not coming back here read more

The department of health needs to go there now. There is a pinkish purple color washing up on the beach here You cannot even go out 10 ft. The water is nasty sluggish murky seaweed mush, clothing in the seedweed mush to walk on when you swim. It stinks too ‍ read more

This beach is in the middle of nowhere curiosity got me here . Its across from the nuclear Power Station. Which made me concern about swimming in that water. Being it was so hot I did go in for a dunk but Im use to clear water not murky brown water so I got out fast. The beach was small and clean the sand white and there were bathrooms and a shower. Near by was the shower head so this was pleasant. Would I come back here probably not being I don't like brown water or being near a nuclear plant whether active or not this is not a pleasant view for me. Lots of families here and parking was easy. I stayed less than 15 minutes. read more

Nice secluded beach! Hiking opportunities on the way there. Quality of beach is not the best. read more

Skip it. We came to swim. The water was never more than 4' deep, and past 15' from the shore the bottom is full of seaweed. Seaweed can be manageable, but the bottom is slimy mud. Disgustingly slimy. This place is fine for the really little ones to play at the shoreline, but nothing else. read more

Perfect little free beach spot for a family outing! The beach is small and not very crowded. There is free parking, clean bathrooms, and showers to rinse off the sand. There are covered picnic benches where you can put your things and eat lunch. There are tiny little sand crabs and fiddler crabs everywhere which the kids loved chasing and watching them dive down into their holes on the beach. There is a lovely wooded walking bridge trail that leads to a pier that is a great fishing/crabbing spot. Overall, we had a blast there and will definitely be back in the future! read more

In the area and decided to go to the "nearest beach" which happened to be Fort Island Trail Beach. My folks visited the beach a few times during the week and there's only been a handful of people which must be nice... but we went in a Sunday afternoon and there was absolutely no parking, and had to sit in the parking lot for about 45 minutes stuck between cars before we were able to turn around and eventually parked on the road away from the beach. So it was pretty crowded. The walking trail to the pier was nice and picturesque, and this was my first time ever to a gulf beach. The sand was soft and fine and the water was calm enough for swimming. Great beach for some fun with friends or family, though not the greatest for a secluded beach. TBH we used to have quieter beaches next to our home on Kauai. There were accessible bathrooms here and SUP board rentals but there were no other amenities so bring your own snacks and drinks. All in all I'm sure it's a great little spot other than the crowds and the looming nuclear power plant in the background. Three eyed fish anyone? :) read more

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I love this little beach, it's right on the gulf. They have a snack truck on the weekends. It gets busy on the weekends but you can still always find parking. They have covered picnic tables with shade, they have a grass area to where you can bring your dog (although people do walk them on the beach). The sunsets are amazing and there's a lot of tours and restaurants around this area and a cute little town strip for shopping with Bubbaques restaurant. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Sunset with our fire - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Who doesn't love a tranquil little beach at the end of the road on an island across from a Nuclear Power Station? (LOL) This a secluded beach that although is very small in protected waters offers some peace and quite time with a limited amount of amenities. You won't accidentally drive by here being its about nine miles off the the main road. I was in the area so I decided as I often do to venture off my route and see sometime I've never experienced. The water's edge is a bit mucky so I don't know if I'd be interested in swimming here but that wasn't the intent anyway. The wildlife is amazing and plentiful. This is also the perfect spot to get a view of the Crystal River Nuclear Generating Plant I've always found these facilities to be interesting and necessary. If your paying attention during your drive in you will notice some random towers along the route that appear to be air sampling stations and maybe sirens in the event of an accident, I wouldn't be to concerned though this plant is being shutdown and moth balled and the electrical generation is powered by fossil fuels now using adjacent power plants. Just a few facts: On Feb. 5, 2013, Duke Energy announced its decision to retire the Crystal River Nuclear Plant, known as CR3, located on Florida's Gulf Coast approximately 85 miles north of Tampa. While replacing a 500 ton generators during a scheduled maintenance and refueling outage in October 2009, engineers discovered a delamination, or separation of concrete, within the containment building that surrounds the reactor vessel. Though crews successfully repaired the damage, additional delamination was discovered in two different areas of the containment building in 2011. After completing a comprehensive, months-long analysis of costs, risks and other factors, the company determined that retiring the plant, instead of continuing to pursue a first-of-a-kind repair to the containment building, was in the best interests of customers and shareholders. An independent review commissioned in 2012 confirmed that repairing the containment building was technically feasible but included significant risks that could raise the cost of the repair and extend the repair schedule significantly. Current Status CR3 remains in a safe, stable condition and poses no threat to the health and safety of the public or our employees. Nuclear safety remains our top priority. Our comprehensive emergency preparedness plans and full-time, round-the-clock security force remain in place. read more

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Your experience with Fort Island Trail Beach will be fully predicated on your desires and what you're seeking. This park offers a beach on the Gulf of Mexico, a boat launch ramp, a fishing pier, and a short boardwalk through a forested area. Certainly, it's a great place to catch those amazing Gulf sunsets and not a bad--if small--beach to lay out on, though the swimming area is blocked off by roped warning balls so that swimmers won't wander too far out into where boat traffic is common. Being the Gulf, there are almost no waves and the locals seem to be more interested in boating and fishing than swimming, anyways. Parking is ample--and free--and the bathrooms are fairly new and nice enough (much, much, nicer than ones at Crescent Beach on the Atlantic in way of contrast). For a beach, I would much rather go anywhere on Florida's Atlantic coast. You can't surf here, and it just doesn't have that feel the Atlantic has. I've never liked the Gulf much anyways, to be honest. However, it's a nice local facility and very good to get a sense of local life and Gulf ecosystems. The drive out isn't bad, either, and also interesting. You'll see from the boat launch area the Crystal River power plant complex including the recently shut-down CR #3 nuclear plant. There's a lot to consider in a trip out here about local economy, environment, and associated matters. Fishing is very important in this region on a cultural level and you'll get a sense of that, too. Citrus County has done a good job with this park, and it deserves a visit if in the area. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Fort Island Trail Beach, looking south. - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Small beach that is family friendly. Roped off area to swim but the water doesn't get deeper than 3 feet. The bottom 'feels like poop' as the many kids liked to scream. No waves, water is very warm but it isn't crowded. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

For being in crystal river, it's a nice "beach" the view is very pretty - was also nice to have a bathroom

absolutely horrible and disgusting. the water sucked and was dirty and nasty the beach was filled with seaweed, everywhere you stepped was 2 ft deep, sharp seaweed. I cut my foot on the seaweed and it bled. however where there wasn't seaweed was nasty slimy sand that you quite literally sunk into. it was literal like hell filled with quicksand. if your smart youll take my advice and never come here read more

Great small beach area to enjoy with your family. It's enough space to serve its purpose. Beautiful sunset. Beautiful beach. The park benches and the covered seating areas are perfect for parties or any beach event. I throughly enjoyed spending a couple hours here with my family. The sand is not plush and dense therefore easier to walk on. The water isn't dirty of full of ocean debris. We did see several nice sized fish jumping in and out if the water. Initially it scared the hell of me but once I saw that it was just fish. I calmed down. read more

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The beach had a couple of permanent signs & paper signs all over stating the beach was closed due to contaminated water. Was really disappointing. There was only maybe 2 sunbathers there & but the boat ramp was active. I guess there's not limitations there. The nature walk/boardwalk was nice but it's just a short little walk. Place mightof been very pleasant if the beach was open. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - One of several - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Cute little beach right on the gulf. Small but pristine and clean. White sands and beautiful scenery. Many flowers and butterflies

If you subscribe to the idea there is no crappy beach, then go for it. For this water baby who lives in the dessert I am happy anywhere there is water. This is the closest beach to Ocala and the 40ish mile drive to get there is beautiful. Be warned there are no shells and you can not really swim here. The water is warm and boring and you are roped off to prevent you from going out too far. It seems almost more like a lake then the gulf beaches like Anna Maria or Sanibel. I think you will have more fun paddle boarding or kayaking here. The fishing pier and hiking trail are very nice and maybe a better out door option. The view of the nuclear plant across the island is a nice touch. Lol read more

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Nice little beach. Quiet and great for finding hermit crabs and building sand castles. Also a nice little fishing pier next to it. Not a lot of shells and not much for swimming, especially at low tide but a very nice little beach. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

A small, mucky beach where you will most definitely step on a crab. The soil is extremely silty and thick, and if you try to stand further out, you'll be standing in hydrilla (and crabs). It's gross. HOWEVER, it is free, and as long as you stay out of the water, relatively nice. Soft sand, full facilities (recently rebuilt after an arson incident), and interesting wildlife. Dolphins and manatees are common. Possibly even an alligator. If you're kayaking or SUPing, you'll see lots more interesting stuff just under the surface, too. I've been standup paddling here and have come within a foot of curious dolphins, rays, crabs, manatee, and sharks. read more

The best place ever, I m new to Florida,I live in Ocala 1 hr ride no semi 's up my butt, The peir has Blue Crabs, I'm a crabber now . Food truck has ice cream.Swimming. I will go 2 or 3 times a week.I met so many nice people there.I love it. Mike read more

Long ride to find out no dogs allowed. Better swimming for dogs than people. Very shallow.

Dangerious Beach not safe! Car was broken into and all valuables were stolen! Called Sheriffs department 3 times and never showed! Very dangerous and no police response! Hate to see if you have emergency there in Crystal River. STAY AWAY! Not Safe read more

Crabs will bite ya while swimming here and there and there's a lot of muck but hey, they have good sand, clean restrooms and a hotdog stand. The hotdog stand guy is super grumpy though so I refuse to give him money anymore. read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

This is a cool beach. It's definitely not Clearwater Beach or St. Pete Beach but it's a nice lil Nature Coast beach.

Beautiful beach. Free entry and parking. Lots of covered picnic areas. The white sand was beautiful.

Amazing beach. Quiet quaint little beach. Felt totally safe. Sourounded by water all around read more

Fort Island Trail Beach - Beaches Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Full of mosquitoes and stinky water. It's not really a beach just a spot with some sand and really shallow water. I would not come back.

I'm gonna turn into hulk with all that radioactive waste! Really good job! And I didn't get my spongebob ice cream

Love this beach. Feels safe, clean and a place we will be going to weekly during the summer. Telling the whole family. Make sure you bring an umbrella because there are not a lot of covered areas. They do have an outside shower so you can rinse off before you leave. Yes there are fish, yes there are little crabs, no they do not bite or pinch as you swim. A nice summer thing to do that does not cost you money. Some people brought tents or pop ups for their groups, cool idea. There are some green areas if that's your thing. We went on a Sunday, mid morning till about 3:00 pm, never became over crowded and there was a few parking places I seen as we walked to the car. This was the weekend before the 4th of July. The boat ramp area........packed....packed....packed. Lots of boating but nothing near the beach area. The bad thing is, I seen no trash cans and some people do not know how to pick up and take their trash with them. read more

Great Little Beach peace and quite time with a limited amount of amenities.

This was a decent beach but it could be better. There was litter everywhere and a horrible smell. Tons and tons of birds. The beach was mushy and it isnt very deep. read more