Clearwater Beach Hours: Beach, Pier 60, Lifeguards, Parking and Rentals

What are Clearwater Beach's hours?

Each row names its source. All of them were checked against those sources in October 2026. Anything run by a private operator can change without notice.

If you only remember one row, make it the lifeguard row. The beach being "open" at 7 p.m. doesn't mean anyone is watching the water. Our lifeguard guide covers the towers, the flag system and what the guards can help with.

Is Clearwater Beach open 24 hours, or does it close at night?

It's open 24 hours. Section 22.24(2) of the Clearwater Code of Ordinances sorts every city park by its hours, and Clearwater Beach sits in the list headed "Open 24 hours per day." The city's beach rules page puts it more simply: "Clearwater Beach is open 24/7." There is no curfew on the sand, and no rule that clears the beach at sunset or midnight.

Two pieces of the same code limit that. Sec. 22.33(8) lets the city manager close public beaches and swimming areas "when, in the opinion of the city manager or his designee, use of such areas is considered dangerous due to weather, surf or other conditions." And Sec. 22.24(1) lets the city manager set time, place and manner rules by posted sign, with "the effect of law." A posted sign or an officer's direction on a given night beats the general 24-hour rule.

Being allowed on the beach at night isn't the same as everything being allowed. Camping, tents, fires and alcohol are banned around the clock, and our Clearwater Beach rules guide quotes each ordinance. If you're wondering whether the beach is back to normal after the 2024 hurricanes rather than what time it opens, that's a different question, covered in Is Clearwater Beach open?

What can you do on the beach after dark?

• Walk it. The sand stays open all night. Bring a small flashlight and keep it pointed at your feet. Our safety guide covers how safe the beach is at night.
• Think twice about swimming. The towers are empty after 5 p.m., so nobody is watching the water. Call 911 for any water emergency.
• Keep lights low and leave nothing on the sand. Sea turtles nest on this beach in season. Take chairs and toys home at night.
• Watch the park boundary. The Pier 60 Park playground and pavilions close at 9 p.m. even though the sand next to them doesn't.
• Move the car before 11 p.m. if it's in a city lot that bans after-hours parking (see below). Our parking ticket guide covers the fines for overstaying.

What are Pier 60's hours, and is it open?

Pier 60 runs on two schedules, three if you count the sunset festival. That's where most of the confusion comes from.

Pier 60 Park, the plaza, playground and pavilions at 370 Mandalay Ave. where Causeway Blvd. meets the beach, is a city park. City code closes it from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the city's beach rules page says the same. The park's own page on the city website lists 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone agrees on the 9 p.m. close. For an early start, assume 7 a.m. and you won't get caught out.

The fishing pier and bait house run on their own schedule. Fishing reopened on September 1, 2025. The stretch from the bait house to the gate had been closed since the 2024 hurricane season damaged it. At the reopening, Bay News 9 reported the city's schedule as 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through Labor Day and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Labor Day through February. You pay at the bait house window and fish during its hours. Visit St. Pete-Clearwater's listing shows a single 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule. The two agree for summer. In October, plan on a 9 p.m. close and ask at the window before a late session.

Fishing passes reported at the September 2025 reopening were $12 a day for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and over and $8 for kids 15 and under, with weekly, monthly and yearly passes also sold. The city's Pier 60 Park page confirms passes are sold but doesn't list prices, so treat those figures as a guide and check before you go. While you're at the window, ask how far out the pier is open.

Our Pier 60 guide covers the playground, the pier, parking and what's nearby. Our fishing piers guide lists the hours at the other fishing piers nearby.

What time does the Sunsets at Pier 60 festival start?

The festival's own FAQ says it "operates year-round, weather permitting from 2 hours before until 2 hours after sunset." So the start time moves with the sun. By NOAA's solar formulas for Clearwater Beach, sunset ranges from about 5:35 p.m. in early December to about 8:30 p.m. in late June. In early October it's around 7:15 p.m. It slides to about 6:50 by the end of the month, then jumps an hour earlier, to roughly 5:45 p.m., when clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1.

Those windows are estimates from the two-hour rule, and the festival's posted hours don't match them yet. As of early October 2026, its Hours & Directions page still read "Current Festival Hours: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.," and its FAQ called those "summer hours." Check the site the week you go. Entry is free. For the exact sunset on your dates, use our Clearwater Beach sunset time guide.

When are lifeguards on duty?

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, all year. That's the schedule on the city's beach rules page, and the Pier 60 Park page repeats it. Clearwater Beach doesn't drop to weekends-only in winter the way some beaches do.

A sunrise swim or an after-5 swim is a swim without a guard, so check the flag and stay in your depth. The free beach wheelchairs come from Lifeguard Tower 0 at 180 S. Gulfview Blvd., 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, first come first served. You leave a driver's license or ID until you return the chair (call 727-444-8580 with questions).

What time do chair, umbrella and cabana rentals open and close?

The city's concession, run by Fields, Inc., rents cabanas and umbrellas from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting, at the Barefoot Beach House (332 S. Gulfview Blvd.) and at Pier 60 (1 Causeway Blvd.). You can't reserve ahead. It's first come, first served.

The price drops after 3 p.m. As of October 2026, an umbrella with two chairs is $40 plus tax from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and $25 from 3 to 5 p.m. A deluxe cabana with two chairs is $50, then $30. An extra chair is $15. Hotels and private vendors rent gear too, on their own schedules.

What are the parking hours at Clearwater Beach?

City lots operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. At the Pier 60 lot (160 S. Gulfview Blvd., 141 spaces) and the Rockaway Street lot (4 Rockaway St., 146 spaces), the city's parking list adds: "All other times, parking is prohibited." For a spot to use after 11 p.m., see where you can legally leave a car overnight. Both charge $3.50 an hour as of October 2026. The Municipal Marina lot at 25 Causeway Blvd. is also $3.50 an hour, with a two-hour limit. Read the sign at the pay station, because the after-hours rule isn't the same at every lot.

Private garages set their own hours and rates, which is the difference that matters at night. The city lists the North Beach Parking Plaza (490 Poinsettia Ave., about 700 spaces), the Hyatt garage (301 S. Gulfview Blvd.) and the Surf Style garage (311 S. Gulfview Blvd.) without hours, and the Opal Sol garage (400 Coronado Dr.) at 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. If you plan to stay late for the festival or dinner, check the posted closing time when you park. Our Clearwater Beach parking guide covers rates and strategy.

When is Clearwater Beach busiest?

The beach is open around the clock, but most visitors arrive in the same few hours: late morning through mid-afternoon on weekends and holidays, and again in the two hours before sunset, when the festival starts and the parking lots refill. Spring break and summer weekends are the peak. Early mornings and weekday afternoons in fall are the easy times.

For crowds, light and heat hour by hour, see the best time of day to visit Clearwater Beach.

Do hours change on holidays or for events?

• New Year's Eve 2026. The city and the Sunsets at Pier 60 festival are holding a new free event, Sunset to Sparkle, on Thursday, December 31, 2026, from 3 to 9:30 p.m. in Pier 60 Park, with fireworks at 9 p.m. That runs past the park's normal 9 p.m. close. Expect heavy traffic and full garages; see our New Year's Eve guide.
• Fishing events on the pier. The city's calendar lists the Make a Difference Fishing Tournament for Adults at Pier 60 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check the calendar before a morning fishing trip.
• Weather. The city can close the beach and swimming areas in dangerous weather or surf (Sec. 22.33(8)). A double red flag means the water is closed. Hurricane watches and evacuation orders override everything on this page.
• Sand Key Park. The county park just south of Clearwater Pass keeps 7 a.m. to sunset and closes on the day after Thanksgiving and on December 25, according to Pinellas County. Clearwater Beach itself has no holiday closures in city code.
• The sunset festival runs nightly, weather permitting, so a storm can cancel a given evening.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Clearwater Beach open?

It doesn't open or close. The beach is open 24 hours under city code. Daytime services start later: cabana and umbrella rentals at 9 a.m., beach wheelchair loans at 9:30 a.m., lifeguards at 10 a.m. City parking lots operate from 6 a.m.

What time does Clearwater Beach close?

The sand never closes. Lifeguards leave at 5 p.m., rentals stop at 5 p.m., Pier 60 Park closes at 9 p.m., and city parking lots operate until 11 p.m. The city can close the beach temporarily for dangerous weather or surf.

Can you be on Clearwater Beach at night?

Yes. Walking, sitting and watching the stars are all legal at any hour. Camping, tents, fires and alcohol are not, and Pier 60 Park itself is closed from 9 p.m. Nobody is guarding the water after 5 p.m.

Is Pier 60 open right now?

Fishing reopened on September 1, 2025, after hurricane damage, and the park and sunset festival are running. The bait house was reported to keep 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Labor Day through February and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. the rest of the year. For a specific day, call the Pier 60 Park office at 727-444-8270.

What are Pier 60 fishing hours?

As reported at the 2025 reopening: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through Labor Day, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Labor Day through February. A daily pass was $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for kids 15 and under. Confirm at the window.

Can I leave my car in a beach lot overnight?

Not in the city's Pier 60 or Rockaway Street lots, where parking is prohibited outside 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Private garages set their own rules, so ask the operator or your hotel.