Clearwater Beach is a free public beach: no entrance fee, no gate, no wristband, and free restrooms, showers, the Pier 60 Park playground, and the nightly Sunsets at Pier 60 festival. What costs money is getting there and sitting comfortably. Beach parking runs $3 to $4 an hour and can top $20 on a peak day, two chairs and an umbrella from a vendor cost $25 to $35, walking Pier 60 is about $1, and fishing from it needs a daily pass. A couple who parks at Sand Key for $6 and brings their own chairs can do a full day for under $10.
Key takeaways
- Beach access, sand, swimming, lifeguards, restrooms, outdoor showers, Beach Walk, the Pier 60 Park playground, and the sunset festival are all free.
- Parking is the real cost. Garages run about $3 an hour, city lots $3.50, street meters $4. Sand Key Park one bridge south is a flat $6 all day, though the county votes in September 2026 on switching it to $3.50 an hour.
- Two chairs and an umbrella from the on-sand vendors cost $25 to $35. Bringing your own costs nothing and is allowed; tents are not.
- Walking onto Pier 60 costs about $1; fishing needs a daily pass from the bait house, and no state license.
- The Jolley Trolley is $2.25 a ride, free for kids 8 and under, with a $5 day pass sold through the Flamingo Fares app. One ride costs less than one hour in a garage.
- The nearby beaches that do charge: Honeymoon Island ($8 per vehicle) and Caladesi Island ($20 adult round trip by ferry plus the $8 Honeymoon Island entry).
What is free at Clearwater Beach
Everything the city and county provide on the sand is free to use. That includes:
- Beach access from every public street end along Gulfview Boulevard and Mandalay Avenue, with no admission.
- Lifeguarded swimming along the main beach (see the lifeguard guide for tower hours and the flag guide for conditions).
- Public restrooms and outdoor rinse showers at Pier 60 and along Beach Walk.
- The Pier 60 Park playground, covered pavilions, and picnic tables, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The Sunsets at Pier 60 festival, every evening, with street performers and craft vendors. Watching is free; buying is optional.
- The Beach Walk promenade, the marina boardwalk, and the free child ID wristbands at the Tower 0 lifeguard station just south of the pier.
Our free things to do guide stretches this list to a full itinerary that costs nothing beyond parking.
What actually costs money, itemized
These are the 2026 figures our guides track. Parking rates change seasonally and with demand, so treat the garage numbers as a range rather than a quote.
| Item | Typical 2026 cost | How to pay less |
|---|---|---|
| Beach entry | Free | Nothing to do |
| Beach garage or metered lot | Garages about $3 an hour, city lots $3.50, street meters $4 with a five-hour limit; a full peak-season day can top $20 | Sand Key Park flat $6 all day, then the trolley (the walk over the Sand Key bridge to the south end of the beach is about a mile with no shade) |
| Jolley Trolley | $2.25 per ride, $1.10 reduced, free for kids 8 and under; the $5 day pass is sold through the Flamingo Fares app, not on board | Park in downtown Clearwater and ride the beach route in |
| Chair and umbrella rental | $25 to $35 for two chairs and an umbrella; Palm Pavilion charges $30 for the day | Bring your own; a $20 umbrella pays for itself on day one |
| Pier 60 walk-on | About $1 at the bait house | The festival is in Pier 60 Park, which is free; only the pier itself charges |
| Pier 60 fishing pass | About $10 a day for adults, less for seniors and kids 15 and under; rods rent for about $10 | No Florida license needed on the pier, so the pass is the whole cost |
| Honeymoon Island State Park | $8 per vehicle (2 to 8 people), $4 for a solo driver, $2 on foot or bike | Fill the car |
| Caladesi Island ferry | $20 round trip age 13 and up, $10 ages 6 to 12, free under 6, plus the $8 Honeymoon Island entry where the ferry departs | Kayak over from Honeymoon Island instead |
| Clearwater Marine Aquarium | $41.95 adult, $32.95 ages 3 to 11, $39.95 senior, under 3 free | Book online in advance; watch the dolphins for free from the marina instead |
| Dolphin tour | $27 to $40 per person (Little Toot from $27 plus tax, Sea Screamer from $37) | Dolphins follow the Clearwater Ferry and the Pier 60 shoreline for free |
The city's beach parking page lists the North Beach Parking Plaza at 700 spaces, the Hyatt garage at about 550, and Surf Style at 300, all within a few minutes' walk of Pier 60, plus 290 more at the Opal Sol garage on Coronado Drive. They fill by mid-morning on weekends from February through April and again in summer. Sand Key Park's roughly 300-space lot charges a flat $6 and usually has space until noon.
Source: City of Clearwater beach parking page; our Clearwater Beach parking guide has the map and timing.
How to do a full beach day for almost nothing
- Park at Sand Key Park for $6, or in a downtown Clearwater city garage (about 75 cents an hour) and ride the Jolley Trolley beach route over for $2.25.
- Arrive by 10:30 a.m. The best time of day guide explains why: parking is easier, the sand is cooler, and you get your pick of spots north of the pier.
- Bring chairs, an umbrella, water, and a cooler. Chairs, umbrellas, and coolers are allowed on the sand. Glass, alcohol, and tents or canopies are not (the city bans temporary shelters), and the alcohol rules are enforced.
- Eat off the sand. The cheap eats guide and the happy hour guide keep lunch and dinner well under restaurant prices; a run to the Publix at 200 Island Way on Island Estates, the only grocery store on the island, is cheaper still.
- Stay for the sunset festival. It is the best free show in Pinellas County and the garages empty out while you watch.
The Clearwater Beach on a budget guide runs the same math for a multi-day trip, including hotels, and the is Clearwater Beach expensive guide compares it with other Florida beaches.
Which nearby beaches charge, and which do not
- Free: Clearwater Beach, Sand Key Park ($6 parking only), Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, St. Pete Beach (paid parking at all of them).
- Paid entry: Honeymoon Island ($8 per vehicle), Caladesi Island (ferry plus Honeymoon Island entry), Fort De Soto ($6 parking).
Only Honeymoon Island charges per person, and only if you arrive on foot or by bike ($2). Every other fee on this coast is for a vehicle, a boat, or a ferry seat.
Frequently asked questions
No. Clearwater Beach is a free public beach with open access from every street end. There is no gate, ticket, or wristband. You pay only for parking, rentals, the pier fishing pass, and anything you buy.
Not on the beach itself. The nearest cheap option is Sand Key Park's flat $6 all-day lot one bridge south. The cheapest combination is a downtown Clearwater city garage at about 75 cents an hour plus the Jolley Trolley at $2.25 each way.
Chairs, umbrellas, and coolers, yes. Tents and canopies, no: the city's beach rules ban temporary shelters of any kind. Glass and alcohol are also out, and give marked turtle nests a wide berth from April through October.
Yes. The nightly Sunsets at Pier 60 festival is free to attend, roughly two hours before sunset until two hours after. The performers work for tips and the craft vendors sell, but nothing is required to watch.
Almost. The bait house charges about $1 to walk the pier, and fishing needs a daily pass, about $10 for adults. Call the bait house at 727-462-6466 for the current numbers.
With a garage, a rented setup, and lunch out, a family of four spends about $80 to $120. Parking at Sand Key, bringing chairs, and packing lunch brings the same day to under $15. An aquarium visit adds about $150 for four; a dolphin tour adds roughly $95 to $150.
Keep the whole trip cheap
These guides do the budget math for hotels, food, and getting around.
Clearwater Beach on a Budget