South Lido County Park — Attraction in Sarasota

Situated on the southernmost point of Lido Key including wooded area, mangrove tunnels and sugar sand beach. Swimming not recommended due to strong currents from Sarasota Bay mixing with Gulf of Mexico. Though perfect for sunning, fishing, picnics, grilling, shelling, walking, jogging, kite flying(very breezy here), boat to beach party, kayaking, jet skiing, paddle boarding, playground and beach volleyball. Very nice brand new public restrooms and outdoor shower. Concrete pad for loading and unloading of wheelchairs. Another pad with picnic table. As a side note for anyone with mobility or stamina issues, this parking lot is closest to waterfront of any in area. Boardwalk and elevated lookouts with seating and room for fishing running through woods. Kayak and row boat launch area with rentals and separate parking and public restrooms. An abundance of picnic tables and grills including grass field for frisbee, ballgames. Extensive parking with...

I used to enjoy this beach. You could enjoy hearing the ocean the seagulls and have peace. Even take a nap. But on the weekends certain people go there playing their boomboxes so loud you can hear it from across the parking lot. They do not care about anybody else and they are a large group they all meet there. It is noise pollution. It is so disrespectful to everybody else there. And you can smell their marijuana it is hostile now. I called the police about it. Found the Florida statute online but they wouldn't accept it they said that the area was in between jurisdiction of City Sarasota and county sheriff's department. They said they only enforce state laws like big crimes there and I feel robbed of a beautiful place I am a taxpayer and am very disappointed. Don't go there on the weekends you can't...

Very crowded free public beach and full of young parties playing loud hip hop and techno music. People were not rowdy when I was there, but if you don't like that kind of crowd, you'll want to go to a quieter beach. Many families were present, but the water traffic with a lot of boats and skidoos don't make this a good swimming beach. Maybe the biggest downside was the biting bugs, which probably came from the forest surrounding the beach. There are trails through the forest which may be nice to explore, but if you don't want to come out looking like you got hives, you'd best use insect repellent or avoid the forest areas. Not a good place to enjoy an ocean swim...