Blind Pass Beach is sited at 6725 Manasota Key Rd, Manasota Key, FL 34223.
Vibe
A quiet gem for hunting fossilized shark teeth, shelling, and watching the sunset. Also known as Middle Beach, Blind Pass offers Gulf-to-bay access; a sprawling beach; and a kicked back place for everyone in your posse to enjoy outdoor fun. It’s popular, but never mobbed with crowds.
See, feel
Free, abundant parking welcomes visitors to Blind Pass, setting the mood for a relaxed day of sun and surf. Cross the road to discover 3,000 feet of beach heaped with soft, latte-colored sand. The waves wash up shells, sand dollars and shark teeth in mounds along the shoreline, and the waters are clear and emerald-tinted. Here, folks sift through the sands to discover fossils; kids play in the gentle surf; and beachgoers work on perfecting their tans. It’s not uncommon to see dolphins, manatees, and manta rays just offshore. Dunes and trees provide a natural backdrop, without high rises to mar the views. The water is normally calm, but conditions can occasionally be rough due to winds, tides and offshore systems.
On or near the beach
Swimming, sunning and shelling are favorite ways to spend the day at Blind Pass: expect to find colorful shells like fighting conchs, lightning whelks, cockles and clams, and almost certainly multiple shark teeth.
The Great Florida Birding Trail notes that Blind Pass is the perfect site for uninterrupted beach birding, with ever-present shoreline species like Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover. Across the road, on the park’s bay side, explore a trail that winds through a mangrove forest; cast a line from the fishing dock; or launch a kayak from the small ramp and float away the afternoon on the lagoon and bay. Fuel the fun with a picnic.
Accessibility
Blind Pass Beach isn’t handicap accessible, but other Sarasota County beaches -- Lido, Manasota, Nokomis, North Jetty, Siesta and Venice -- offer free-to use beach wheelchairs. Siesta Beach and Venice Beach offer beach access mats, as well.
Facilities
Amenities at Blind Pass include restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables, a pavilion, a playground, a canoe/kayak launch, and hiking trails. Bring your own food and drinks.
Lifeguards
There are no lifeguards; swim at your own risk.
Parking
Blind Pass offers abundant free parking, located across the road from the beach.
