Hernando County’s Pine Island encompasses a mere 51 acres in Central West Florida, and boasts a whopping population of 136. Yet this tiny key is home to a treasured beach, Alfred A McKethan/Pine Island Park, located at 10840 Pine Island Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34607. (Pine Island in Southwest Florida is a different, much bigger island sharing the same name.)
Vibe
Just right for families.
McKethan is popular but not overcrowded, offering easy amenities, shallow waters and blockbuster sunsets. Here, toddlers splash in the surf, kids shriek with laughter in the playground, and beachgoers sample concoctions like crab cakes, fried shrimp and frozen lemonade at Willy’s Tropical Breeze Café.
See, feel
Resplendent with palms and beloved by birds and sunset aficionados, Mckethan Park welcomes visitors with a candy-colored concession, a playground, changing rooms and restrooms. Encompassing three acres, this small park juts out into the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by water on three sides and bordered by sea walls. The sands are a delicious latte hue, and the clear, tranquil waters are shallow a long way out, inviting kids and timid beach bunnies to cool off. At low tide it’s too shallow to swim.
Watch for barnacles on the rocks and consider wearing water shoes. While the surf is usually minimal, winds, tides and offshore systems can cause rough conditions.
On or near the beach
McKethan Park beckons beachgoers to kick back under a beach umbrella, soak up the sun, or wade in the water and let the salt air work its magic.
A premier destination for birdwatchers, the park is a fixture on the Great Florida Birding Trail, with an impressive roster of over 160 species of birds. Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead in summer, and abundant terns, gulls and sandpipers dot the sands.
Bring a picnic or nosh at Willy’s Tropical Breeze Café, a colorful, cheerful outdoor eatery serving up burgers, wraps and fried seafood in a charming setting under the palms—right on the beach.
Accessibility
McKethan’s beach offers wheelchair accessible ramps, and Willy’s Tropical Breeze Café is wheelchair accessible as well. Parking is free for vehicles with handicap placards.
Facilities
Amenities at Pine Island Park include changing rooms, pavilions, picnic shelters, playgrounds, restrooms, showers, electricity, and an observation point. Willy’s Tropical Breeze Café offers casual beach fare and rents beach chairs.
Lifeguards
There are no lifeguards; swim at your own risk.
Parking
Here’s information about parking, payable only by credit card. Handicapped placard and disabled veterans are exempt from parking fees at all Hernando County parks.
No RVs, buses, or trailers are permitted at the park. Parking tends to fill early on weekends and holidays, but spaces often become available again in the afternoon.
