Dunes Drive Beach Access, Cape San Blas Fishing

Dunes Drive Beach Access is one of Gulf County's public ways onto the Cape San Blas surf, on the north cape between Cape Palms Park and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

• Parking, restrooms and ADA Mobi-Mats over the sand
• Walk-on access, and drive-on access for permit holders
• Pompano, Gulf whiting and redfish in the surf, with Spanish mackerel and bluefish in season
• A west-facing beach with Gulf sunsets and a swing to watch them from

The access is at 268 Dunes Drive on north Cape San Blas, off Cape San Blas Road on the St. Joseph Peninsula, southwest of Port St. Joe.

• Getting there: take Cape San Blas Road north along the peninsula to Dunes Drive
• Parking: an on-site lot beside the access
• Entry: a public beach access; no fee is listed
• The walk: a short sand path to the beach, with ADA Mobi-Mats laid over the soft sand
• It is one of the county's designated beach driving accesses, number 1 on the county's list; only vehicles with a Gulf County beach driving permit may drive on
• Cape Palms Park is about a mile and a half south and the state park about three miles north

Spring and fall are the best seasons on this surf, with the fall redfish run the high point.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and Gulf whiting in the first trough, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on bait, a few speckled trout in the surf
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jacks early, whiting in the trough, blacktip sharks in the evening
• Fall (Sep-Nov): bull redfish on the bar, pompano back in the trough, mackerel and bluefish on the bait
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting and the odd pompano on calm, clear days

A 10 to 12 foot surf rod for distance and a lighter spinning rod for lures cover this beach.

• Pompano and whiting: a double-drop rig with size 1 to 1/0 hooks and a 2 to 4 oz pyramid sinker, baited with sand fleas or fresh shrimp
• Dig your own sand fleas in the wash, and fill any hole before you leave
• Redfish: cut mullet or blue crab on a fish-finder rig cast past the first bar
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: spoons and Gotcha plugs retrieved fast
• Pompano jigs hopped slowly through the trough
• Sharks: heavy tackle and circle hooks, and only with the FWC shore-based shark permit

Tides here are small, usually one high and one low a day, so the surf, the wind and water clarity decide most days.

• Clear green water and a light surf are ideal for pompano and whiting
• A moving tide gets the trough working
• Fish early and late in summer, when the beach is quiet and the fish feed close
• A hard west or southwest wind puts big surf on this beach; give it a day to settle
• Fall cold fronts bring the best redfish and pompano runs

This is an open Gulf beach with no lifeguards, so conditions are your own responsibility.

• Gulf County has no lifeguards on its public beaches
• Volunteers and South Gulf Fire Rescue update the Cape San Blas flags each day; check them before you set up
• Rip currents form along the bars; do not wade deep in rough surf
• Permit holders drive this beach at up to 15 mph; county rules say beachgoers must not block them, so keep rods, coolers and chairs out of their path
• White beach location markers on the dune line carry a name and number to give 911 if you need help
• Mobi-Mats, parking and restrooms make it one of the easier accesses for limited mobility

The county's tourism office lists these amenities at the access.

• An on-site parking lot
• Restrooms
• ADA-accessible Mobi-Mats down to the beach
• Walk-on access, plus drive-on access for permitted vehicles
• A swing overlooking the Gulf
• Beach condition flags on Cape San Blas, updated daily by volunteers and the fire rescue service
• No bait, tackle or food is listed, so bring bait, ice, water and shade

• Note the number on the nearest white beach marker in case you need to call for help
• Walk a little way from the access to find an empty trough and a quiet stretch
• Evenings are good for redfish, and the sunset is on the water in front of you
• Beach driving permits come from the county tax collector or the TDC welcome center in Port St. Joe, and drivers must use a designated access like this one
• Do not leave gear unattended after dark: the county may remove it from an hour after sunset
• Glass is banned on Gulf County beaches and beach accesses

The beach is covered by Gulf County's Leave No Trace beach ordinance, and beach driving by its separate permit rules.

• Items left unattended on the beach from an hour after sunset until sunrise may be removed by the county
• Glass bottles and containers are prohibited on county beaches and accesses
• Dead fish and bait must go in trash containers, not on the beach
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies, and shore-based shark fishing also needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything