Alternatively, since the late 1980s, the state park can be reached on foot from Clearwater Beach to the south; it is only separated by a "welcome" sign.

Amenities include a three-mile nature trail, a marina, picnic pavilions, bathhouses, a park concession stand, and a beach.

[6] Archaeological evidence of a Spanish colonial presence was reportedly uncovered on nearby Clearwater Island; unconfirmed rumors indicated that the remains of two soldiers had been excavated, along with pottery that predated the arrival of Juan Ponce de León in Florida.

Until his death in 1934 he and Myrtle lived almost continuously on the island; the latter married Herman Betz in 1915, and after four years in Miami the couple returned to Caladesi.

[12] In 1946 the 157-acre Scharrer homestead was sold to City of Dunedin Commissioner Francis L. Skinner, on the condition that its natural state be retained.

[16] Prominent visitors to the island include Robert Lincoln, Carl Sandburg, Fritz Kreisler, Clark Howell, and Eddie Rickenbacker.

Journalist Robert H. Davis visited the island in 1930, authoring a quadripartite piece on Henry Scharrer for the New York Sun.

densa), cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), live oak (Quercus virginiana), sea oats (Uniola paniculata), dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis), and beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae), along with red, black, and white mangroves.

Many waders use the island, including piping, Wilson's, and snowy plovers and American oystercatchers; in addition, black skimmers and royal and least terns frequent the beach.