WATER & COAST
Shired Island Beach
Dixie County · North Florida & First Coast
A shallow Gulf beach and primitive campground at the end of County Road 357, reached by a short bridge over Shired Creek.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
Shired Island lies on the Dixie County coast between Shired Creek and Johnson Creek, connected to the mainland by a short bridge over the creek. The way in is County Road 357, which runs off Highway 351 between Cross City and Horseshoe Beach, and the drive itself is part of it: marsh on both sides and very little building. The county park at the end has a shallow beach, a single-lane paved boat ramp, a pier and floating dock, parking that takes trailers, restrooms, picnic shelters and a pump-out station, and primitive sites for tents and recreational vehicles. The water here is shallow and the flats offshore are what people come for; fishing is what most visitors do, and the fishing is well regarded. The island sits inside the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, so the marsh around it stays as it is. About a mile back along Highway 357, an observation area on Southwest 800 Avenue has a tower looking out over Fishbone Creek and a place to put a small boat in, though backing a trailer there is awkward. It is a quiet place to camp, a long way from a shop, and the dark is real dark
Not identified in this guide as an officially clothing-optional beach. This is a visit category, not a safety rating—check surf, lifeguards, water quality and posted rules.
BEACH CONDITIONS
Keep comparing