10 Best Beaches Near St Cloud, FL

St. Cloud sits on the shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga. It’s known for its historic buildings and leisurely atmosphere. Once you’ve taken in all the heritage and checked out the entertainment options you might feel like heading to the beach. We’ll look at the 10 best beaches near St Cloud, FL.

Those who want to enjoy the beach in St Cloud don’t need to go far. There is a local beach in the form of Lakefront Beach. It’s a fine place to swim and relax but if you are itching for that ocean view you’ll need to get into your car.

Luckily though you won’t need to drive that much in order to reach the east coast of Florida. It doesn’t make much sense to go to the Gulf Coast beaches from here as they are pretty far away.

Let’s see what are the top picks for you when you want to go to the beach from St Cloud.

1. Lakefront Beach

If you are really looking forward to a beach day you won’t even have to set one foot outside of St Cloud. The local Lakefront Beach is perfectly suitable for some swimming and relaxing on the sandy shore.

There is a small swimming area marked at Lakefront Beach where you can get into East Lake Tohopekaliga and enjoy the water.

Now, we have to say the water is not the most inviting always but it’s an okay pick especially if you consider that you don’t have to get out of town to enjoy it.

There are also picnic tables around and people love to come here to do some BBQ with friends and family.

Most visitors stay out of the water and enjoy eating, talking, and drinking on the shore.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/fRu996TW5FMf139N8

2. Melbourne Beach

Melbourne Beach is one of the best picks when it comes to beaches near St Cloud, FL. It’s also one of the closest options but you still have to drive just a little over an hour to reach it.

Locals love this beach as it’s always very clean and the white sand makes for beautiful scenery. The water is also beautiful here.

We recommend this place, especially for families as it’s usually not crowded. You will be able to keep an eye on the little ones easily when you choose Melbourne beach.

The beach area is also fairly big so even if it would get crowded there is still plenty of space for everyone.

We love how peaceful this place gets towards sunset as the crowds leave. If you have the opportunity try to stay.

The main drawback is the lack of amenities. There are some food and drink vendors but they are not abundant and showers, changing rooms, or restrooms are pretty lacking in the area.

As already mentioned the drive takes around 1 hour and the road distance is roughly 50 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/QwQKzBWcTwANzPu56

3. Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach is just north of Melbourne Beach and it’s a great option if you are looking to see more amenities during your day.

It has more restrooms, showers, and food vendors. It’s all around better equipped but that means also more people are attracted to this small patch of sand.

It has fine white sand that’s perfect to play around in for children and there is also a playground available for them to enjoy.

Paradise Beach is an all-around good pick among the beaches near St Cloud, FL. It is clean, it has great amenities, and it even has lifeguards on duty.

It takes around 1 hour to get here and the distance is approximately 50 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/rCcuHRidXJxFxkfUA

4. Hightower Beach Park

Continuing north on the coast, the next beach is Hightower Beach Park. It’s a popular beach among both locals and tourists due to the cleanliness and natural atmosphere.

The beach has a nice atmosphere with lifeguards and fine sand. Amenities are okay, there are restrooms and showers available. There are some picnic areas if you wish to bring your own food.

We like this beach as it’s pretty easy to access it from the road and you get convenient parking as well.

Good pick for families, couples, and solo travelers alike. The water is usually pretty shallow so expect to see some families out on the beach.

It’s around an hour’s drive away from St Cloud and the road distance is 55 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/u4XvM9LDrvmSFECH6

5. Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach is one of the best picks in the area if you want a full-on beach experience. This popular beach near St Cloud, FL, is visited by tourists throughout the season.

What we love about this beach is the sheer size. Regardless of the fact that tourists love to come here, there seems to be enough space for everyone. Of course, it does get more crowded than our other picks nearby, but it’s not unbearable.

When it comes to amenities it’s hard to beat Cocoa Beach. It comes fully equipped with anything you can dream of on a beach day. Maybe not rollercoasters, but other than that you’ve got it.

The historic pier also makes for nice photo opportunities and enhances the scenery at the beach. We always try to settle down near the pier.

If you want to catch the sunset here you can do so at the end of the pier while drinking cocktails at the bar.

Just like the others, it takes around 1 hour to drive here and the distance is 52 miles.

Location: https://g.page/westgate-cocoa-beach-pier?share

6. Peacock Beach

Peacock Beach is north of Cocoa Beach and it’s the hidden gem sister beach of Cocoa Beach. Located just south of Cape Canaveral Station it’s also a nice place to catch some rocket launches.

As the name suggests you might actually meet some peacocks on this beach so keep this in mind and don’t be surprised. Also, no guarantees, you may or may not meet them.

The beach itself is beautiful white sand and has a very rural and natural environment. It’s usually not crowded.

Of course, due to the hidden nature, it’s lacking in amenities but it makes it up with plenty of space for everyone to settle down.

This is the best hidden gem among the beaches near St Cloud, FL.

Once again you are looking at around 1 hour of driving. It’s around 52 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/Z241TQB2DxJPSxap8

7. New Smyrna Beach

We’ve contemplated including New Smyrna Beach or not as it’s pretty far away, but we’ve decided it has a place on our list of the best beaches near St Cloud, FL.

New Smyrna is the smaller version of Daytona beach. It has vehicle access, nice sand, and an overall similar feeling to Daytona beach.

We recommend this beach if you want to take your car on the sand or want to experience what’s a beach with cars like.

Other than that it’s a beach like any other in the area. Nice sand, great water, and plenty of amenities to go around.

You’ll need to drive 1 hour and 30 minutes to get here. The road distance is around 85 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/kxxeGPzkMF7GdfQS7

8. Sebastian Inlet State Park

Finally, among the natural beaches, our last pick is a state park. The Sebastian Inlet State Park is the kind of place where you can go and enjoy nature, trail walking, and the beach at the same time.

A great pick for families especially if you want to show your children how beautiful nature can get. Amenities are limited but you will find restrooms and showers scattered around the beach.

There are also some places selling food and drinks so you can do some eating out after the beach if you want.

It’s around 1 hour and 20 minutes away and that’s 64 miles.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/XnGA2kiWwZSoyXat6

9. Nona Adventure Park

Our last two picks on the list of the best beaches near St Cloud, FL, are actually water parks. We figure that these are great substitutes for beaches especially if you are with the family.

These parks are great to enjoy the water and get some quality entertainment in the meantime.

Nona Adventure Park is really an adventure park where the point is mostly not being in the water. You get some nice obstacle courses floating on water that are a great challenge to complete.

There is also an option to try wakeboarding which we’ve found extremely fun. A superb place to spend a hot sunny day in. Once feel too hot you can always let go and splash into the water.

The distance is only 24 minutes or 12.5 miles from St Cloud.

Location: https://g.page/NonaAdventurePark?share

10. Island H2O Water Park

Finally, you have Island H2O Water Park which is a fully-fledged waterpark. Water-based thrill rides are abundant in the park to make sure that everyone in the family enjoys the trip.

There are multiple tube slides to choose from ranging from slow to super quick. You have your usual river rides and multiple pools to cool down during the day.

Island H2O Water Park is a nice choice if you don’t want to drive too long yet want the whole family to enjoy a superb day out.

It’s around 40 minutes away from St Cloud, Florida.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/R1VM2FEJPY8xDjwLA

MORE:
8 Fantastic Beaches Near Homosassa, FL
6 Great Beaches Near Ocala, FL
7 Awesome Beaches Near Zephyrhills, FL

Beaches Near St Cloud, FL – FAQ