Naples beach: Discover hidden Clam Pass Park, where you ride the tide

Clam Pass Park beach is a worth discovering for its beauty and the fun offered by its tidal flow

Few outside of Naples know about this hidden beach, which may appear to be the private beach of a posh resort. But it’s not — it’s a Collier County park. And while I live five minutes from Fort Lauderdale beach, I think Clam Pass Park is so special I have driven across the state for a day at this beach.

Clam Pass Park  is tucked away behind the Naples Grande Beach Resort. That’s how I discovered it, on a weekend getaway when we stayed at the resort on a summer rate sale.

There are a few assets that set this beach apart from the other spectacular Naples beaches (and they are all excellent.)

First, I love how you reach the beach — it feels like the start of an adventure. You can walk or take a free tram from the Clam Pass Park parking lot down a three-quarters-mile long boardwalk through a mangrove forest.

Then, from the shady mangrove tunnel, you emerge on a sunny day to a beach with sand that is blindingly white and water impossibly turquoise. But that’s not the only thing we love about Clam Pass Park.

The pass itself is a narrow river-like opening in the mangroves, shallow enough an adult can stand at the center except at the highest tide. If you hop into the waters of the pass, you are gently swept away by the tide. If the tide is coming in, you float into a shallow mangrove-fringed lagoon. If the tide is going out, you float out into the Gulf, which remains shallow for a great distance.

It’s a natural “lazy river” adventure, where the pull and depth of the water is safe but still fun.  (The currents in larger passes can be extremely dangerous, making Clam Pass Park a unique experience. It’s the smallest, shallowest pass on the coast.)

Parents should note that the pull of the tide still can be strong and children should be closely supervised. We’ve been here when the current pulled us well into the mangrove lagoon and it was a challenge to swim against it. There is no lifeguard in this section of the beach.

On the other side of the pass, the beach stretches on for miles, lined with seagrape trees and foliage. Visitors thin out after a short distance, so if you dream of having a beach to yourself, this is for you. We held our towels and camera over our head as we waded across the pass at low tide. Then we explored the long, natural beach, which we had virtually to ourselves. (The beach is preserve and you can walk almost two miles until you reach development.)

We also explored the pristine mangrove lagoon area, wading through shallow water to dead-ends, where fiddler crabs scurried as we approached.

Because this is the beach for the Naples Grande Beach Resort, regular folks benefit from exceptional amenities intended for hotel guests. There’s a little cafe with sandwiches and drinks, and not outrageously priced. A concession stand rents chairs, umbrellas, Hobie cats and more.

Clam Pass Park in Naples

Seagate Drive  and Crayton Road, Naples
Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown
Phone: (239) 252-4000

Parking at Clam Pass Park is $10, and there are 171 spaces that can fill up.

• The official site for Clam Pass Park
• TripAdvisor visitors love Clam Pass Park too.

Tide Charts: Naples Outer Coast

NOTE: See our updated Florida Red Tide Report.

Things to do in Naples near Clam Pass Park

• Kayaking or canoeing:  Koreshan State Historic Park on the Estero River, the Imperial River in Bonita Springs, the Cocohatchee and Water Turkey Bay from Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park.
• Beach, kayaking and manatees in winter: Lovers Key State Park
• Bicycling: A great way to sample beaches is by bike in old Naples.
• Naples Bird Rookery Swamp: Excellent hiking, biking and wildlife.
• Koreshan State Historic Park: Beautiful spot, fascinating history of an early Florida cult
• More great beaches nearby:  Barefoot Beach
• Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: Exquisite cypress swamp, boardwalk, birds and wildlife.

Camping and places to stay near Clam Pass Park

• Camping:  Collier Seminole State Park,  Koreshan State Park
• Lodging:  We’ve stayed at Cove Inn on Naples Bay, which offers reasonably priced hotel rooms and efficiencies in a 1970s vintage hotel in a marina.  It made a great base for bicycling around old Naples. We also got a fabulous deal and stayed at the Naples Grande Beach Resort one weekend, which is how we discovered Clam Pass Park in the first place — it’s the beach that serves this hotel. It’s a grand place, particularly off-season.