A thin ribbon of shifting sand extends southward from Gulfport to Mullet Key, overlooking the entrance to Florida's Tampa Bay. This vantage point has always attracted military interest since initial days of the Civil War. Fortification began during the Spanish-American War and saw heavy reinforcement with walls as thick as 20 feet.
Today, Fort DeSoto displays four rare 12 mortars and two 6 inch Armstrong guns. Although the fort failed to see any war-time action, the Laidley Battery was key in modern advances in land-based fortification. Fort De Soto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The Fort DeSoto area and Mullet Key see millions of visitors every year since completion of the Pinellas Bayway. Not all visitors headed to the 1,130 acre park are taken with Fort De Soto history. The big draw here is three miles of beautiful white sand beach, voted top beach and number 1 beach in the nation several times. The Pinellas County park and Fort De Soto Beach have entertained close to three million visitors last year. Fishing piers, a 230 site campground, floating docks, camp store and concession stands add to its popularity.