For decades, one stretch of the Dunedin Causeway worked like a drive-up beach. You pulled off the road, parked close to the water and set your chair down a few steps from the car. Glenn Steinky has run High & Dry Grill on the causeway since the 1990s. He described that section to Bay News 9 as "one of the primary places on the causeway where people would park and lay out next to their cars."
The 2024 hurricanes closed that stretch. Pinellas County crews have spent most of 2026 adding sand and rebuilding the access road, and the City of Dunedin says the county expects to finish by December. When the stretch reopens, it will operate under different rules. On September 3, the Dunedin City Commission voted 5-0 to ban launching motorized watercraft from the causeway's south side. That side, with its open sand and no paved ramp, was where trailered jet skis used to go in.
So the repair brings back the sand, and the ordinance changes who gets to use it. The reopened beach is set up for kayaks, paddleboards, fishing rods and beach chairs. Until the Dunedin Marina ramp reopens, boat and jet ski owners in Dunedin will be driving out of town to launch.
What the County Is Actually Rebuilding
The repair covers only part of the causeway. The 2024 storms shut down one damaged beach section, and the beaches on either side stayed open to beachgoers and kayakers the whole time. According to Bay News 9, county crews are replenishing sand to restore the access road and repairing damaged sections of the causeway. Federal Highway money passed through FDOT pays for the work. The St Pete Catalyst reported the total at about $1.42 million: roughly $1.3 million in federal transportation funds and about $105,000 from the county.
The two bridges are a separate project. They were built in the 1960s with a 50-year design life, and the county plans to replace them eventually. As of October 13, the county's Dunedin Causeway Bridges Project page lists design as on hold, with design and construction dates to be determined. That page also says the bridge project includes no beach or recreation improvements. The beach repair is the only work on the calendar for this winter.
Why the City Changed the Rule During the Closure
While the damaged stretch was fenced off, motorized launching there stopped as well. City staff told commissioners that the closure had worked like a two-year experiment. In the city's announcement of the vote, City Manager Jennifer Bramley said:
"During the time that the Causeway has been closed to motorized watercraft launching there has been a resurgence of seagrass, a resurgence of the native wildlife. The parking issues are no longer there, the trash issues are no longer there."
Parks and Recreation Director Tony Mulkey added that a seagrass bed can take 10 years to recover from boat scarring. Safety came up just as often. Dunedin Fire Chief Michael Handoga reported two jet ski fatalities since 2020. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office counted 80 jet ski-related incidents between January 1, 2022, and April 30, 2026.
The decision took three steps. Commissioners gave staff direction at a June 2 workshop, voted 4-0 at the first public hearing on July 23 and adopted the ordinance 5-0 on September 3. Not everyone supported it. WFLA reported that at the July hearing, a representative of the Florida Ski Riders said the area was needed for launching and that families had used it for generations.
How the Reopened Shoreline Is Divided
The ordinance is narrow. It bans launching and retrieving motorized craft from the shoreline. Jet skis and powerboats can still run in St. Joseph Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway. On the north side, west of the drawbridge, the county closed launching years ago because of erosion and repair costs, and that ban still applies.
The city's causeway page splits the south-facing shoreline into four sections. The causeway has no paved ramps, so every launch happens from the sand. The city spells out these launch areas:
- East of the drawbridge. Kayaks, paddleboards and other non-motorized boats.
- The center of the causeway. No watercraft of any kind.
- From the concession area west to the second bridge. Non-motorized boats again. This is where you'll find the restrooms, High & Dry Grill and the rental stand.
If you tow kayaks on a trailer, the ordinance does not restrict trailers for non-motorized craft. If you don't own a boat, Sail Honeymoon is the city's permitted concessionaire. It rents sailboats and kayaks and runs the food and drinks at High & Dry Grill.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office enforces the ban. A first violation gets a warning. A second brings a class 5 citation of $93 uncontested or $138 contested. The city can also issue a $500 municipal citation to repeat offenders, and deputies can pursue trespass charges that bar a person from the causeway for a set period, such as a year. This is general information about a city ordinance, not legal advice. For your own situation, check the ordinance text or call the city.
The Rules That Came Through Unchanged
The rest of the causeway's routine stays the same:
- Hours and parking. The causeway is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Parking along the access areas is free.
- Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on the causeway beach. They may walk the Pinellas Trail spur on the south side on a leash up to 6 feet. Honeymoon Island State Park has a dedicated dog beach.
- Late fishing. To fish past 11 p.m., get a permit from the Sheriff's Office North District Station at 2496 Bayshore Blvd. The number is 727-582-6900.
- Overnight vehicles and trailers. A permit costs $10 for a single two-day use or $100 for the year, from the Dunedin Community Center at 1920 Pinehurst Rd. Annual permit holders can leave a vehicle or trailer no more than two days in any seven-day period.
- Not allowed. Alcohol, camping and ground fires.
At the far end of the causeway, Honeymoon Island State Park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset, every day of the year. Its amenity listing includes Cafe Honeymoon and the pet beach at the south end. Since April 2024, a natural cut has separated the northernmost mile of the sandspit from the main island. The park asks visitors not to wade into or cross the water there.
Where a Jet Ski Goes In This Winter
Inside Dunedin, the answer would normally be the Dunedin Marina ramp. The ramp wasn't damaged in the storms, but it has stayed closed for safety because the marina is an active construction site with little public parking. BDI Marine has moved from the north seawall to the east seawall, and the parking area and drive aisle next to Edgewater Park are closed. The city's stated goal is to reopen the ramp in 2026, once the seawall work is done, under new regulations and new fees.
Until then, the options are ramps outside the city limits. Here are the two the city names most directly:
| Ramp | Location | Distance cited by the city | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutherland Bayou Boat Ramp | Palm Harbor | 4.0 miles from the causeway | $6 daily parking; open 24 hours with trailer parking |
| Seminole Boat Ramp | Clearwater | 6.7 miles from the causeway, 3 miles from the Dunedin Marina | $2.25 per hour; open 24 hours |
The city's May 2026 boat ramp guide lists more public ramps at Fred Howard Park, Clearwater Beach and the Belleair Causeway, plus private options across Pinellas and Pasco. A rider launching at Sutherland Bayou can still run south into St. Joseph Sound. The ordinance controls where a boat touches the causeway's sand, not where it travels.
The Rest of the Dunedin Waterfront Is on Its Own Schedule
The causeway is one of several Dunedin waterfront spots in the middle of storm repairs. The marina's fishing pier is being rebuilt exactly as it was. The above-water section was demolished in early summer, On-Point Contracting holds the contract, and pile removal and new construction are waiting on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. The city has deemed the Weaver Park pier unsafe after the 2024 storms and closed it.
Some routines have already returned. Piper on the Pier came back October 10 at the Bon Appétit pier, and the Holiday Boat Parade is scheduled for December 5. If the county finishes repairs on its December target, the restored stretch of causeway will be ready around the same weeks the parade boats pass the marina.
Waterfront rules like this one shape how a Dunedin home gets used on a weekend: where the kayak trailer goes, where a jet ski launches, which ramp is the practical one this year. If you're weighing a home near the water and want to talk through how the marina and causeway changes fit into it, Kirsten Kelley can go over the details with you. Schedule a Consultation.
