Anclote Key Preserve State Park protects a low, sandy barrier island offshore from Tarpon Springs. There are no roads to it, which is the point: you reach it by private boat, tour boat, or kayak in calm conditions, and the reward is open Gulf beach, seabirds, and a quieter edge of the sponge-coast landscape.
The island works best as a fair-weather outing. Bring water, sun protection, and realistic expectations about facilities, then walk the beach, look for shells, and keep an eye out for the historic Anclote lighthouse rising above the scrub.