Three Rooker Bar

Difficulty: Moderate	Scenery: Good
Location: Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County	Distance: 5 miles round-trip from Howard Park.
Atlas: Page 82 C-2
Last Update: December 2003	Canoe OK: No

 Photo-trip - limited details.

Description

Three Rooker Bar is a narrow "C" shaped island located on the central west coast of Florida about 2.5 miles offshore from Tarpon Springs. It is one of the newest members of a chain of barrier islands that extends for over 140 miles from Anclote Key on the north to Cape Romano on the south. Three Rooker's white sand beaches line the north and seaward sides of the island and offer some of the best shelling and beachcombing in the Tampa Bay area. The bay side of the island's shallow waters teem with fish and birds.

Access

In Tarpon Springs start at US 19 and Tarpon Avenue. Follow Tarpon Avenue west one mile to Alt-19 (Pinellas Avenue). Turn north (right) and go one block to Orange Street. Turn west (left) and go to Riverside Drive. Follow this twisty road around the lake and over the draw bridge. Turn west (left) onto Sunset Drive just before Tarpon Springs Riverside Park. Follow signs on Sunset Drive to Fred Howard Park. The put-in is a beach at the end of the causeway.

Three Rooker Bar Photographs

	Getting There On calm days, getting to Three Rooker is an easy 2.5 mile paddle from Fred Howard Park beach or 4.1 miles from the Dunedin Causeway. It's open water and there is no natural shade on the island so bring plenty of sunscreen.
	Three Rooker North Beach The north end of the island offers a narrow white sand beach surrounded by shoals only 1 to 2 feet deep. On windy days, this shallow area can make for a bumpy landing.
	Lagoon Three Rooker is a popular anchorage with boaters, and on weekends the deeper north end of the lagoon can be crowded. On weekdays, you'll probably have the whole island to yourself.
	Environment Three Rooker is about 1.4 miles in length and varies between 10 and a few hundred yards wide. Sandy beaches surround much of the island with mangroves, grasses and other small plants on the interior.
	Wildlife Except for the first 30 feet or so of beach, Three Rooker is a bird nesting sanctuary and is off-limits to humans. In the water, it's common to see dolphin, sting rays and horseshoe crabs. If you like to fish, tarpon, cobia, sea trout, snook and Spanish mackerel are some local favorites.
	Weather Being on a narrow barrier island with no cover is not a good place to ride out quick moving thunderstorms. If you are paddling during summer months, plan to be off the water by 3pm. The closest point with any appreciable protection is at Fred Howard Park, 2.5 miles to the northeast.