BeachesWith
Mashes Sands Beach: beach shoreline with leaning pine tree, sand, grass, and cloudy sky6 photos
Photo: The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)

Mashes Sands Beach

Florida

Ocean beach in Florida, facing east, with parking and bathrooms within walking distance.

  • Calm water 8.6
  • Free parking
  • Sunrise over water
  • Bathrooms
  • HoursClosed now, opens 6:00 am
  • ParkingFree, 1 lot within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
5.0/ 10Fair
How we score beaches
Calm water
8.6 of 10
Water
87 Ftoday
Sunset
7:48 pmover land
Parking
Free1 within 1,310 ft
Families
Very good
84of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water · light wind. Watch: 26% rain chance.

79 Fovercast
High
86 F
Sea temperature
87 F
Waves
0.9 ftup to 1.0 ft
Wind
7 mphup to 9 mph
Rain chance
26%
UV index
7high
Sun
7:19 am to 7:48 pm
Tidesnext high at 2:56 am
  1. High2:56 am3.4 ft
  2. Low8:45 am1.0 ft
  3. High2:45 pm3.9 ft
  4. Low9:17 pm0.3 ft
  1. 8:00 am79 Fclear, 14% rain, 4 mph
  2. 11:00 am83 Fovercast, 22% rain, 6 mph
  3. 2:00 pm84 Fovercast, 17% rain, 4 mph
  4. 5:00 pm · best85 Fovercast, 13% rain, 8 mph

Forecast for Thursday, Sep 10, local time (GMT-4). Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, refreshed hourly. Sea temperature and waves are model values for the nearest offshore point. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS station Bald Point, Ochlockonee Bay (8728237), 1.8 mi from the beach, heights above MLLW.The rating rule is on the methodology page. Planning a future date? See typical weather by month.

Great for

  • FamiliesVery goodCalm water 8.6, bathrooms nearby
  • SwimmingVery goodWaves around 1.5 ft, sea 74 F on average
  • SunsetsLimitedsunrise over the water instead
  • ConvenienceLimited1 parking lot, no food mapped
How the Beach Score is calculated: 5.0 of 10

The score is the sum of the components below. Clear water counts only where a clarity source exists. Rankings never take revenue as an input.

ComponentPointsFact
Facilities1.8 of 3Within walking distance: parking, bathrooms.
Calm water1.7 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 1.5 ft.
Warm water0.5 of 1Mean sea temperature 74 F.
Sunset over water0.0 of 1The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

Ranks #18 of 55 for sunrise over water in Florida, #29 of 46 for calm water in Florida, #31 of 38 for free parking in Florida, #57 of 81 for bathrooms in Florida, #75 of 124 for parking in Florida. All beaches in Florida.

Verdicts on the cards come from the same facts. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026). The formula is on the methodology page.

Aerial view of Mashes Sands Beach in Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
Mashes Sands Beach: sandy beach with rocks, calm sea, and cloudy sky
Mashes Sands Beach: sandy beach with gentle waves and overcast sky

Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2023 via USGS National Map, public domain (source) · Photo: The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source) · Photo: The Bushranger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)View all 6 photos

Amenities

  • Parking1 nearby
  • Free parking1 nearby
  • Bathrooms1 nearby
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and barsNo
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • LifeguardsNo
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • PierNo
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Sunrise over waterYes, all year
  • Calm water8.6 of 10
  • Warm water5.3 of 10

Nearby means within walking distance of the beach centre (980 ft to 1,640 ft, by kind), from OpenStreetMap. Scores are 0 to 10. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026); the method for each is on the methodology page.

Hours, fees, and rules

Hours
6 a.m. to 12 p.m., daily
Operator
Run by Wakulla County
Address
Mashes Sands Road, Wakulla County, FL 32346

From Wakulla County, checked Sep 6, 2026. Hours and fees change; the official page is the final word. Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces east (87 degrees). The sun sets over land all year.

Computed from the OpenStreetMap coastline and the sunset azimuth for each month.

Planning a trip

Early October is usually warm, with warm water and little rain.

Water
78 FWarm
High
80 FWarm
Rainy day
17%Rain is rare
Waves
1.5 ftUsually calm

What to expect

  • Warm swimming water, around 78 F
  • Typically calm conditions, waves around 1.5 ft
  • Rain is rare in October
  • October is within Atlantic hurricane season, at its peak
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peak from mid-August to late October. Storm history near this beach

1 October storm within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 46 years. Most recent in any month: Hurricane Helene, September 2024, 35.2 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Mashes Sands Beach through the year

Warm water
Low rain
Calm water

Darker is better: warmer water, fewer rainy days, calmer water. Monthly means, 2023-2025, from Open-Meteo. Values for a date blend the nearest two months; the bands and the rule are on the methodology page.

When to go

  • Best overallOctoberwarm water · fewer rainy days · calm water · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to August88 F average
  • DriestOctober4 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Mashes Sands Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.405060708090100JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan56 F (14 C)60 F (16 C)91.8 ft
Feb61 F (16 C)66 F (19 C)61.6 ft
Mar67 F (20 C)71 F (21 C)111.8 ft
Apr73 F (23 C)76 F (24 C)81.8 ft
May80 F (27 C)82 F (28 C)131.4 ft
Jun85 F (29 C)87 F (30 C)181.6 ft
Jul88 F (31 C)88 F (31 C)231.1 ft
Aug88 F (31 C)89 F (32 C)191.4 ft
Sep84 F (29 C)85 F (29 C)131.4 ft
Oct76 F (25 C)79 F (26 C)41.5 ft
Nov70 F (21 C)71 F (22 C)61.4 ft
Dec61 F (16 C)64 F (18 C)61.5 ft

Monthly means, 2023-2025. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Wave height is the mean of daily maximum significant wave height.

Explore Mashes Sands Beach

Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.

All places near Mashes Sands Beach as a list (3)

Nearest parking at the beach · Nearest restrooms 140 ft

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of a 600 m stretch of shoreline around the beach's mapped point (OpenStreetMap maps this beach as a point); walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 29.9745, -84.3415. Open this spot in OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. Missing or wrong? Fix it in OpenStreetMap and it appears here after the next weekly update.

Nearby beaches

Questions about Mashes Sands Beach

Is there parking at Mashes Sands Beach?

Yes. 1 mapped parking area within 1,310 ft. Source: OpenStreetMap.

Are there lifeguards at Mashes Sands Beach?

No lifeguard station is mapped within 980 ft.

How warm is the water at Mashes Sands Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 88 F (31 C) in July and 56 F (14 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at Mashes Sands Beach?

Calm water scores 8.6 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 1.5 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

Can you see the sunset over the water at Mashes Sands Beach?

No. The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

When is hurricane season at Mashes Sands Beach?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to late October, per the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Since 1980, 17 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 6 at hurricane strength, most in June, August and September. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.

Sources

  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Bald Point, Ochlockonee Bay (8728237), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service TAE office for Coastal Wakulla (FLZ127), public domain

Licenses and refresh dates for every dataset are on the data page. Something wrong? Every beach page has a report button; corrections are logged with a date.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Beach location, shoreline, and amenity positions are from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL. Data updated Sep 10, 2026.