2 photosPublic Beach
Ocean beach in Marathon, facing south-east, with parking and bathrooms within walking distance.
- Pier
- Camping nearby
- Warm water 8.4
- Sunrise over water
- HoursNot on file
- Parking2 lots within 1,310 ft
- DirectionsGoogle Maps
- Calm water
- 5.2 of 10
- Water
- 89 Ftoday
- Sunset
- 7:32 pmover land
- Parking
- Mapped2 within 1,310 ft
- Families
- Fair
Today, Thursday, Sep 10
Fair beach day
Very warm water. Watch: 26% rain chance, wind, waves.
- High
- 87 F
- Sea temperature
- 89 F
- Waves
- 1.9 ftup to 2.5 ft
- Wind
- 14 mphup to 19 mph
- Rain chance
- 26%
- UV index
- 6high
- Sun
- 7:08 am to 7:32 pm
- Low2:43 am0.4 ft
- High9:12 am2.9 ft
- Low3:38 pm0.3 ft
- High9:41 pm2.3 ft
- 8:00 am87 Fpartly cloudy, 21% rain, 15 mph
- 11:00 am87 Fovercast, 21% rain, 8 mph
- 2:00 pm84 Fdrizzle, 12% rain, 13 mph
- 5:00 pm · best85 Fpartly cloudy, 8% rain, 5 mph
Great for
- FamiliesFairCalm water 5.2, bathrooms nearby
- SwimmingGoodWaves around 2.9 ft, sea 82 F on average
- SunsetsLimitedsunrise over the water instead
- ConvenienceLimited2 parking lots, no food mapped
- CampingYescampground (1 within 0.6 mi)
How the Beach Score is calculated: 4.6 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.
| Component | Points | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Facilities | 1.8 of 3 | Within walking distance: parking, bathrooms. |
| Calm water | 1.0 of 2 | Mean daily maximum wave 2.9 ft. |
| Warm water | 0.8 of 1 | Mean sea temperature 82 F. |
| Sunset over water | 0.0 of 1 | The shore faces away from the sunset all year. |
| Free entry | 0.0 of 1 | An entry fee is mapped. |
Ranks #2 of 7 for beachfront camping in Florida, #2 of 168 for warm water in Florida, #8 of 19 for camping nearby in Florida, #24 of 55 for sunrise over water in Florida, #38 of 41 for showers in Florida. All beaches in Florida.
Amenities
- Parking2 nearby
- Free parkingNo
- Bathrooms2 nearby
- Showers1 nearby
- Restaurants and barsNo
- Beachfront hotelsNo
- Hotels nearbyNo
- Beachfront camping1 nearby
- Camping nearby1 nearby
- Pier1 nearby
- BoardwalkNo
- Free entryNo
Water, sand, and nature
- Sunrise over waterYes, October to February
- Calm water5.2 of 10
- Warm water8.4 of 10
Hours, fees, and rules
- Entry
- $5 per vehicle ($4 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle, $2 pedestrian, county surcharge may apply)
- Pass
- Florida State Parks Annual Entrance Pass accepted, $60 a year, $120 for a family
- Operator
- Run by Florida State Parks
- Address
- Ocean Drive, Marathon, FL 33052
Sunset and sunrise
The shore faces south-east (132 degrees). The sun sets over land all year.
Planning a trip
Early October is usually warm, with very warm water and a higher chance of a rainy day.
- Water
- 85 FVery warm
- High
- 83 FWarm
- Rainy day
- 59%Rain is common
- Waves
- 3.1 ftModerate
What to expect
- Very warm swimming water, around 85 F
- Moderate waves, around 3.1 ft
- Rainy days are common in October (18 a month)
- 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
3 October storms within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 15 years, 2 at hurricane strength. Most recent in any month: Tropical Storm Eta, November 2020, 14.3 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
Public Beach through the year
| Measure | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm water | Jan: 75 F, mild | Feb: 76 F, warm | Mar: 78 F, warm | Apr: 79 F, warm | May: 84 F, very warm | Jun: 86 F, very warm | Jul: 88 F, very warm | Aug: 89 F, very warm | Sep: 87 F, very warm | Oct: 84 F, very warm | Nov: 81 F, very warm | Dec: 77 F, warm |
| Low rain | Jan: 6 rainy days | Feb: 5 rainy days | Mar: 6 rainy days | Apr: 7 rainy days | May: 8 rainy days | Jun: 20 rainy days | Jul: 16 rainy days | Aug: 20 rainy days | Sep: 21 rainy days | Oct: 18 rainy days | Nov: 5 rainy days | Dec: 6 rainy days |
| Calm water | Jan: waves 3.2 ft, moderate | Feb: waves 3.2 ft, moderate | Mar: waves 3.2 ft, moderate | Apr: waves 3.4 ft, often rough | May: waves 2.2 ft, moderate | Jun: waves 2.5 ft, moderate | Jul: waves 2.1 ft, moderate | Aug: waves 2.2 ft, moderate | Sep: waves 2.1 ft, moderate | Oct: waves 3.3 ft, often rough | Nov: waves 3.5 ft, often rough | Dec: waves 3.6 ft, often rough |
When to go
- Best overallMarch to Mayvery warm water · fewer rainy days · warm days
- Warmest waterJuly to September89 F average
- DriestJanuary to February5 to 6 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025
| Month | Sea temp | Air max | Rain days | Wave height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 F (24 C) | 73 F (23 C) | 6 | 3.2 ft |
| Feb | 76 F (24 C) | 74 F (24 C) | 5 | 3.2 ft |
| Mar | 78 F (25 C) | 76 F (25 C) | 6 | 3.2 ft |
| Apr | 79 F (26 C) | 78 F (26 C) | 7 | 3.4 ft |
| May | 84 F (29 C) | 82 F (28 C) | 8 | 2.2 ft |
| Jun | 86 F (30 C) | 85 F (29 C) | 20 | 2.5 ft |
| Jul | 88 F (31 C) | 87 F (30 C) | 16 | 2.1 ft |
| Aug | 89 F (31 C) | 87 F (31 C) | 20 | 2.2 ft |
| Sep | 87 F (31 C) | 86 F (30 C) | 21 | 2.1 ft |
| Oct | 84 F (29 C) | 83 F (28 C) | 18 | 3.3 ft |
| Nov | 81 F (27 C) | 78 F (26 C) | 5 | 3.5 ft |
| Dec | 77 F (25 C) | 75 F (24 C) | 6 | 3.6 ft |
Explore Public Beach
Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.
All places near Public Beach as a list (9)
Beach access Main access and 3 more · Nearest parking 170 ft · Nearest restrooms 190 ft · Nearest showers 170 ft
More photos of Public Beach

Nearby beaches
Questions about Public Beach
Is there parking at Public Beach?
Yes. 2 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft. Source: OpenStreetMap.
How warm is the water at Public Beach?
Sea surface temperature averages 88 F (31 C) in July and 75 F (24 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.
Is the water calm at Public Beach?
Calm water scores 5.2 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 2.9 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.
Can you see the sunset over the water at Public Beach?
No. The shore faces away from the sunset all year.
When is hurricane season at Public 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, 16 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 7 at hurricane strength, most in August, September and October. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.
Sources
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
- [operator], checked [date]
- Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain
- Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Grassy Key, south side, Hawk Channel (8723933), public domain
- Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service KEY office for Monroe Middle Keys (FLZ077), 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.



