Accessible Clearwater Beach: A Power Wheelchair User’s Guide

We spent five nights in Clearwater Beach, and this guide covers where we stayed, how beach access worked for me, where we ate, and the transportation option that saved us from renting an accessible van.

Getting to Clearwater Beach

We flew directly into Tampa, which is about a 40-minute drive from Clearwater Beach. The flight itself was smooth, and thankfully, my power chair arrived in one piece. Getting it off the plane was another story.

There was lightning in the area when we landed, which meant the ground crew could not unload anything. Every new strike restarted the clock. They transferred me into a manual chair since they couldn't bring me my power wheelchair to the gate. Thankfully I got my chair after about 30 minutes, but our luggage took almost THREE hours.

Eventually, we made the  to leave the airport, and my mom took an Uber back later that night to grab the bags. It was not exactly the start we planned, but in the grand scheme of travel chaos, it was just a bump in the road.

Since Clearwater Beach itself is easy to get around, we skipped renting an accessible van and booked Wheelchair Transport Service for airport pickup and drop-off instead. I called only four days ahead, and it was no problem at all. They communicated well, showed up on time in both directions, and tied my chair down properly. It's still not cheap (it cost $150 each way), but it was still cheaper than renting a van for 5 days that we weren't going to use.

They get major bonus points for waiting patiently through the entire luggage saga.

Staying at Shephard’s Beach Resort

We stayed at Shephard’s Beach Resort, which is right on the beach. Our room was on the inland side. The oceanfront side sits closer to the live music at night so depending on your bedtime and tolerance for vacation noise, that is either a perk or a warning.

The accessible rooms only had king beds when we stayed, so plan accordingly if you are traveling with someone you would rather not share a bed with. The room itself was spacious, and the bathroom had plenty of room to move around.

One important note: the bed sits on a platform with no clearance underneath, so a Hoyer lift would not fit. My transfers are done by carrying, so that was not an issue for us, but it could be a dealbreaker for someone who needs lift access under the bed.

The shower was small, but it did have a built-in shower seat. The rest of the bathroom felt much easier to navigate than the shower area itself.

The pool area is where we spent a lot of our time. There were plenty of lounge chairs, floats, and servers bringing drinks, plus lifts for both the main pool and the hot tub. The pathways and elevators throughout the resort were smooth and easy for my power chair.

Beach Access at Shephard’s

The beach is one of my favorite parts about Shephard’s. 

At most beaches, I cannot get anywhere close to the water because the sand is too deep or the water is too far away. The beach at Shephard’s is smaller, so my mom carried me about 30 steps to the water’s edge. That obviously will not work for everyone, but for me, it’s a huge win.

I also brought my own low beach chair so I could sit in the water with some stability. We stayed at the water’s edge for about half a day, and I swear the water was warmer than the pool.

At one point, four beautiful dolphins came surprisingly close. I couldn’t believe how close they came to the shore. If only I could swim, I would have been out there! There were also more seashells than I could pick up, and being able to grab them right from where I was sitting is not something I usually get to do at the beach.

If you need a beach wheelchair, the lifeguard station about half a mile from Shephard’s had them available for free on a first come, first served basis. Just know that the beach in that area is much bigger, so the distance to the water may still be an issue depending on your needs.

Near Pier 60, there were also sand mats in the area, but they did not go very far when I visited. I would not count on them getting you anywhere near the water.

Where We Ate in Clearwater Beach

We ate most of our meals at the resort. The Cove, the main restaurant, was very spacious inside, though we sat outside both times. The french toast at breakfast and the filet mignon at dinner were both great, and the reimagined strawberry shortcake is worth ordering even if you think you're done eating. The tiki bar handled everything in between, and I kept going back for the chicken tenders. They were fresh and light, and the honey mustard alone was fire. Let’s be honest, I order my food based on sauces 😂

Off the resort, we tried Salty's Island Bar & Grille, where I had the fettuccine alfredo (delicious) and mom went with the fish tacos. I also stopped at Ice&Cream Creamery twice, because it was just so good. I can't tell you exactly what it is about their ice cream, but it tastes like the ice cream I remember from being a kid.

The one meal to plan around is Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, a Clearwater institution known for its grouper sandwich. It's about a 20 to 25 minute roll from Shephard's on smooth sidewalks the whole way. Time your dinner for sunset and ask for the patio because the view while you eat is hard to beat.

Pier 60 and Getting Around

Most evenings we headed down to Pier 60. I'm a sunset person, mostly because I hate getting up in the morning, and Clearwater delivered every single night. The pier fills up with vendors and street performers, and the sidewalks are wide and smooth the entire route. The shops near the pier are worth browsing too. I picked up some cute clothes at Ron Jon's.

Pier 60 also happens to be the scene of one of my favorite Clearwater memories. On a trip years ago, my friend Jerry, a lifelong troublemaker, talked my friend Victoria into taking the CPR dummy out of the lifeguard station, putting it in a wheelchair, and posing for a picture. The lifeguard did not find it as funny as we did. Everyone scattered and left Victoria holding the dummy. This picture never gets old!

Getting around Clearwater in general is easy, which is exactly why we didn't rent a van. Sidewalks are wide, curb cuts are smooth and there's a trolley if you want to go further than you feel like rolling. We never needed it, but it's good to know it's there.

Final Thoughts on Accessible Clearwater Beach

Would I stay at Shephard’s again? Yes.

It has a fun, relaxed vibe, smooth paths around the resort, pool lifts, easy access to restaurants, and a smaller beach that made getting to the water possible for me. It is not perfect for every wheelchair user, especially if you need Hoyer lift clearance under the bed or fully independent access across the sand, but for my needs, it was one of the easiest beach trips I have taken.