OUR MISSION
To provide clean, safe and inclusive parks with diverse opportunities for all.
OUR VISION
A dynamic parks system that is essential to quality of life and enriches our community through participation, connection and diverse recreational opportunities.
OUR VALUES
Stewardship, Innovation, Respect, Teamwork and Quality of Life.
FY25 PARK
Full-time equivalent staff | 249
Acres burned on natural areas | 2,289
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources
FY25 PARK QUANTITIES
Acres of park land | 55,000
County-managed parks (Approximately) | 150
Miles of beaches | 35
Miles of trails | 563
Number of athletic fields | 86
Number of beaches | 14
Number of playgrounds | 45
FY25 PEOPLE IN PARKS
Activity registrations | 9,865
Direct volunteer hours | 23,877
Artificial reef material deployed (In tonnage) | 70.76
Overall customer satisfaction rating (5=very satisfied to 1=not at all satisfied) | 4.52
Total sports tourism economic impact | $114,428,076
Total economic impact produced by venues owned by Sarasota County | $36,008,276 Turtle Beach Campground occupancy | 75%
OPERATIONS Recreation and Community Centers
Estimated beach attendance (At lifeguarded beaches) | 5,896,840 Facebook engagements | 127,023 Interior space participants | 232,510 Recreation program participants | 74,537
Legacy Trail users | 615,504 Turtle Beach Campground visitors | 15,873
Centers
Lemon Bay Park
Shamrock Park • Bee Ridge Park
• Colonial Oaks Park
• Englewood Sports Complex
• Laurel Park
• Longwood Park
• Newtown Estates Park
• Nokomis Community Park
• Venice Community Center
• Woodmere Park
Knight Trail Park
Nathan Benderson Park
Phillippi Estate Park
Venice Train Depot
ACCREDITATIONS
May 2024
American Public Works Association (APWA) Accreditation
November 2023
American Camp Association (ACA)
October 2023
Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) Reaccreditation
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
February 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2017, 2015 and 2011
No. 1 Beach in the United States by TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice™ Awards (2025, 2020, 2017 and 2015); No. 2 Beach in the United States by TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice™ Awards (2024, 2023 and 2022) | Siesta Beach
August 2025
FRPA | Voluntary Service Award (Group) | Friends of Lemon Bay Park
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources
FY25 OPERATING BUDGET BY FUND
$46,393,783
General Fund | 61%
Tourist Development Tax | 17%
Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) | 15%
FY25 CAPITAL BUDGET
$16,340,633
June 2025
Travel + Leisure’s “World’s 50 Best Beaches” report ranked Siesta Beach as the best beach in the United States, the 12th best beach in North America, and 42nd in the world. Siesta Beach was the only beach in the U.S. to make the global list
National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) | Conservation | Land Acquisition and Management Program Rebranding and Community Education Plan
August 2024
Florida Recreation and Park Association (FRPA) | Public Relations (Electronic) | Natural Areas Story Map
July 2024
The Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects | Honor Award of Excellence New Work to Seibert Architects (Architect of Record) and Guy Peterson OFA (Conceptual Design) | Nora Patterson Bay Island Park Restroom Pavilion
May 2024
Small Park of the Year by The Florida and Alabama RV Park and Campground Association | Turtle Beach Campground