De Soto National Memorial
De Soto National Memorial is a national memorial located in Manatee County, approximately five miles (eight kilometers) west of Bradenton, Florida. Look for it 4 mi east of Holmes Beach. It comes under the National Park Service. The 2025 count was 124K visitors.
A national memorial, 4 mi east of Holmes Beach
Visits fell 20% in 2025
The National Park Service counted 124,294 visitors in 2025, down from 155,016 the year before. Visitors ↓
Holmes Beach is the nearest base
Holmes Beach is 4 miles west, with 32 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Nov and Dec
January, November and December are mild and quieter than average, with highs of 71–78°. When to go ↓
An airport 11 miles away
Sarasota Bradenton (SRQ) has airline service, about 11 miles from De Soto National Memorial.
Established in 1948
De Soto National Memorial dates from 1948 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
How the year runs
Use the months below to time a visit to De Soto.
De Soto National Memorial
De Soto National Memorial is a national memorial located in Manatee County, approximately five miles (eight kilometers) west of Bradenton, Florida. The national memorial commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States. The memorial site comprises 26.84 acres (10.86 ha), where the Manatee River joins Tampa Bay. It has 3,000 feet (910 m) of coastline; eighty percent of the area is mangrove swamp.
- Type
- National Memorial
- Established
- 1948
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 3.3K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/deso
Before you go
Rooms near De Soto National Memorial
For a bed close by, look to Bradenton Beach (36) and Holmes Beach (32).
- 1Tropicana Field
- 2Anna Maria Island
- 3John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
- 4Fort De Soto Park
- 5Salvador Dalí Museum
Bradenton Beach
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
921 people · 42% vacation homes
5 mi southwest of De Soto National Memorial Visitor Reception Tent · 5 mi to the park
Holmes Beach
3,027 people · 31% vacation homes
4 mi west of De Soto National Memorial Visitor Reception Tent · 4 mi to the park
St. Petersburg
264,033 people
17 mi north of De Soto National Memorial Visitor Reception Tent · 17 mi to the park
St. Pete Beach
8,553 people · 29% vacation homes
15 mi northwest of De Soto National Memorial Visitor Reception Tent · 15 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradenton Beach 42% vacation homes | 5 mi southwest | 10 min | 36 31 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 921 | $489K | — |
| Holmes Beach 31% vacation homes | 4 mi west | 5 min | 32 29 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins | 3,027 | $681K | B |
| St. Petersburg | 17 mi north | 25 min | 114 71 hotels · 15 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 264,033 | $371K | D |
| St. Pete Beach 29% vacation homes | 15 mi northwest | 20 min | 62 52 hotels · 7 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs | 8,553 | $676K | C |
| Sarasota | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 59 44 hotels · 9 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 58,458 | $463K | C+ |
| Longboat Key 50% vacation homes | 9 mi south | 15 min | 28 24 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 7,359 | $1,022K | A |
| Bradenton | 5 mi southeast | 5 min | 16 10 hotels · 4 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 58,014 | $309K | C− |
| Treasure Island 29% vacation homes | 18 mi northwest | 25 min | 61 45 hotels · 13 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 6,397 | $622K | C+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Around De Soto
Each of these is within 38 miles.
Big draw117 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
25 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
31 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
311 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
48 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto Park
517 mi MuseumSalvador Dalí Museum
38 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Tampa3.8M visitors a yearPhoto credits
Tropicana Field: EaglesFanInTampa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anna Maria Island: Bfpage at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Raymond James Stadium: NASA, Public domain · Benchmark International Arena: Miosotis Jade, CC BY-SA 4.0 · John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Fort De Soto Park: Christopher Hollis, Public domain · Salvador Dalí Museum: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Busch Gardens Tampa: Wolle8ball, CC BY 3.0
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Visitor numbers: 124,294 in 2025
The numbers cover 2016 to 2025.
Before visiting De Soto
What town is De Soto National Memorial near?
Holmes Beach, FL, about 4 miles west.
When is the best time to visit De Soto National Memorial?
January, November and December, with highs of 71–78°. March is the busiest month (about 24,019 visitors).
How many people visit De Soto National Memorial each year?
124,294 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 233,354, set in 2017.
How far is De Soto National Memorial from Tampa?
About 32 miles north of Tampa, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to De Soto National Memorial?
Sarasota Bradenton (SRQ), about 11 miles away.
Where should I stay near De Soto National Memorial?
Bradenton Beach (5 mi, 36 places to stay), Holmes Beach (4 mi, 32 places to stay) and St. Petersburg (17 mi, 114 places to stay).
Advice from Holmes Beach
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Holmes Beach’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.