Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and State Park is a National Wildlife Refuge and State Park located on the island of Egmont Key, at the mouth of

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...

. Egmont Key lies southwest of

Fort De Soto Park South-southwest of St. Petersburg, Florida, Fort De Soto Park is a park operated by Pinellas County on five offshore keys, or islands: Madelaine Key, St. Jean Key, St. Christopher Key, Bonne Fortune Key and the main island, Mullet Key. The keys ...

and can only be reached by boat or ferry. Located within Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and State Park are the 1858

Egmont Key Light The current Egmont Key Light dates from 1858. It is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still used for its original purpose. The lighthouse When the first Egmont Key Light was built in 1848, it was the only lighthouse on the Gulf coast ...

house, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the ruins of

Fort Dade The current Egmont Key Light dates from 1858. It is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still used for its original purpose. The lighthouse When the first Egmont Key Light was built in 1848, it was the only lighthouse on the Gulf coast ...

, a

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

era

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

that housed 300 residents. Egmont Key is located in Hillsborough County

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

on a narrow strip of the county that extends along the Tampa Port Shipping Channel. Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974. The entire island is all part of the Refuge. Egmont Key is one of the three 'Tampa Bay Refuges', along with

Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge The Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System, located offshore from St. Petersburg. The refuge was established in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt to preserve nesting colonies of ...

, and the Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge, that was administered as a part of the

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the west coast of Florida, about north of St. Petersburg. It is famous as the southern wintering site for the re-introduced eas ...

Complex but changed to the ''Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex'' headquartered in

Crystal River, Florida Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,108 in the 2010 census. According to the U.S. Census estimates of 2018, the city had a population of 3,162. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self p ...

. The complex also manages the

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System, located in Kings Bay, in the town of Crystal River, and consists of 20 islands and several small parcels of land. The refuge (only a ...

and the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service owns and manages Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and entered into a cooperative agreement with Florida Park Service to cooperatively manage the entire island in 1989 and is known as Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and State Park.

Registry information

Egmont Key was listed as a Military related place of significance in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on December 11, 1978 with reference #78000946. Only 2.75 miles North West from Egmont Key is the Historic Register #100003048 U.S.S. NARCISSUS Tugboat Shipwreck that can be toured.

Fauna

Among the wildlife in the refuge are

box turtle Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus '' Cuora'' or '' Pyxidea'', which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus '' Terrapene'', the North American box turtles. ...

s, gopher tortoises,

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

s, and birds such as osprey, brown pelicans, white ibis, royal and sandwich terns, black skimmers, American oystercatchers and laughing gulls. The southern end of Egmont Key and a section of the east beach are closed year-round to all public use to provide nesting habitat for the laughing gulls, terns, white ibis, brown pelicans, and American oystercatchers. These closed areas also provide habitat for birds migrating during the spring and fall and for wintering birds.

Visiting

There are no refuge or state park fees for visiting the island (this is excluding ferry tickets or boat rental fees). Egmont Key is only accessible by boat and has no drinking water, restrooms, or shops due to the remote nature. Because of this, visitors are advised to bring food and water for their visit. No alcoholic beverages, glass, kites, drones, fireworks, hunting, or pets of any kind are permitted on the island due to the island being a National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors needing transport to the island can utilize th
Egmont Key Ferry Cruise provided by Hubbard's Marina
departing from the Bay Pier located within Fort De Soto. The ferry departs daily at 10am and 11am for a 4 hour trip; 3 hours on the island and 30 minutes travel each way. On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday there is also a 2pm ferry. Ferry tickets are $30.00 for adults 12 and up, $15.00 for youth ages 3–11, and free for those under age 3. Snorkeling gear can also be rented. GPS coordinates include: * Ranger Station: N 27 36. 032 W 82 45. 623 * Lighthouse: N 27 36. 047 W 82 45. 634 * Fort Dade: 27.5953° N, 82.7637° W

Recreational activities

Activities include

sunbathing Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning b ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, shelling (shell collecting - collecting of live shells is prohibited),

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

king,

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

, and

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

viewing within designated areas. Visitors can also tour the fort ruins and gun batteries. The lighthouse is no longer open to the public due to safety concerns. A visitor center, staffed by volunteers, is located in the guardhouse and is open on special occasions. Amenities include

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc s ...

es, nature trails, and picnic tables.

Hours

Egmont Key is open 365 days a year from 8am until sunset.

History

Egmont key was surveyed by Spanish explorers in 1757. In 1761, the English named the island Egmont Key for the

Earl of Egmont Earl of Egmont was a title in the Peerage of Ireland, created in 1733 for John Perceval, 1st Viscount Perceval. It became extinct with the death of the twelfth earl in 2011. History The Percevals claimed to be an ancient Anglo-Norman family, ...

. As with the rest of Florida, Egmont Key transitioned between rule by Spain and England multiple times before finally becoming part United States in 1827.Straub, W. L. ''History of Pinellas County''. page 27. The Record Company. St. Augustine, Florida. 1929. In 1847, concerns with hazardous navigation at the mouth of

led to the construction of the first lighthouse, but the Great Gale of 1848 swamped the island and all but destroyed the original lighthouse.Baker, Rick. ''Mangroves to Major League: a Timeline of St. Petersburg, Florida''. page 18. St. Petersburg. Southern Heritage Press. 2000. The lighthouse keeper reportedly rode out the storm in a rowboat tied to a palmetto. After the storm had passed, the keeper rowed to Fort Brooke and tendered his resignation. In 1858, the lighthouse was replaced with the lighthouse that still stands today. During the 19th century, Egmont Key was used as a camp for captured Seminoles at the end of the Third Seminole War and later in the century the island was occupied by the Union Navy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Defense considerations during the

led to the construction of

on the island in 1898, and Egmont Key remained a military reservation until 1923. In 1928,

Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United State ...

's first crash occurred in the Gulf of Mexico near Egmont. On August 15th that year, a Fokker/Atlantic F.VIIIb/3m that was turned into a "C-2 Tri-motor", ''General Machado'' (NC55 or 53), was operating a Pan Am flight from

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

, when it became lost and ditched off of the island after running out of fuel. 1 of the 5 occupants, Norman Ageton, died. The plane had been originally built as a F.VIIIb/3m for

Colonial Air Transport Colonial Air Transport was an early airline that flew between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. History It was established as Bee Line on 16 March 1923 and operated out Naugatuck, Connecticut; in 1926 was reorganised in New York City by ...

. In 1974, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over Egmont Key. They turned the island over to the State of Florida in 1989, and it became a state park. Budgetary concerns in 2009 led to a proposal to close the park.Tomalin, Terry. "Tampa Bay's sentinel, Egmont Key, about to be left unguarded." page L2. ''The St. Petersburg Times''. Online. February 6, 2009. Online.

Harbor pilot station

Since 1926, Egmont Key has been the location of th
Tampa Bay Pilot Association
s Pilot Station operation guiding ship traffic safely into and out of the port of Tampa, protecting the wildlife and environment from damage.

Gallery

Image:Egmont_Key01.jpg,

Beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc s ...

on east side of island. Sunshine Skyway Bridge in background. Image:Egmont_Key02.jpg, Aerobeacon lenses from old light. Image:Egmont_Key03.jpg, View looking east toward

. Image:Egmont_Key04.jpg, Looking north along eastern beach of Egmont Key. Image:Egmont_Key05.jpg, Brick road, Fort Dade ruins. Image:Egmont_Key06.jpg,

Gopher tortoise The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provid ...

by nature trail. Image:Egmont_Key07.jpg, Beach with dead palm trees on west side of island. Image:Egmont_Key08.jpg, West side of island. Image:Egmont_Key09.jpg, Ruins on west side of island. Image:Edmont_Key_Guardhouse01.jpg, Reconstructed Guardhouse, Fort Dade Image:Egmont Key10.jpg, Egmont Key from ferry

Notes

References

Egmont Key State Park
at

Florida State Parks There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non- ...

Egmont Key State Park
at Absolutely Florida
Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge
at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Hillsborough County listings
at Register of Historic Places
Hillsborough County listings
at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

External links

Egmont Key Alliance website

An island of history: Egmont Key
{{authority control State parks of Florida National Register of Historic Places in Hillsborough County, Florida National Wildlife Refuges in Florida Protected areas established in 1974 Tourist attractions in the Tampa Bay area 1974 establishments in Florida Tampa Bay National Register of Historic Places in Florida