By Terry Tomalin This is Explore the beautiful beaches and keys around Tampa Bay. About three hours due west of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida's largest open-water Find Your Favorite Beach. Gulf Coast. Atlantic Coast. Beach Camping. Places to Stay.
Travel Ideas. Accessible Travel. The ferry boat ride is only about 20 minutes, but it is a pleasure, with views of sailboats, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the lighthouse on Egmont Key and the skyline of St.
Wear shoes that can get wet , as you may have to step into the surf getting off the boat on Egmont Key. You cannot bring alcohol, glass, pets , kites, or drones to the island because it is a wildlife preserve and these items are prohibited. From spring to fall, Egmont Key is a popular place for snorkeling. Few snorkeled on our late November visit, when Gulf waters were a chilly 68 degrees.
You can rent snorkeling gear on the ferry. Reserve tickets here. Can you kayak to Egmont Key? Yes, experienced paddlers with the right kind of kayak in the right weather and knowledge of tides and currents do make the trip. Egmont Key State Park. Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge. The park, from which the ferry leaves, has terrific camping, beaches, bike paths and more. We loved staying in a vacation rental in a nearby Old Florida beach town, Pass-a-Grille. Pinellas Trail: On the west side of Tampa Bay is one of the most progressive and appreciated rails-to-trails projects in all of Florida.
This is a multi-purpose trail for hikers, bikers and roller skaters. Read more in this Florida Rambler article: Treasured St. Pete bike trail. The information in this article was accurate when published but can change without notice. Please confirm details when planning your trip by following the links in this article. This article is the property of FloridaRambler. Copyright Law. Re-publication without written permission is against the law.
Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Colleagues shared this interesting article on Egmont Key. Thank you for mentioning the national wildlife refuge, but the refuge is not just the closed areas. Egmont Key NWR was established in and includes the entire island. The red glass reduced the distance at which the light could be seen from seaward, so in a stronger third-order lens with two red sectors was installed in the lantern room.
In , a buoy depot and coal shed were built near Egmont Key Lighthouse to store buoys and fuel needed by the buoy tenders. This residence was a two-story frame structure, with a parlor, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, and storeroom on the ground floor and two bedrooms on the second floor. In , during the Spanish-American War, Fort Dade was constructed on the island as part of a comprehensive coastal defense system. Named for the army commander, who along with his detachment was killed by Seminole Indians in , the fort, along with Fort DeSoto on Mullet Island to the northeast, stood watch over the entrance to Tampa Bay.
The fort was staffed during World War I as well, and by the time it was deactivated in , a movie theater, bowling alley, tennis courts, and miles of brick roads had been constructed on the island.
A Light List noted that a Conch shell would be sounded at Egmont Key in answer to signals from passing vessels. This unique fog signal was replaced on February 18, by a bell struck by machinery. In , an acetylene light was established atop a reinforced concrete pile structure to form, with Egmont Key Lighthouse, a set of range lights.
A radio beacon was added to the station in In , the upper portion of the lighthouse was removed along with the Fresnel lens, and a double-headed DCB Rotating Beacon was placed on top of the capped tower.
Fish and Wildlife Service. The island was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in , due to the lighthouse and remains of Fort Dade. Today, the Florida Park Service and U.
Fish and Wildlife Service work together to manage the island. In November , a celebration was held on the island to commemorate the th birthday of Egmont Key Lighthouse. In preparation for the event, the lighthouse received a new coat of paint thanks to the Tampa Bay Rough Riders and volunteers from the Coast Guard.
A new plaque was unveiled at the base of the lighthouse during the festivities, and birthday cake was served to over people. For the past several years, Christmas lights have been placed on the tower by volunteers from the Egmont Key Alliance to bring a little holiday cheer to the island.
Volunteers working at the lighthouse hope this is just one small step towards restoring the lighthouse to its pre appearance. Spencer , William T. Whalton , Hiram A. Bell , Richard B. Knowles , Merrill A.
Florida Lighthouses , Kevin McCarthy,
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