We have several partner organizations that offer discounts on either membership or admission to their venues. Box , St. Pete Beach, FL or complete and online membership. Click on the Become A Member button above to access printable application. Millions of people visit Fort De Soto each year, and very few realize that the fort they see is only one part of the naval defenses that were created to protect Tampa bay at the time of the Spanish American war.
On nearby Egmont Key, Fort Dade, with five batteries, was built. In addition, Fort Dade controlled the channel on the other side of Egmont Key as well. The lighthouse was built in The military base was actually bigger than Fort De Soto. The small town included even a bowling alley. Wander along the red brick streets, still in good condition! Lighthouse of Egmont Key Celebrates. On an absolutely stunning Florida day, the Egmont Key Lighthouse stood gleaming white, resplendent against a cloudless azure sky.
Luminous from a new coat of white paint, the year old Lighthouse was visited by dignitaries and ordinary people, who all came together to celebrate the century and a half of guidance the Lighthouse has provided the ships that flow into the mouth of Tampa Bay.
Quick Details. Plan to arrive 45 — 60 minutes in advance for check-in and boarding. Want To Know More? Click Here. Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints. Follow maps, roads and paths. Beach and Swimming Cautions This trip is for agile people without physical challenges, not for anyone who may be at risk. Flotation devices are available, also instruction on snorkeling.
No lifeguards on duty. No climbing on the rocky ruins off Fort Dade. Egmont Key Alliance. Become A Member. Lighthouse Restoration: Assist and work with the U. Guardhouse Restoration: Now that the Guardhouse has been restored and interpretive displays added, continue to add more displays that are relevant to the history and natural resources of the island.
Lighthouse of Egmont Key Celebrates Years On an absolutely stunning Florida day, the Egmont Key Lighthouse stood gleaming white, resplendent against a cloudless azure sky. We started with the trail past the remains of Fort Dade. The three original Fort Dade batteries are pretty much intact. Well, one is falling into the Gulf. Climbing the stairs to the top provides nice views over the sand dunes to see the many shades of blue in Tampa Bay.
There are cool thick walled rooms inside the battery in which you can roam. We saw kids quite thrilled to explore this space.
These massive bunkers are built into the ground, designed to be invisible by an attacking navy, who would be raked by fire from their disappearing guns. This is a nice trick, made obsolete by the invention of the airplane. The guns, however, are gone.
Some have been moved to Fort De Soto, the park from which the ferry leaves. The complex, once an impressive facility, burned to the ground in in a fire intentionally set by federal agents trying to smoke out rum runners and others.
Today, pathways take you past the three batteries, which you are free to wander and explore. Walking further, you come to the red brick roads through the ghost town of the community built around the fort. What makes it come alive is the extensive signage identifying what every structure was, from the tennis court for the officers to the morgue. The only residents now are gopher tortoises and mosquitos.
Bring bug spray. If you come by ferry, you have three hours so you have to decide your priorities. We loved our picnic site. It was about a mile from where the ferry lands, on the Gulf-side, next to ruins of the power plant, which are being swallowed by advancing water.
We found shade in the trees that line the beach and spread our beach towel on the sand, enjoying the picturesque scene of waves and ruins. 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.
Get in contact with them at a scheduled interval so they can contact the authorities if you don't show or don't answer your cell. The fact that you went out your pass "once before" really means that you have minimal experience with that trip.
By all means, plan accordingly and have a blast. That's what it's all about. You can also follow another boater with experience to make sure there are no hidden hazards. Most, if not all, collision hazards will be listed on charts. Study your route before hand to make it easier for you to identify landmarks. I also found Google Earth a tremendous help preplanning a mile trip I took. After reviewing the aerial photos a half dozen times, I could actually tell exactly where I was as I was passing landmarks.
It was almost like I had been there before. Best of luck on your trip. I hope it's the first of many safe excursions. Joined Mar 20, Messages Sounds to me like you are in to deep for your knowledge and experience level.
Your family will appreciate your effort. Don't let the fact that you saw jetskiis there fool you. They can handle most any waves and weather - only real limiting factor is fuel.
No one has mentioned it, but I would probably also get a VHF radio and antenna. NOT a handheld as they don't have the distance, this and a gps can save your life in the event of an emergency. As a plus most decent ones also have the weather bands on them - a big plus. Joined Feb 24, Messages I think a lot of the people replying to your post have no clue where egmont is and they think you are trying some huge offshore adventure or something.
I've run to egmont many times from maximo park its right before the skyway bridge on the st. Last time was in my 16 ft flats boat. After fishing around the island we attempted to head back towards the shell key cut, too rough.
We headed east towards the skyway down the main ship channel, then cut north along the channel right before the bridge. This has happened several times, the cut north of desoto gets nasty because of the shallow water and exposure to the gulf.
If you run the channel along the skyway you are protected from the islands, then the only rough water you'll hit is in the main ship channel. We spend most of the time on the inland side of egmont because it is much much calmer but I've had my boat anchored out in front of the key and walked the beach and it was fine.
Just my two cents, I think most people believe you were trying to run somewhere down in the florida keys off the beaten path! By the way, the ramp at Maximo is free, but fills up fast, so get there early. GlenGold, yeah, I've kind of taken a few of the comments here with a grain of salt as I think the people who don't know the Tampa Bay area are doing what you're saying I figured I could make this run in my boat but didn't know about Maximo Park I'll put in there next time.
For some reason I would have assumed that going out under the Skyway bridge would be rougher. One my main concerns with going out of Bunces Pass was all that shallow water off the beach of Desoto. If I knew I could just run through that, I'd just hang a hard left coming out of the Pass and I'd be halfway to Egmont before I hit deep water.
Gonna check out Maximo After launching at Desoto go right east under the bridge you had to come over to get to desoto. You're gonna have to head towards the skyway channel. I've stopped along the sandbar edge of the no combustible motor zone to your north when you are in the main ship channel and caught plenty of seatrout and makerel there if you're interested. You can stay out of the zone and cast into the shallows.
Beefer Lieutenant Commander. Joined Aug 4, Messages 1, Weather is the key. Check baynews9's weather and marine forecast, and "pick your days".
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