Things to do nearEgmont Key National Wildlife Refuge

Egmont Key has served as a strategic landmark at the mouth of Tampa Bay for well over a century and a half. During the Second Seminole War the island was used as a holding site for Seminole prisoners, and during the Spanish-American War a federal fort was constructed here to guard Tampa Bay's entrance. The ruins of Fort Dade, including crumbling concrete batteries and overgrown brick foundations, remain scattered across the island today, giving the refuge an atmosphere that is equal parts natural sanctuary and open-air history site.

The island is home to a federally protected population of gopher tortoises, one of the largest concentrations in the state of Florida, and the surrounding waters support manatees, dolphins, and a wide variety of wading birds including roseate spoonbills, great blue herons, and brown pelicans. The refuge's beaches face the Gulf of Mexico on the western shore, offering calm, clear water that is well suited for snorkeling over the nearshore grass beds and sandy flats. A historic lighthouse, still active and maintained by the United States Coast Guard, stands at the island's northern tip and serves as a visual anchor for the entire landscape.

There are no concessions or facilities on the island, which means Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge retains a quietude that is increasingly rare along Florida's Gulf Coast. For anyone willing to make the short ferry crossing from St. Petersburg or Tierra Verde, the island delivers an uncommonly complete experience of natural Florida, where wildlife, history, and open water converge in one unhurried place.