Egmont Key

Egmont Key is another of several unspoiled islands located in Central West Florida along the Gulf Coast. A small 2-mile island, north of Sarasota, it sits smack dab in the mouth of Tampa Bay. Like Honeymoon Island, Egmont Key is a State park. It is also a national wildlife refuge center and a bird sanctuary. In addition, the presence of the ruins of Fort Dade, grant Egmont Key the status of national historic site.

The walls of Fort Dade rose during the Spanish-American War. The intent of Fort Dade was to protect the vulnerable and valuable Tampa Bay. Completed in 1906, Fort Dade provides home and amenities to some 300 residents until its deactivation in 1923.The ruins now sit on Egmont Key, a national historic site and part of Egmont Key State Park.

Part of the heritage of this park is a lighthouse. The Egmont Key lighthouse is a central figure in much of the island’s history. The lighthouse made its first appearance as a preventive measure against the rise in shipwrecks on Egmont Island’s sandbars. Construction began in 1847 and concluded with the opening of the new lighthouse, the only one between Key West and St. Marks, in May 1948.

The celebration was short lived. The lighthouse felt the wrath of the Great Hurricane of 1848 and a smaller storm in 1852. Finally, in 1858, the money allotted by congress created a lighthouse meant to withstand whatever the elements could throw at it. It withstood the confederate occupation at the beginning of the American Civil War. Under Union troops, it also helped to ensure the embargo remained in place, finally, in 168 things began to return to normal. A family occupied the lighthouse and continued to run it.

In 1939, the Lighthouse services under the Coast ran the Lighthouse. Now, it sits as part of the Egmont Key State Park. Egmont Key State Park is a joint venture of the Florida State Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Services. It is reached only by the Egmont Key ferry or any other boat transportation.

The main purpose of Egmont Key State Park is to preserve wildlife. Individuals come to the island to spend time with nature, walk the nature trails and bird watch. Yet, one of the major pastimes is collecting shells. It is the reason why Egmont Key or Shell Island is a popular spot for shell collectors.