Egmont Key State Park
Encyclopedia
Egmont Key State Park is a Florida State Park
located on Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay
, in the state of Florida
, United States
. It lies southwest of Fort DeSoto Park. It can only be reached by boat or ferry. The Egmont Key Light
house and the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish-American War
era fort, are located in the park. Egmont Key is in Hillsborough County
in a narrow strip of the county that extends along the Tampa Port Shipping Channel.
Located on the south end of the island is the Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1974. It is one of the three 'Tampa Bay Refuges' and is administered as a part of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
Complex.
Egmont Key was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on December 11, 1978.
, hummingbird
s, and seabird
s.
, boating
, picnic
ing, touring the fort, and wildlife
viewing. Amenities include beach
es, nature trails, and picnic tables. Food, water, and restrooms are not available in the park.
. With the rest of Florida, it passed back and forth between Spain and England and finally to the United States in 1827 In 1847, concerns with hazardous navigation at the mouth of Tampa Bay
led the construction of the first lighthouse. The Great Gale of 1848
swamped the island and all but destroyed the lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper reportedly rode out the storm in a rowboat tied to a palmetto. After the storm had passed, he rowed to Fort Brooke and tendered his resignation. In 1858, the lighthouse was replaced.
Defense considerations during the Spanish-American War
led to the construction of Fort Dade. Egmont Key remained a military reservation for years. In 1974 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over and turned the island over to the State of Florida in 1989 and it became a state park. In 2009, budgetary concerns led to a proposal to close the park.
station serving ship traffic into and out of the port of Tampa.
Florida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...
located on Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
, in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies southwest of Fort DeSoto Park. It can only be reached by boat or ferry. The Egmont Key Light
Egmont Key Light
The current Egmont Key Light dates from 1858. It is the oldest structure still used for its original purpose, and believed to be the oldest structure of any sort, in the Tampa Bay area.-The lighthouse:...
house and the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
era fort, are located in the park. Egmont Key is in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
in a narrow strip of the county that extends along the Tampa Port Shipping Channel.
Located on the south end of the island is the Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1974. It is one of the three 'Tampa Bay Refuges' and is administered as a part of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
The 30,843 acre Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the west coast of Florida, about seventy miles north of St. Petersburg...
Complex.
Egmont Key was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 11, 1978.
Fauna
Among the wildlife in the park are gopher tortoisesGopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
, hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s, and seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s.
Recreational activities
Activities include sunbathing, swimming, shellingConchology
Conchology is the scientific or amateur study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs, however malacology studies molluscs as whole organisms, not just their shells. Conchology pre-dated malacology as a field of study. It includes the study of land and...
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
ing, touring the fort, and wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
viewing. Amenities include beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, nature trails, and picnic tables. Food, water, and restrooms are not available in the park.
History
Egmont key was surveyed by Spanish explorers in 1757. In 1761, the English named the island Egmont Key for the Earl of EgmontEarl of Egmont
Earl of Egmont is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1733 for John Perceval, 1st Viscount Perceval. This Perceval descends from John Perceval, who on 9 September 1661 was created a Baronet, of Kanturk in the County of Cork, in the Baronetage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his...
. With the rest of Florida, it passed back and forth between Spain and England and finally to the United States in 1827 In 1847, concerns with hazardous navigation at the mouth of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
led the construction of the first lighthouse. The Great Gale of 1848
Great Gale of 1848
The Great Gale of 1848, also known as the Tampa Bay hurricane of 1848 and originally as the Great Gale of '48, was a tropical cyclone that struck Florida in September 1848. It affected the Tampa Bay Area September 23–25, 1848. It crossed the Florida Peninsula to cause damage on the east coast on or...
swamped the island and all but destroyed the lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper reportedly rode out the storm in a rowboat tied to a palmetto. After the storm had passed, he rowed to Fort Brooke and tendered his resignation. In 1858, the lighthouse was replaced.
Defense considerations during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
led to the construction of Fort Dade. Egmont Key remained a military reservation for years. In 1974 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over and turned the island over to the State of Florida in 1989 and it became a state park. In 2009, budgetary concerns led to a proposal to close the park.
Harbor pilot station
For over 70 years, Egmont Key has been the location of a harbor pilotMaritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
station serving ship traffic into and out of the port of Tampa.