Destination guide · Egmont Key
Egmont Key, under the Skyway and out to the mouth of the bay.
An island you can only reach by water, with a working 1858 lighthouse, the brick ruins of a Spanish-American War fort, and gopher tortoises on the trails. The full-day charter from downtown St. Pete, explained.
At a glance
A wildlife refuge, a state park and a lighthouse, all on one island.
The place
What is out there.
Egmont Key sits at the mouth of Tampa Bay, southwest of Fort De Soto, where the shipping channel meets the Gulf. The whole island is a National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1974, and has been jointly run with the Florida Park Service as a state park since 1989. The entire island is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Two things draw people. The Egmont Key Light dates from 1858 and is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still doing its original job. It is closed to visitors but you can stand under it. Around it are the ruins of Fort Dade, built in the Spanish-American War era, which at its peak was a small town of some 300 people with brick streets. The streets are still there, running through the palms to gun batteries, some of which now sit in the surf.
The rest is beach and refuge. Gopher tortoises, box turtles, nesting sea turtles and tens of thousands of nesting pairs of birds. The southern end of the island and a section of the east beach are closed year-round to protect the nesting colonies, and the closed areas are marked.
On plane across the bay. The Egmont run is the one where the boat gets to stretch its legs.
Getting there
Under the Skyway to the lighthouse.
From Demens Landing it is about ten minutes to open water, then a run down Tampa Bay with the Sunshine Skyway growing off the bow. You pass under the bridge and the bay opens out toward the Gulf. Egmont Key is roughly twelve nautical miles from the slip in a straight line, a little more by the channel, and at 25 knots that is about forty minutes of running. The Gran Turismo's Air Step hull is at its best on this leg, on plane with the whole bay to itself.
The captain anchors off the beach on the lee side for the conditions of the day. The boat draws three and a half feet, so it gets in close, and the swim platform and water toys get you the rest of the way. Lunch is at anchor, either what you brought or a waterfront dock on the way home.
The full day is eight hours. That is enough for the run out, a couple of hours on the island between the fort and the beach, a snorkel, lunch, open Gulf water if the group wants it, and a slower run home with the light going gold over the Skyway.
The rules
What the refuge asks of you.
There is no entry fee for the island. There is also no drinking water, no restroom and no shop, so the boat is your base for all three. Because it is a National Wildlife Refuge, no alcohol, glass, kites, drones, fireworks or pets of any kind are permitted on the island. Shelling is fine for empty shells; collecting live shells is prohibited. Stay out of the marked closures at the south end and on the east beach, and give tortoises on the trails the right of way.
In practice the day is simple. Drinks stay aboard. Cameras come ashore. The captain knows where the closures are and puts you on the open beach.
The charter
What an Egmont Key full day includes.
Every charter is private. Up to six guests, a USCG-licensed captain, fuel and water toys included, aboard a 2019 Beneteau Gran Turismo 40 with an opening glass hardtop, two cabins and a head with a separate shower. For a full day the cabins matter: there is somewhere to change, somewhere to get out of the sun, and a proper bathroom on an island that has none.
If a full day is more than you want, the Shell Key sandbar is the half-day version of the same idea, closer in and with water you can stand in.
Questions
Before you book it.
Why is Egmont Key a full-day trip?
The island sits at the mouth of Tampa Bay, about twelve nautical miles from the slip. With the run each way, time on the beach, a snorkel and lunch at anchor, four hours is tight and eight is comfortable.
Can we go inside the lighthouse?
No. The 1858 lighthouse is still an active Coast Guard light and is closed to the public. You can walk right up to it and to the fort ruins on the trails.
Is there anything on the island?
Beaches, brick trails through the old fort, picnic tables and a volunteer-run visitor centre that opens on special occasions. No drinking water, no restrooms and no shops. Everything you need comes out on the boat.
Can we snorkel?
Yes, in the designated areas. The water off the fort ruins is the usual spot. The boat carries the water toys, and the captain will put you in the right place for the conditions that day.
Are dogs or drinks allowed on the island?
No pets of any kind, and no alcohol or glass on the island. It is a National Wildlife Refuge. Drinks stay aboard, and the boat is a short swim or a dinghy ride from the beach.
What about the ferry?
There is a public ferry to Egmont Key from the Bay Pier at Fort De Soto. It runs on a schedule with a fixed time on the island. A private charter leaves from downtown St. Pete, goes when you want, stays as long as you want, and carries only your group.
Book
Book the Egmont Key full day.
Send a date and party size and we confirm availability the same day. Departures from Demens Landing, downtown St. Petersburg.