Egmont Key State Park, Wildlife refuge and state park in Hillsborough County, US.
Egmont Key is a state park and national wildlife refuge covering the whole 328-acre island at the mouth of Tampa Bay, southwest of Fort De Soto Park. Its 1858 lighthouse is a white, tapering cylinder with a black gallery railing around the lantern room, a dark entrance door reached by concrete steps, and two small white outbuildings beside it. The ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish–American War fort, stand elsewhere on the island.
The lighthouse was built in 1858 to guide ships through the bay. Fort Dade emerged in the late 19th century to protect the coast during the war with Spain.
The name Egmont honors the Lord Egmont who was First Lord of the British Admiralty when an English mapper renamed the island in the 1760s; Spanish surveyors had earlier called it Isla de San Blas y Barreda. The island later held captured Seminoles, many of whom died there and are buried on the site.
The island is accessible only by boat, so visitors must bring food, drinking water, and all gear themselves. Facilities are limited, so arriving early and allowing enough time to explore is recommended.
Sea turtles lay eggs along the beach, and migratory birds stop here during their long journeys. Visitors often spot ospreys and roseate spoonbills foraging among the mangrove roots.
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