EGMONT KEY STATE PARK

About EGMONT KEY STATE PARK

Egmont Key has a unique natural and cultural history, including a lighthouse that has stood since 1858. Although the park is primarily a refuge for wildlife, it is also a place to collect shells and relax on secluded, pristine beaches.

The island served as a camp for Seminoles and was occupied by the Union Navy in the 19th century and later during the Civil War. Fort Dade was built in 1858, when the Spanish-American War threatened the control of the U.S. Navy over Egmont Key and the Florida Keys. It remained in service until 1923 and has since been used as an operational base by the US Army and Florida State Police.

After visiting the historic sites and trails, visitors can swim, hike, kayak, observe wildlife, and hike and cycle along the trails.

In the 1830s, the number of ships stuck on the numerous sandbanks of Egmont Key increased due to the increasing number of ships in shipping. On March 3, 1847, the Congress approved the construction of a lighthouse in Eg Montes on EgMont, and in May 1848 the construction was completed. The hotel is located at the foot of the lighthouse, just off the west side of the main road in the town of Pensacola.

When the Great Hurricane of 1848 struck, the tide washed up to 15 feet above normal, damaging the light, and when it was completed, there was only one light at the lighthouse, a small red light in the middle. Another storm in 1852 caused additional damage and prompted Congress to allocate funds to rebuild the tower and the residence nearby. At the end of the "Third Seminole War" In 1858, Egmont Key was used by the US Army to hold Seminoles captive until they could be transported to the Arkansas Territory.

In 1858, the lighthouse was rebuilt to withstand the storms, and the new tower was 87 feet high with a fixed Fresnel lens and a new light.

Confederate troops occupied the island when the Civil War began, and when they realized they could not defend their position, they evacuated Egmont and took the Fresnel lens from the tower.

Union troops invaded Tampa in an unsuccessful attempt to find the missing lens, and the lighthouse resumed normal operations after the war ended. A Union navy deployed Egmont to search the Gulf of Mexico during the Civil War for Confederate artillery artillery pieces, but they were never found.

During the Civil War (1866-1898), the main residents of the island were the Spanish-American war veterans of Fort Dade, Florida, and the US Army. When the Spanish-American War was imminent, FortDade was built in 1867 as a training base for the 1st Infantry Division of the US Army.

When construction was completed in 1906, Fort Dade was a small town of 300 people, with a bowling alley, grocery store and post office.

The fort was deactivated in 1923 and the Tampa Bay Pilots Association, founded in 1886, began operations on the island in 1926. When a ship approaches TampaBay, the pilots enter the main channel, direct the ship to the dock, guide it and return to Egmont Key after leaving the docks.

The work of the pilots helps to protect the bay from environmental damage caused by ground collisions, as well as damage to the coast and water quality.

In 1939, the lighthouse service was transferred to the US Coast Guard, which maintains the lighting and radio control system. In 1974, it was declared a National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Due to staff restrictions and increased public visits, the Wildlife Service is unable to protect the resource on its own.

When the Coast Guard automated the lights, staff were reassigned and the Florida Park Service began work at Egmont Key.

Walk along the brick path that is left from the days when Fort Dade was an active community of 300 people. Gopher turtles can be seen on the historic path at almost every corner, and hummingbirds and other seabirds delight many visitors.