Egmont Key State Park | Egmont Key State Park and National Wildlife Refuge is a Florida State Park located on the island of Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Egmont Key lies southwest of Fort De Soto Park and can only be reached by boat or ferry. Located within Egmont Key State Park are the 1858 Egmont Key Lighthouse, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish–American War era fort that housed 300 residents. During the 19th century, Egmont Key was used as a camp for captured Seminoles at the end of the Third Seminole War and later in the century the island was occupied by the Union Navy during the Civil War. Defense considerations during the Spanish–American War led to the construction of Fort Dade on the island in 1898 and Egmont Key remained a military reservation until 1923. |