I love lighthouses so I was pretty excited to visit Egmont Key State Park. You can only get to the park by your own personal boat or a ferry. I went to Fort De Soto and purchased a ticket for a ferry ride to the key. I arrived a little early because I wasn’t sure what the traffic would be like but I kept myself occupied by walking around the grounds and checking out the dock. I was a little worried because the rain started to fall as I watched the clock, waiting to travel over to the key. The ride was short and sweet but upon arrival, the rain just stopped!
We docked with instructions of when to return to the ferry. We were going to be there for hours so I decided to make the most of my trip and try and see everything that was on the key. I had such a great time exploring the island. I wandered through the old fort and walked the paths of a town that once was – what an amazing experience. The remaining pieces of buildings that were once erect told stories of their past and the people that once lived there.
Now, instead of people, the island was occupied by gopher tortoises. They are everywhere and it is just awesome. I even hung out with one on the beach, not touching it, of course. Most of the tortoises just clumped around, minding their own business, not paying much attention to me. I will tell you that some of them were pretty grumpy and if I walked close to them without knowing, they actually hissed at me. Jerks!
I walked over to the other side of the island from where we were dropped off and there were pieces of an old building broken up and laying in the water and on the shore. It was beautiful to see the destruction. The pelicans seem to enjoy roosting on the debris as well.
I saved the best for last, the lighthouse. I took my time walking around it, watching the tortoises guard the grounds. Of course I had to try the door to see if I could climb to the top but it was bolted shut. I did hear there used to be an annual festival where you could attend and they opened up the lighthouse for a climb but I haven’t seen any evidence of that in years. I keep my eyes open though, just in case it returns.
Overall it was a great day and worth the price of admission! I can’t wait to go again.
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/egmont-key-state-park
