Ticket Information

 

Tickets include round-trip boat transportation and self guided tours to interpreted sites.  Tickets will be $15 online or at the gate.  There will be no charge for children under 12 (they will not require a ticket, but will need to secure a Boarding Pass before they will be allowed to board the boat to Egmont Key).

 

Advance ticket sales are available on-line now by clicking here! Any remaining tickets will be available at the event.  Only 1,200 tickets per day will be made available.  This year we anticipate the majority of our tickets will be pre-sold online so plan accordingly.

Group sales tickets are available for the reduced price of $10 each for groups of ten or more adults. Children under 12 are still free. Any of the tickets in a group can be used at any time on either Saturday or Sunday, as long as they are puchased as a group. For additional information, please contact us through the e-mail link at the bottom of our Home Page.

 

Tickets will be mailed for purchases made before October 26^th.  Tickets purchased after that date will be available at the WILL CALL table at Fort DeSoto Park.

 

Transportation to Egmont Key

 

Shuttle boats will leave Fort DeSoto Park from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM on a regular schedule, serving passengers first come, first served.

 

Enjoy wildlife and bird watching, exploring beaches and trails, shelling and nature photography.

 

             Please take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. 

 

Island Guidelines

 

Egmont Key is a State Park and a National Wildlife Refuge. Alcoholic beverages, firearms, pets and the molestation of birds or gopher tortoises are strictly prohibited.

 

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Be mindful that rest room facilities are extremely limited!

 

Food is available on the island, but you are welcome to pack your own picnic. Please remember to pack out what you pack in.

 

Bottled water will be for sale on the island.

 

Be mindful of the sun! There is limited shade on the island. Shoes, hats and sunscreen are highly recommended.

 

 An important thing to remember is that the last boat returns from Egmont Key at 5:00 PM. We don’t want to rush anyone, but we simply cannot accommodate too many people waiting until the last hour to depart the island.  That’s why we encourage early arrival and early departure, and that you plan to stay on the island about 3 hours.

 

Follow yellow signs to the designated parking area at Fort DeSoto Park.

 

Getting to Ft. DeSoto Park

 

Ft. DeSoto Park is at the southern terminus of the Pinellas Bayway.

 

From the mainland, take the 54^th Avenue South/Pinellas Bayway exit west from Interstate 275 or U.S. Highway 19. Signs indicate this is the route to take to St. Pete Beach, as well as Fort DeSoto Park. There is a 50-cent toll on this highway.

 

Once through the toll booth, turn south at the second traffic signal (if you are coming from St. Pete Beach, it will be the first traffic signal). You should begin to see our yellow directional signs.

 

You will pass over a bridge, through Tierra Verde, through another toll booth (35 cents this time), over another bridge, and come to a stop just before a massive American Flag.  Turn right here.

 

Drive past the Bay Pier and the boat ramps. Turn left at the entrance to the Gulf Pier and historic fort.  You should see plenty of directional signs and volunteers or park personnel directing you where to park and how to reach our boats at this point.  Before you leave the parking lot, consider the rest room facilities in the immediate area.

 

 

Self Guided Tours

Discover one of Tampa Bay’s hidden treasures and be introduced to the many cultural, historical and natural aspects of the island through interpretive presentations on a twelve stop, self guided tour of the island. There will be informational presentations by Alliance volunteers to enlighten visitors about the many natural features and cultural and military history of the island. Along the way there will be children's pirate games, as well as historians in costume and military re-enactors. Hot dogs, water, souvenirs and t-shirts will be for sale on the island during the event.

Saturday, November 8th, we will also be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Egmont Key Lighthouse.