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Pinellas County Beaches - Egmont Key
Another historic relic you'll find on Egmont Key is
visible from nearby Fort De Soto Park. The lighthouse at the center
of the island still flashes a beacon every 15 seconds, helping to mark
the entrance to Tampa Bay. This is actually the second lighthouse
built on Egmont Key. This one was completed in 1857, the first was
built about 9 years earlier, but was damaged by hurricanes and
lightning. The current light was automated in 1989, but you can still
view the old Fresnel lenses on display.
Not far from the lighthouse, you'll find Egmont's "Ghost
Town". The title sounds more exciting than it is, though.
About all that's left of the old military community is a brick-paved
street, and perhaps a few foundations.
Back out on the beach, you can see the results of
erosion. As hurricanes and unrelenting surf slowly churn away at
the coast, palm trees fall onto the beach. It's a strange site,
oddly similar to what you'll find on the
Pacific coastline.
Continue walking down the beach on the west side (along
the Gulf) and you'll eventually find another sign of erosion, the
island's old power plant.
The ruins of the old electricity generating plant are now
in the water. That's remarkable, because when it was first
built, it was in the middle of the island. Climb around at
your own risk, and remember that any wet, algae covered cement will be
especially slick.
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