If you want to spend some time on a beautiful pristine island paradise, the ferry to Egmont Key State Park from Fort De Soto is a great choice for the whole family! Get ready for a day of fun in the sun. Our ferry boat operates from the Fort De Soto Bay Pier daily in the spring and summer and nearly every day in the fall and winter. The ferry ride to the island is about 45-60 minutes and offers great chances to spot dolphins, sea turtles, and sometimes even manatees! We often spot sea birds on the ride to and from Egmont Key Island aboard the Hubbard’s Ferry, our big blue boat.
Once on the island, Egmont Key offers great shelling, swimming, and opportunities for adventures. Including Fort Dade, a fort that dates back to the Spanish American war for to explore. Egmont Key is also home to a large population of endangered native gopher tortoises!
Snorkeling is sold separately on the day of the trip and not always guaranteed. Dependent on water quality, weather, predator fish.
Posted By : janetgonzalez813
The island is a perfect place for shell collecting. The crew turned the trip into a dolphin adventure. They were very engaging and helpful.
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Posted On : 2024-09-16 06:30:35 
Posted By : Queenvgh
Great trip with excellent guides, Egmont Island is gorgeous, bring bug repellent for mosquitoes. Would definitely recommend
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Posted On : 2024-09-05 16:16:42
Posted By : 8fish8
Perfect day to go weather- and crowd-wise. Captains Zip and Robin were great; informative and available. 2.5-3 hours on the island is just right for shelling, exploring and a swim. Saw LOTS of gopher tortoises and a flying stingray to boot! Love the brick streets to nowhere...they add an element of mystery and fire the imagination as to what it would have been like to have lived there. The trip turned a skeptic in our group into wanting to go back already.
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Posted On : 2024-09-05 09:16:27
Posted By : Sue035
The receptionist was rude. Then, we were planning to do the optional snorkeling, but they told us they usually don’t do it in the weekends because it is busier and visibility was not good from the storm a month ago. The day was beautiful, no storms, and we wanted to try it, but they were not willing to drive us to the snorkeling place. The whole trip is just a small boat that drops you at the island and comes pick you up at the end. It is not worth it if you are not planning to walk to explore the island. To stay at the beach, I would stay at Clearwater or Treasure island beach which are more beautiful.
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Posted On : 2024-09-02 09:01:33
Posted By : Mallorylaine13
We used them to ferry over to Egmont Key and it was a blast. Our crew was Noah and Josh, and we had a great time bird and dolphin watching there and back. I do wish the time on the island was about an hour longer, and maybe earlier in the morning to see some critters before it gets to hot! But that just gives me an excuse to come back another time. Highly recommend!
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Posted On : 2024-09-01 21:40:52
Posted By : jrgehlsen
A lovely day at the beach where only about 12 of us were in total! Robin and "Captain Zippy" were very hospitable,band knowledgeable! They even took a little extra time on the ride back to watch dolphins!
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Posted On : 2024-08-30 10:02:28
Posted By : Patsy F
From Ft de Soto, you will travel about 30 minutes by a covered ferry to Egmont Key, where you can explore the ruins of an old military settlement that has history both before and after it was used by the military before it was destroyed by the givens during prohibition. If you're not into that kind of thing, no worries, the beach is great for shelling, swimming, snorkeling, and just relaxing in the beautiful Florida sun. The ferry ride is captained by Robin and Crew Rae, who did an amazing job by telling the story of Egmont Key and making the trip enjoyable. You can purchase snacks and non alcoholic beverages during the trip over. You can also bring your own cooler and snacks. There are beach chairs and umbrellas to rent for a very reasonable charge from the ferry. The trip was 3 hours in total and allowed plenty of time to explore the key and enjoy the water. There are no facilities in the ferry or on the island so if you are not equipt to hold it or use natures toilet, this may not be the place for you. There is no shade on the beach, so bring sun screen and a hat!! You will DEFINITELY need mosquito repellent if you go into the ruins to explore. No, really, bring the good stuff!! Environmentally friendly, chemically safe for human consumption, and Skin So Soft will NOT work on these pterodactyl size critters! They will leave you itchy, bumpy, and in need of a transfusion if you don't! Overall, it's a great, must do trip! Don't forget to explore Fort de Soto park before you head back to your home base!
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Posted On : 2024-08-16 22:59:29
Posted By : H3665ALmelaniep
Captain Robin and Scott made our trip memorable. The ride to Egmont was short yet fun and educational. A must do when you’re here!
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Posted On : 2024-08-16 07:31:52
Posted By : amandatF5463SR
Zip and Noah were amazing and so kind. They both made our first time experience to Egmont island amazingly great🙂such great memories were made even shared a shark tooth and sand dollar with my son! Thank you again for the great experience will definitely come back again
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Posted On : 2024-08-10 21:57:15
Posted By : literod
The only way (unless you have your own boat) to visit this national historic site with pristine beaches, remnants of an old fort, and the oldest lighthouse in Florida. A wonderful experience and you can even go snorkeling if you wish. We saw gopher tortoises, enjoyed the warm water, and collected lots of shells that washed ashore on this island at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Great comfortable trip with a great crew.
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Posted On : 2024-07-19 12:29:45
