Back in 2018, when I lived in Sarasota, I took the ferry to Egmont Key State Park with a group of friends and local influencers. Located on the westernmost side of Tampa Bay, Egmont is an island made for adventure—with a lighthouse, ruins of an old fort with two battery locations, and long stretches of beach sandwiched between a jungle of palm trees and the bluest Gulf waters.

Visiting Egmont back then was a treat, and memories of that excursion came flooding back last year when John and I passed by the island on our jet ski. But we didn’t stop on the island.

This year, though, we did.

Renting a Boat in Ruskin, Florida

In case you missed it, John and I own a rental property in Apollo Beach, Florida, and we spend a few weeks each year in the Tampa Bay area. In June, we ventured down to meet up with John’s cousins visiting from England. And, we decided to rent a boat.

Well, actually, our original plan was to jet ski in the bay, but that plan fell through and boating became our backup plan. I was thrilled, honestly. I’ve admitted it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a huge fan of jet skiing. (I am a sucker for seeing our dog, Gus, on a jet ski, though!)

But back to the boat. John was able to rent a boat last-minute out of Little Harbor in Ruskin, FL, not far from our house. We booked online through Little Harbor Watersports and the process was surprisingly easy! After showing up at our scheduled time, John signed paperwork and we were given safety instructions before heading out into the open sea. The “we” included me, John, and four members of his family. The boat seated eight, so there was plenty of room for extra bags and a cooler, too.

I will add that it helps if someone in your group has experience piloting a boat. John was a bit rusty, but he knew what he was doing. I, on the other hand, would have needed a crash course in how to use all the levers, knobs, and buttons.

Boating Across Tampa Bay

Because we started on the east side of Tampa Bay and we only booked the boat for four hours, we booked it west, across the bay and under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

This was my first time traveling across the bay AND under the bridge. I’ve driven over the Sunshine Skyway plenty of times—and that in itself is an adventure—so going under felt a bit surreal. Surprisingly, though, the bridge doesn’t appear as tall from the water level. Even John agreed.

How Long Does It Take to Boat from Ruskin to Egmont Key?

In case you were wondering, it took us about an hour to get to the Skyway Bridge from Ruskin, and then another 20-ish minutes from there to Egmont Key. Our speed was about 30 mph once we left the no wake zone.

Wave Conditions on Tampa Bay

Out in the middle of the bay, the waves were choppy. At 30 mph, we were able to cruise over most of them fairly well, but hit several rougher patches that had us bouncing up and down. Basically, while we were moving, it was challenging—but not impossible—to drink something without spilling or splashing yourself in the face.

Anchoring at Egmont Key

As we neared the island, the waves calmed down a bit.

We were able to anchor just offshore near the lighthouse on the northeast side of Egmont. The water there was shallow enough that we could touch bottom and get from boat to beach without swimming.

By this time, we had maybe an hour to explore the island before heading back to stay within the four hour rental window. Having been there before, I was hoping to find the blue-hued battery I’d seen back in 2018. It was not to be, due to time and the lingering impacts of two major hurricanes last year. But, we did find a battery I missed the previous time.

WATCH our boat day on Tampa Bay here.

Is Egmont Key Worth Visiting?

Even if you only have an hour like we did, a stop at Egmont Key will be memorable. Although it is only accessible by ferry, boat, or jet ski, it can be a popular spot—especially on a hot, sunny day. Yet, venturing inland and across the island is where the true adventure lies, in my opinion.

Back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, did wreak havoc on the island, to the extend that it was closed to the public for over six months. For example, at the time of our visit, the ferry dock had yet to be rebuilt and I noticed extensive overgrowth on some of the islands’ interior pathways.

Yet, because the island is only about a quarter of a mile wide, you won’t have trouble getting around along the perimeter beaches.

Egmont Key Lighthouse

The current lighthouse was built in 1858 and is in operation today. While you can’t go inside, it does make for a unique photo op.

Battery Mellon on Egmont Key

We happened upon this battery right off the beach on our boat trip. It sits on the northernmost point of the island, where there is a path from the beach along one of the battery walls.

Walking along the path to the battery ruins, I felt somewhat like Indiana Jones in a palm tree jungle. That might sound dramatic, but if you’re a sucker for history, archaeology, or Indiana Jones, I think you might agree.

The original battery was constructed in 1898 during the Spanish American War. Read more about it here.

Battery McIntosh on Egmont Key

This is the battery I saw in 2018 and it left quite an impression on me—mainly because of its blue tint. Active from 1900-1923, Battery McIntosh is located on the northeast side of the island.

Fort Dade on Egmont Key

According to the Florida State Parks website:

Fort Dade was established on Egmont Key in 1898 as a means to safeguard the Tampa Bay area from the imminent Spanish American-War. Construction on the fort was completed in 1906. The city had more than 300 residents and featured brick roads, electricity, telephones, a hospital, jail, movie theater, bowling alley and tennis courts.

While I’ve not been to the fort part of the island, I’ve read that only a few structures remain. Next time we’re on the island, I hope we have a chance to explore that part of the island.

Ready to plan your trip to Egmont Key? Start here.