Visit an INCREDIBLY UNIQUE Florida State Park on a REMOTE ISLAND | Egmont Key Travel Guide

Join us as we take a tour to Egmont Key, FL with Hubbard's Marina. Egmont Key is a beautiful and remote Florida island off the coast of St. Petersburg, FL. We'll show you how to get to Egmont Key and will also give you a tour of the beautiful Florida island. You'll soon see why this remote island's beautiful beaches and unusual and interesting history make it such a unique tourist destination. We'll also take you to one of the best spots near the boat ramp to Egmont Key to find some great food and amazing views.
Want to take your own tour to Egmont Key? Then visit www.hubbardsmarina.com to book your tickets to the island.
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#florida #explorcation #EgmontKey
Timeline:
00:00 - #1 Intro
00:30 - #2 Getting to the Ferry
01:19 - #3 Barding the Ferry
02:27 - #4 Morning Coffee Spot
02:49 - #5 Arrival at Egmont
03:40 - #6 The Guardhouse
05:33 - #7 The Ghost Town
07:38 - #8 Arriving at the Beach
09:07 - #9 Searching for the Batteries (Forts)
11:32 - #10 A Lighthouse
12:20 - #11 Back on the Ferry + Egmont Facts
13:35 - #12 Egmont Recap
14:20 - #13 A Late (and amazing) Lunch
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Websites from Video:
Hubbard's Marina - www.hubbardsmarina.com
Tony and Nello's - www.tonyandnellos.com
Egmont Key Park - www.floridastateparks.org/par...
Music Credits:
Sunny Side / Text Me Records / courtesy of the KZbin Audio Library
Trabant 33 / Espresso Bar Italia / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Sum Wave / Il Sole Splende / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Ch@ntrelle / Kingston / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Arc De Soleil / No Cardigan in Michigan Please (Prologue) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mind Me / Quiet Demons (Instrumental) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Like the music in this video? Subscribe to Epidemic Sound at share.epidemicsound.com/4rg9gu
Explorcation consists of Jamie and Skylar, a couple who typically shares their travels and adventures via blogs and travel videos.
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Explorcation can be contacted at [e-mail]

[@dadster52]

Egmont lighthouse was my first duty station out of basic training. June 1974- February 1975. I returned as a volunteer in 2019 and worked on the restoration of the beacon located near the flagpole. Good times.

[@Explorcation]

Wow that is awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience!

[@genehinders9639]

Looks like a very interesting place to explore!

[@Explorcation]

It sure is... just bring your bugspray!

[@fentog]

Good job guys. And yes Tony and Nellos = huge portions ! (also delicious)

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. I (Skylar) was drooling while editing that Tony and Nellos footage, and we can't wait to get back there asap!

[@jadeheart911]

Thats amazing what used to there in past ! The one thing I don't miss about living in Florida was the sand spurs at the beach on those little pathways to the sand ! Ouch ! I will down next week and I am also Addicted to the Bean ! I always hit that and Things,etc. in Johns Pass ! I remember Johns Pass when it was pretty much a little dirt road thru there and a mom and pop small grocery store old style..... 1976 .

[@Explorcation]

Yes, the sand spurs are the worst. You always have to be careful when hiking on the paths to and from the beaches, especially if barefoot (or in sandals). Addicted to the Bean is such a great spot, as is Things, etc... We can't even imagine how much John's Pass has changed over the span of almost 50 years! Unrecognizable I'm sure! We hope you have a wonderful time next week!

[@keniacalvo5336]

The island’s map online is very useful, it’s very easy to get lost in the ghost town. My favorite place to explore was Battery McIntosh.

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, definitely easy to get turned around in the ghost town, but thankfully the signs are pretty good and the map really is helpful. Yeah, Batter McIntosh is awesome!

[@BeingBedingfield]

What a beautiful rainbow! Ah no, bug spray 🙈 we’re also going to have to start packing that here in New Zealand 😅 glad someone shared theirs with you though! Eek, snakes!! 😳 It must be so interesting to read the little signs with the history throughout the island. Love the peaceful beach 😌 Must be so strange to see those batteries, and imagine what it would’ve been like in its prime! We really love exploring old buildings, makes for great photos as well 🤗

[@Explorcation]

That's all we could think about is how amazing it would have been to experience this island back in its prime. We couldn't imagine. But yes, we love exploring old buildings too, especially when they have a nice view of the beach!

[@angelagannon785]

We are going there soon! Can’t wait😆🎉thank you!

[@Explorcation]

Wohoo! We hope you have a great a time as we did, Angela!

[@_stateofmind_]

Really nice and interesting video, thanks for sharing, new supporter here 🥰

[@Explorcation]

Welcome and thank you so much for the support! We're glad you enjoyed this one.

[@smoochesnfeathers9493]

Both!! I'm so excited to go first weekend in June for our anniversary 😁😁😁

[@Explorcation]

We are excited for you! We hope you have an amazing time!

[@terrancejohnson8951]

Me and my wife are waiting for our son's kindergarten school yr. To end up and we are moving back to st. Pete. We wake up on Saturday mornings and look for your St. Pete videos every weekend. Thanks and keep it up.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to make this kind comment, Terrance! We hope that the school year goes by quickly and that you and your family are back in beautiful St. Pete before you know it!

[@DavidandSarah]

Loved the little coffee spot! Love that there's a pathway to hike along the beach. Very beautiful!

[@Explorcation]

We were a little nervous when we heard it had changed ownership, but were so happy to find that the coffee is better than ever! The beach path was really cool too!

[@toddjones1403]

We’re going to Anna Maria in November and now plan to go Egmont! Thanks guys!

[@Explorcation]

That's so great to hear, Todd! We hope you and your group have as much fun exploring Egmont (and Anna Maria) and we have!

[@desertedenblooms]

Excellent! thank you. Found you when I was looking for info on Cedar Key and surrounding areas because I hope to move there after researching the area. You do an excellent job! I will enjoy sight seeing in my new state soon I hope.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching and for the kind comment! It's always interesting to know how people discover our channel!

[@LucasWorldTravel]

Another place that I've never heard of before! We would definitely want to explore and relax. Such a unique little island!

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, Egmont is definitely a spot that non-locals likely have never hear of. But more often than not, those spots turn out to be our favorite spots to visit!

[@ramunegaizutis1286]

Wow, what a beautiful hideaway! And that meal....drool! Another fantastic and informative video...thank you! 🙂

[@Explorcation]

Yes and yes! It was an active day of exploring a beautiful island followed by an amazing (and enormous) meal. We couldn't have asked for much of a better day. Thanks for watching, Ramune!

[@glenn2878]

Thank you for a wonderful video. As a 4th generation Floridian that has been a lifelong resident of the Tampa Bay area, this was unique content and loved it. I have not been to Egmont Key since my childhood in the 1970’s. I want to revisit the island and now know how I can do it and what I can see there. Thank You!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much, Glenn. We're so happy to hear you are enjoying the channel! We hope you make it back to Egmont soon!

[@robinfrey5001]

I spent last summer in Pennsylvania recovering from minor surgery and preparing for our first winter of retirement in Florida. I watched as many clips of things to do in the Bradenton/Ellenton area of which Explorcation were some of the best. We visited many of the towns and beaches from your videos from St Pete/Clearwater down to Siesta Key. I think our favorites were South Lido Key Beach Park and Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island. The only problem is now you are sharing more videos and we haven’t seen many of the ones from last summer. Thanks for the time you guys put into sharing these places and we are excited to get back to Florida in January.

[@Explorcation]

Wow, thank you so much for this incredibly kind and thoughtful comment, Robin. We'll try to keep the Florida content coming and are so happy to hear that our videos have helped you prepare and get more excited for your return to Florida in January!

[@albany222]

We've been to Egmont and seen the tortoise, even had a manatee swim up close to us [Don't touch!] the beach was amazing! So as the video was winding down I almost clicked out of it When... That Stromboli!! So that is now saved in Google maps and perhaps next month we will visit them as well.

[@Explorcation]

😂 we're so glad you ended up sticking around for the Stromboli! That thing was absolutely massive and delicious. Definitely a great way to cap off a day on Egmont!

[@gladysgriffin7347]

Very nice !

[@Explorcation]

Thank you! It's a pretty unique island!

[@BobCarlson]

This looks like a perfect day. I’m going to check out the history on this place I can’t imagine living there in 1910 though.

[@Explorcation]

It would have been perfect if we had another hour or two... but it was still close to a perfect day! The history really is interesting... and there's so much beyond what we had time to share in the video. We hope you get a chance to visit for yourself someday!.

[@chrispham7064]

Beautiful beach ,food looked delicious Love your video always. Thank you so much for sharing this video. Have a great day you guys.

[@Explorcation]

We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one, Chris. Thanks so much for watching, as always!

[@john_cubero]

I'd love to see a video and your takes on armature works and the surrounding riverwalk area!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for the suggestion, John. We have been talking about working our way into Hillsborough County, and when we do (hopefully sooner than later), Armature Works will surely be one of our first stops!

[@brianwluxevovacations215]

I'm coming down to Sarasota tomorrow. Be there Monday and Tuesday.

[@Explorcation]

We hope you're enjoying your time in Sarasota, Brian. Such a beautiful city!

[@ScullyPopASMR]

Y'all have the best travel content.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much, Scully!

[@willbygosh4887]

You all should check out Frostproof Florida situated between 2 lakes.

[@Explorcation]

We would love to, Will. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

[@PrimeTimeTravelers]

We went there a few years ago by family boat and the bugs are horrible! On our channel we are vlogging all 175 Florida State Parks so we have to return here to vlog soon. Thanks for the tips!!

[@Explorcation]

The bug situation definitely has not changed! But thankfully, we did find some bug spray and it helped immensely!

[@TheAverageTourist]

Looks like it was an awesome day! So neat that there is only 1 full time person living there - but that must also be pretty lonely. I'd be with Jamie going back to the ferry early - I would be afraid to get left behind! Great tips too - I'm always concerned about staying hydrated and finding restrooms. Would love to have walked along that beach path.

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, we could certainly see some perks of having an island to yourself, but would think that level of solitude would get old pretty quickly. Thankfully, they probably would have let us on one of the other ferries later in the day if we wouldn't have made ours, but we would have had to wait at least another two hours!

[@AquariusTraveller]

OMG that tortoise was so cute - Big Love for that. Could their possibly be any spot you haven't visited in your area. You seen to have so many beachy choices to choose from and so ma ny different ways to spend your day trips. Addicted to bean - I love the name ! LOL The forts or batteries reminded me so much of my trip to Bribie Island - Beautiful beaches and the military remnants OMG - those italian meals were huge and looked so delectable - Maybe you should have shared a dish ? Great video guys - Well done :)

[@Explorcation]

We really were expecting to see more tortoises than we did, but we think that the lack of sunshine while we were exploring the trails kept most of them in their holes. We were happy to have at least spotted one! We are definitely running out of island/beach spots (within 50 miles or so at least) to visit that don't require owning/renting your own boat. That said, we're exited about exploring a little bit further from home (although we're not too exited about the lodging expenses). I'm not sure how many more car camping nights I'm gonna be able to talk Jamie into 😂 And yes, we probably would share a dish at that restaurant under normal circumstances, but when it comes to making a video, two dishes is always better than one! Plus Italian food always re-heats nicely!

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation don't know that much about tortoises... don't get a lot of them here and think I've only seen then in a wildlife park. We have a lot of turtles here...freshwater and in the ocean. Interesting they like the sun though... much like our crocodiles. The expences do add up when it come to touring and making these videos. We are off camping this weekend but have lots of gear so we don't need to sleep in the car. I'm with Jamie and would prefer the hotel 😁.....I only camp cause the videos do really well on my channel...lol. (the things we do haha)

[@Explorcation]

@@AquariusTraveller haha the things we do for our channels! Well we still hope you had a great time camping :)

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation on my second camping weekend...going ok so far and at least the weather has been good

[@Explorcation]

@@AquariusTraveller the weather can make such a difference! So glad it has been good for you :)

[@BibleMadeSimple]

You guys do a great job. I'm a new subscriber to the channel and loving it. Thank you!

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for the support and for taking the time to comment. We really appreciate it!

[@rhondalyn100]

What a lovely glimpse into Florida's past! I've made reservations at Fort De Soto this coming January so it was great taking a peek at where I'll be staying. I've begun taking notes from your videos (as I always learn from them!) so have put Tony and Nello's restaurant on my list. Yummo! Jaime, we have something in common...we both love blue cheese dressing! 🙂Thanks for another great vid, guys, you always spice up my Saturday mornings. Rhonda 🙂

[@Explorcation]

Wohoo! January in Fort Desoto will absolutely beautiful. Tony and Nello's will be a great addition to your list, just make sure you go (extremely) hungry! And all 3 of us LOVE blue cheese dressing. Skylar will even eat just plain blue cheese, although that is going a little too far for me 😅

[@Falconwing_01]

I visited Egmont Key with my closest friend in late August. We were there on a Monday. Like you. we chose to head to the Ghost town. It was amazing to walk the red brick road hearing only nature. Our Day there was HOT! We did have plenty of water. though I did dunk myself in the water often. Like you said the 3 hours go by very quick. I'd go again.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching and sharing your experience :) Sounds like it was very similar to ours...except a little hotter. We were thankful to have cloud cover during our visit. Good to hear you planned ahead with plenty of water!

[@Falconwing_01]

@@Explorcation I've found your channel to be a great resource for adventure ideas when I'm visiting. From watching your videos Anna and I went to swim with the manatees, we used the suncoast beach Trolley. From your most recent video. I'm trying to convince her to go to Treeumph. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@Explorcation]

@@Falconwing_01 your comment just put a smile to my face 😀 We hope you had a great time swimming with the manatees, and that your trolley experience was more successful than ours 😆 we sure do enjoy Treeumph and hope you get to check it out in the future!

[@Falconwing_01]

@@Explorcation Yes we had a great time swimming with the manatees. We had about an hour with a pair of them. It was just the 2 of us and 1 other person. I will add having never worn a wetsuit before, I was totally unprepared for my change in buoyancy. The Trolley worked pretty well for us. the app for buying the day pass was very convenient. We did check out a few of the eating establishments you've featured. Overall great trip. Thank you for the great videos, ideas and suggestions. Keep up the great work!

[@Explorcation]

@@Falconwing_01 we are so glad to hear you manatee and trolley experiences went well, it sure does take a bit to adjusts to the buoyancy (we also had not worn wet suits before). Thank you so much for your comments, we really do appreciate your feedback :)

[@FollowThomas]

It's an amazing area to explore. I've visited DeSoto and surrounding areas on my bikes tours but never been on Edmonds Key. Thanks for showing around 🙂

[@Explorcation]

We imagine that Fort Desoto would be an excellent place to bike. We're honestly not sure if they would even let you bring a mountain bike onto Egmont Key, but if they did, it would be a blast riding on the inland trails.

[@FollowThomas]

@@Explorcation I have a gravel bike to ride roads and trails. Mountain bike is for dirt roads and trails.

[@Explorcation]

@@FollowThomas didn't even know that a gravel bike was a thing, but sounds like the type of bikes we'd want when we get some!

[@summerlinpublic5673]

Yummy!

[@Explorcation]

It sure was!

[@BransonFamVlog]

What a great day! Thank you for sharing. Our family would really enjoy an experience like this! We will add it to our list of Florida adventures for our next trip down south! Are the paths stroller friendly?

[@Explorcation]

It really was, and we do hope you get a chance to experience it for yourself someday! There are definitely some concrete paths that we think would be stroller friendly (although neither of us have much experience pushing strollers). The paths you have to take to get to the concrete paths would likely not be (unless you have a stroller that is made for sand). Thanks for watching, guys!

[@tawnykc83]

Wow! What an interesting place! It's funny that you mention almost getting lost because I was wondering how you guys were able to find your way around. I would totally have gotten lost, lol! As you mentioned, the beach area wasn't the prettiest I've seen so I would probably spend most of the time exploring the ruins. The nature was AMAZING (although I could do without the snakes 😰) Jamie, I LOVED your dress/swimsuit coverup (???). Soooo pretty! I'll finally be travelling to the area two weeks from tomorrow. I don't know if I'll be able to do everything in just one week but your videos have given me some ideas for what I'd like to do 😊

[@Explorcation]

The signs on the island are actually really good, but if you aren't paying close attention, you can get a little bit lost. That said, the island isn't very big and if you spend long enough walking in the same direction you'll eventually arrive at the beach. We did find that the gps on our phones worked find on the island as well. The best part of the island definitely was exploring the ruins and spotting the wildlife. We also really enjoyed the trail that ran right along the beach. Thanks so much for the kind comment on the cover-up, it's one of my favorites! We are so excited that you will be making it to the area in a couple weeks! We would offer to meet up, but we will be departing on our next getaway right around that time. That said, we hope you have a wonderful time and can't wait to hear your thoughts of the area.

[@tawnykc83]

@@Explorcation Hope you enjoy your next getaway!

[@Explorcation]

@@tawnykc83 thanks so much!

[@FollowThomas]

Looks amazing,ä. Is there is a ferry access to get to the island or how to visit it?

[@Explorcation]

Yes, we took a ferry to the island. You can also kayak/paddleboard or take your own boat if you're fortunate enough to own one!

[@Eduardo-us2zm]

I remember the name dosoto from like middle school history class where they don't really explain the subtleties or obvious things so it's like I'm always embarrassing myself in front of some ancient peoples or something I feel dumb

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching, Eduardo. I remember (vaguely) learning about DeSoto in school too.

[@rainmaker6335]

Bring your bug spray to Egmont, and a mosquito head net, preferably long pants. On the beach the bugs are not bad (almost none ), however the interior can be brutal.

[@Explorcation]

Yes! Great tip. If we wouldn't have gotten bug spray, we probably would have spent our entire time on the island on the beach.

[@ntinkspots]

I can’t I to paint at the lighthouse

[@Explorcation]

That's great! Thanks for watching.

[@josegarrido7021]

Hi guys, great video, my name's Jose, my wife and i love kayaking and canoeing. we've been at shell key numerous times and even camped over night 3 times...my question is this: since you guys have been at both islands, meaning shell key and egmont, how long are each trip by ferry?, i mean both islands time frame to get there...thank you and have a great one!.

[@Explorcation]

Hello, Jose. We've been wanting to paddleboard to Shell Key for a while now and are definitely going to try it out one of these days! The ferry ride to Shell Key from Fort Desoto Park was a bit under 30 minutes. The Shell Key trip was a while ago and we don't remember the exact amount of time we spent on the ferry, but we think it was only around 10-15 minutes one way.

[@josegarrido7021]

@@Explorcation do you mean 10 to 15 min. from fort de soto parking lot to Egmont, correct?

[@Explorcation]

@@josegarrido7021 we believe it was 10 to 15 min ferry ride from the Fort Desoto Boat Ramp (where you board the Hubbard's Marina Ferry) to Shell Key. On the ferry back they sometimes look for dolphins so it could be longer.

[@josegarrido7021]

@@Explorcation got it. thx!. by the way, i don't know if you guys know or not but in order to paddle to shell key you have to depart from butler's hole, if you put that name in your GPS it'll take you there no problem....thanks and have a great one!.

[@Explorcation]

@@josegarrido7021 awesome! Thanks for the info Jose.

[@bennk7767]

I love your channel, but find the speed walking parts where you speed up the video of you walking takes away from the video.

[@Explorcation]

We're glad you enjoy the channel and really do appreciate the constructive feedback, Ben! We will certainly take it into consideration.

[@adamd5530]

Hurricane video???

[@Explorcation]

Absolutely. Already posted a couple with a couple more likely to come.