1964 Map of Egmont Key

About this map

Egmont Key stands as a strategic sentinel at the entrance to Tampa Bay, marking the boundary between the Gulf of Mexico and the inner shipping channels. This 1964 survey, with 1981 revisions, documents the island during its tenure as the Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge. The map reveals a landscape defined by maritime navigation and historical military presence, including a lighthouse, a lookout tower, and several unnamed ruins at the island's southern tip. The surrounding hydrography is equally detailed, tracing the deep waters of the Egmont Channel and Southwest Channel which separate Hillsborough and Manatee counties. Maritime researchers can trace the shifting sands near Passage Key Inlet and the various aids to navigation that have historically guided vessels into one of Florida’s most important harbors.