South-southwest of
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
, Fort De Soto Park is a park operated by
Pinellas County
Pinellas County (, ) is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 959,107, making it the seventh-most populous county in the state. It is also the most d ...
on five offshore keys, or islands: Madelaine Key, St. Jean Key, St. Christopher Key, Bonne Fortune Key and the main island, Mullet Key. The keys are connected by either bridge or causeway. The island group is accessible by
toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...
from the mainland. Historically, the islands were used for military fortifications; remnants and a museum exhibit this history. Two piers, beaches, picnic area, hiking trails, bicycling trails, kayak trail, and a ferry to
Egmont Key State Park
Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and State Park is a National Wildlife Refuge and State Park located on the island of Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Egmont Key lies southwest of Fort De Soto Park and can only be reached by boat or fer ...
are available.
The park is a gateway site for the
Great Florida Birding Trail
Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (''GFBWT'') is a 2,000 mile (3200 km) long collection of more than 500 locations in the U.S. state of Florida where the state's bird habitats are protected. The trail promotes birdwatching, environmen ...
.
History
Early history
The area of today's Fort De Soto was originally inhabited by the
Tocobaga
Tocobaga (occasionally Tocopaca) was the name of a chiefdom of Native Americans, its chief, and its principal town during the 16th century. The chiefdom was centered around the northern end of Old Tampa Bay, the arm of Tampa Bay that extends betw ...
Native Americans from about 1000 to 1500 ACE. They lived on Mullet Key and other barrier islands in the area, eating fish, clams, conch, oysters and
whelk
Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species with a swirling, tapered shell. Many are eaten by humans, such as the common whelk of the North Atlantic. Most whelks belong to the family Buccinidae and are known as "true whelks." Othe ...
s from the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. Their diet was supplemented by occasional game food as well as the plants they gathered.
[Staff (ndg]
"Fort De Soto County Park: Historic Guide"
Pinellas County Parks & Recreation / Friends of Fort De Soto
In 1529, the Spanish explorer
Pánfilo de Narváez
Pánfilo de Narváez (; born 1470 or 1478, died 1528) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' and soldier in the Americas. Born in Spain, he first sailed to the island of Jamaica (then Santiago) in 1510 as a soldier. Pánfilo participated in the conque ...
investigated the barrier islands after his expedition landed between
St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach (formerly known as St. Petersburg Beach until 1994) is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida. Known as a tourist destination, St. Pete Beach was formed from the towns of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach, and un ...
and
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...
. Ten years later,
Hernando De Soto
Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...
came ashore somewhere near the southern part of
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater i ...
, beginning what would culminate in the conquest of Florida for the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
.
Military use
In 1849, a detachment of US Army engineers, including future Confederate General
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
surveyed the area. They recommended that
Egmont Key Egmont may refer to:
* Egmont Group, a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark
* Egmond family (often spelled "Egmont"), an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond
** Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522–1568), the bes ...
be fortified, and that other islands in the area be reserved for possible military use. Mullet Key was accordingly declared a military reservation later that year. There was no attempt to fortify the two islands before the start of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.
Confederate forces briefly occupied Egmont and Mullet keys early in the Civil War, but soon withdrew to Tampa, after removing equipment from the
Egmont Key Lighthouse. The
Union Army occupied the two islands by mid-July 1861. The close proximity of the islands to the main channel into Tampa Bay aided in the Union
naval blockade
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...
of Tampa Bay. Egmont Key Light was not lit during the war due to the Confederate removal of essential equipment, but the lighthouse served as an observation tower for the blockade. The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
established a refugee camp on Egmont Key for Union sympathizers from west central Florida. A Union raid on Tampa in May 1864 searched for the equipment taken from the lighthouse, but could not find all of it.
Following the Civil War, the Board of Engineers for Fortifications recommended that the military reservation of Mullet Key be continued. The island was surveyed in 1876, and the military reservations of Egmont and Mullet keys were made permanent by executive proclamation in 1882. In 1885, interests in
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
proposed that the
Orange Belt Railway
The Orange Belt Railway (later known as the Sanford & St. Petersburg Railroad) was a narrow gauge railroad established in 1885 by Russian exile Peter Demens in Florida. It was one of the longest narrow gauge railroads in the United States at t ...
be extended to a terminal on Mullet Key serving ocean-going passenger ships. A request to sell Mullet Key, or to grant the railroad a right-of-way, was rejected by Secretary of War
William Endicott because of the military reservation.
Fortifications were not built on the islands until the
Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
.
Hillsborough County established a
quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
station on the eastern side of Mullet Key in 1889. It became known as Mullet Key Quarantine Station. The
Marine Hospital Service
The Marine Hospital Service was an organization of Marine Hospitals dedicated to the care of ill and disabled seamen in the United States Merchant Marine, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal beneficiaries. The Marine Hospital Service evolved ...
took over jurisdiction of the station in 1901. The duty of the station was to inspect aliens aboard ships arriving from foreign ports. By 1925, the station operated with fifteen buildings. The quarantine station operated until 1937, when the
Public Health Service
The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services which manages public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant Se ...
transferred its operations there to Gadsden Point, near
Tampa
Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
.
The main operation on Mullet Key was named Fort De Soto in 1900, in honor of Hernando de Soto. The Army post was officially a subpost of
Fort Dade, which was constructed on Egmont Key. These posts were to contain batteries of artillery and mortars to protect Tampa Bay from any invading forces. Construction of Fort De Soto began in November 1898 and was completed in 1906. The foundation was constructed of a seashell
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
formula, and the walls and ceiling used a seashell, stone, and concrete mix. The fort contained
artillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
and
12-inch coast defense mortar
The 12-inch coast defense mortar was a weapon of caliber emplaced during the 1890s and early 20th century to defend US harbors from seaborne attack. In 1886, when the Endicott Board set forth its initial plan for upgrading the coast defenses o ...
batteries, Batteries Laidley and Bigelow. The post consisted of 29 buildings. The post's features included a large
barracks
Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
, a hospital, a
guardhouse
A guardhouse (also known as a watch house, guard building, guard booth, guard shack, security booth, security building, or sentry building) is a building used to house Security guard, personnel and security equipment. Guardhouses have histori ...
, a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
and carpenter shop, an administration building, and
mess hall
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
with kitchen, a bakery, and a storehouse. The site also had brick roads, concrete sidewalks, and a
narrow-gauge railroad
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curv ...
to aid in moving materials and supplies around the post.

Fort De Soto was active from 1898 to 1910. At least one company was present at Fort De Soto at all times and many times several units were present.
Mosquito
Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
es were a constant problem and the post was very hot in the summers. In 1910, most of the Army troops were moved from Fort De Soto to
Fort Morgan,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. Only a caretaker force remained; by 1914, only an
ordnance sergeant and
game warden
A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guar ...
remained at the post. Through most of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, a larger
caretaker force was at the post, usually with about twenty-two privates, two
noncommissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted rank ...
s, and two
commissioned officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...
s. In 1917, four of Fort De Soto's mortars were disassembled and shipped to
Fort Rosecrans in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
.
In November 1922, the Army announced it would de-activate both Forts De Soto and Dade. On 1 July 1924, the Harbor Defenses of Tampa were de-activated, designated as a subordinate installation of the Harbor Defenses of Pensacola, and reduced to caretaker status. By 1926, the forts had been disarmed except for four 12-inch mortars of Battery Laidley at Fort De Soto, which remained under caretaker status. The forts were meant to be reactivated and rearmed in time of war, but that never occurred. From 1929, the 637th Coast Artillery Regiment's mobilization assignment was the Coast Defenses of Tampa, but that unit was never initiated in the
Organized Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
History
Origi ...
. On 16 November 1935, the Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, and the Medical Department Detachment of the Coast Defenses of Tampa were organized with Regular Army Inactive (Organized Reserve) personnel from the
Fourth Corps Area at large. A number of
tropical storms
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
and hurricanes severely damaged the buildings on the post. A few were destroyed, as was Battery Bigelow in 1932. The Army attempted to sell the post, but there was little interest. In September 1938, Pinellas County bought the areas on Mullet Key for $12,500.
Conversion to civilian use
Shortly after Pinellas County purchased Mullet Key, county commissioners granted a lease to Percy L. Roberts for the use of land and buildings on the island the Mullet Key Quarantine Service had once used. The ''
St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute f ...
'' reported the commission's action in its January 25, 1939, edition:
Lease of Mullet Key buildings to Percy Roberts was ratified Monday by county commissioners who made no change in the tentative lease approved last week.Roberts will pay the county $50 a month for the first year and $100 a month for the next two years for the lease of two buildings on the extreme south end of the county's property on the key.The lessee will operate a daily boat service to the island and will serve fish dinners and rent fishing tackle. The distance from his dock near the Bee Line ferry will be 10 miles. He will land in a sheltered cove on the north end of the island. Trips will be started in about three weeks.

Roberts, a native of St. Petersburg and local plumbing contractor, had a simple business plan. First, run a passenger boat to Mullet Key facilitating access to the isolated island. This service was expected to attract both fishermen and sightseers. For the fishermen, easy access to the pristine fishing waters of lower Tampa Bay; for the sightseers, easy access to the ruins of historic Fort De Soto and the white-sand beaches facing the Gulf of Mexico. Secondly, establish a hotel and restaurant on the island. Roberts envisioned creating a venue on the island appealing to clubs, associations, and other organizations for group outings of members for fishing, sightseeing, and "dining on fried mullet".
With lease in hand and business plan formulated, and with the financial support of Charles R. Carter, a local insurance executive and president of the Bee Line Ferry Co., Roberts immediately began implementing his plan.
For transportation to the isolated island, the passenger boat Hobo was put into service. Hobo operated daily from the Bee Line Ferry Terminal at St. Petersburg's Pinellas Point, pulling away from the dock early morning and leaving for the return trip late afternoon. Hobo was also available for chartered trips in between scheduled runs. "By boat" was not the only means of transportation to the island. A strip of land on the island was cleared in response to requests by some who wanted to fly small aircraft in and out.
Lodging and eating accommodations on the island were fashioned by renovating a building vacated by the Quarantine Service in 1937. The facility at best was austere, but one who was tired and hungry could get a good night's sleep; plenty of coffee, a hearty serving of bacon and eggs for breakfast; any of an assortment of sandwiches for lunch; and, a family style meal of fried mullet with all the trimmings for supper. A screened-in porch was there for those who just wanted to lean back, prop up the feet, enjoy a cool beverage, and relax. This facility became known familiarly as Mullet Key Lodge.
Rubert "Rube" Allyn, a writer for the ''St. Petersburg Times'', included in his March 28, 1939, column, "Along the Waterfront":
When the Pinellas county commissioners leased the old Fort De Soto, and Mullet Key to Percy Roberts, they did a fine thing for the tourists by opening up the vast uninhabited reaches of Mullet Key and the old fort to exploration parties ... Today for a nominal fee, one can take a boat at Pinellas Point, and go to Mullet Key, land at the old Quarantine dock, enjoy an old-fashioned fish dinner prepared in the same manner as the pioneers of 50 years ago, by the Roberts family, and explore miles of uninhabited beaches, bayous, and the old Spanish–American War fort ...
Bombing range
In less than two years, Mullet Key Lodge became well established and profitable. However, this first for-profit business founded on the island was short-lived. The lease, granted to Roberts in 1939, had to be rescinded because the
US War Department decided it wanted the island back for use as a
bombing range by the
U.S. Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
in support of air bases then being constructed in the Tampa Bay area. That pending transaction was reported by the ''
St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute f ...
'' on December 18, 1940:
Mullet Key purchased by the county from the Treasury department in 1938 for $12,500 will soon be taken over by the United States Army Air Corps for use as a bombing range. The Air Corps will pay the county all that has been expended to date and will pay to Capt. Charles R. Carter all he has expended in improving the building into a fishing lodge. It is understood that Capt. Carter has an investment of about $8,000 while the county's total investment is about $13,800.

In June 1941, the federal government bought back Mullet Key from Pinellas County for $18,404. As planned, It was turned into a sub-post of
MacDill Field and used as a
bombing range throughout World War II.
County park

After World War II, the by then-renamed
U.S. Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
had no need for Mullet Key, and it was a sold back to Pinellas County along with adjacent islands Sister Key, Hospital Key, Rattlesnake Key, and Scratch Key. The sale, for $26,495.54, was finalized in 1948. County officials immediately designated Fort De Soto and all of Mullet Key a county recreational area and declared it open to the public. Soon thereafter excursion passenger boats began regularly scheduled trips to the island.
In 1962, a toll road, the
Pinellas Bayway (formerly
State Road A19A, now
SR 682), was completed to the mainland, enabling island visitors to arrive by car. On December 21, 1962, Fort De Soto Park opened. On May 11, 1963, Fort De Soto Park was officially dedicated. Its facilities have been expanded over the years. The quartermaster storehouse was reconstructed to become the Quartermaster Storehouse Museum. On December 2, 1977, the Fort De Soto batteries were placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. The four
12-inch M1890 mortars and two
6-inch Armstrong guns at Fort De Soto are the only weapons of their type remaining in the United States.
The Quartermaster Storehouse Museum
The Quartermaster Storehouse Museum is a recreation of the original
quartermaster
Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...
storehouse building built between 1900 and 1906, and was duplicated in 1999 using historical photographs, Army engineering condition reports, government documents, and was funded by the Friends of Fort De Soto Inc. and the Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources Department. Park staff built the 833-square-foot wooden structure, which contains updated features not found in the original building, including air conditioning,
fiber-optic
An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...
lighting, concealed insulation, and a
fire suppression system
Fire suppression systems are used to extinguish, control, or in some cases, entirely prevent fires from spreading or occurring. Fire suppression systems have an incredibly large variety of applications, and as such, there are many different types ...
. In the 1990s, the Pinellas County Parks Department provided a historical interpretation of the military post site, which originally contained 29 buildings, including a hospital, stable, 100-foot-long
barrack
Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
, guard house, a shop for blacksmiths and carpenters, an administration office, a mess hall, a bake house, and a storehouse, which then gave inspiration to the park staff and volunteers to propose the construction of one of these post buildings. In 1999, the Friends of Fort De Soto received a matching grant from the state Historical Museums Grant-in-Aid Programs to create the museum and its exhibits, and the museum officially opened on November 11, 2000.
Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted by a mannequin quartermaster in a glass case surrounded by supplies that he would have issued to the soldiers. There are various wall panels that depict local history from the 16th century when Spanish
conquistadors
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
encountered the
Tocobaga
Tocobaga (occasionally Tocopaca) was the name of a chiefdom of Native Americans, its chief, and its principal town during the 16th century. The chiefdom was centered around the northern end of Old Tampa Bay, the arm of Tampa Bay that extends betw ...
Indians to the
Spanish-American War
Spanish Americans (, ''hispanoestadounidenses'', or ''hispanonorteamericanos'') are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from Spain. They are the longest-established European American group in the modern United States, with a ...
in the 1800s, with the largest wall panel showing photographs of the military post. There are also various display cases that contain recovered artifacts from the park and World War II history, including an original practice bomb, weapons, military badges, and ammunition, as well as other early 20th century items, such as a woman’s dress, a deck of playing cards, and a rattlesnake skin. There is also an interactive touch-screen device disguised as a box of military supplies in which visitors can explore additional information, images, narration, and historical film clips, specifically highlighting the 12-inch
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...
that were once fired at Battery Laidley and have been designated by the National Register of Historic Places.
Recreational activities and amenities
The park is open year-round and has the following features:
* Several thousand acres of firm-bottomed shallows, making the area a favored destination of wading anglers
* Two piers, each allowing fishing. Both have bait, tackle and food concessions.
* Various picnic areas.
* Fort De Soto, built in 1898, abandoned in phases 1910 to 1948.
* Quartermaster Storehouse Museum.
* Two swimming areas, North Beach and East Beach. North Beach has been named to "America's Top 10 Beaches" list by
Dr. Beach numerous times. In 2005 it moved to the first place in this list, being recognized as America's Best Beach.
* 800-foot
boat ramp
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a Inclined plane, ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and ...
.
* Camping area with a camp store, modern
restrooms
A public toilet, restroom, bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils or pris ...
and
laundry room
A laundry room or utility room is a room (architecture), room where clothes are washed, and sometimes also drying room, dried. In a modern home, laundry rooms are often equipped with an automatic washing machine and clothes dryer, and often a l ...
.
*
Snack bar
A snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold.
Description
A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drink ...
with
gift shop
A gift shop or souvenir shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs, memorabilia, and other items relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, toys, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collection ...
at the old fort.
* Seven-mile multi-purpose trail.
* 2¼ mile canoe trail.
* Barrier-free
nature trail
An educational trail (or sometimes educational path), nature trail or nature walk is a specially developed hiking trail or footpath that runs through the countryside, along which there are marked stations or stops next to points of natural scienc ...
.
* Paw Playground, an area to exercise pets.
* Ferry to Egmont Key, site of
Egmont Key State Park
Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge and State Park is a National Wildlife Refuge and State Park located on the island of Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Egmont Key lies southwest of Fort De Soto Park and can only be reached by boat or fer ...
.
Geology

Mullet Key is a
barrier island
Barrier islands are a Coast#Landforms, coastal landform, a type of dune, dune system and sand island, where an area of sand has been formed by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of an ...
. It is unusual for a barrier island in that it has two arms which are joined at a right angle. One arm faces the Gulf of Mexico, running from the Tampa Bay entrance channel north to Bunces Pass. This arm of the island is
wave-dominated, that is, formed primarily by energy from waves approaching the island. The other arm of the island faces the entrance channel to Tampa Bay, and is tidal-dominated, that is, formed by energy from the tidal flow along the entrance channel.
Because waves and currents, and the occasional storm, are constantly reworking the sand that makes up a barrier island, the shape and area of Mullet Key varies over time. The five islands of the park, Mullet Key, Bonne Fortune Key, Madelaine Key, St. Christopher Key, and St. Jean Key, had a total land area of in 1970, and of in 2014.
South Bunces Key
A
shoal
In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material, and rises from the bed of a body ...
off the north end of Mullet Key emerged as a new barrier island in the late 1970s. It was named South Bunces Key, and rapidly grew in size and became vegetated. The new island became attached to Mullet key at both ends. Storms eroded South Bunces Key in the early 21st century, with the remnants of the island merging with Mullet Key. South Bunces Key disappeared by 2016, and the part of Mullet Key that was landward of South Bunces Key was being eroded. A new shoal in a similar location, named Outback key, has formed in the past 5 years and recently connected to the main body of Mullet Key.
Ecology

Fort De Soto Park is a hub for biodiversity, featuring various ecosystems such as
mangroves
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove sal ...
and
hammocks. Over 328 species of birds have been documented at the park, with large areas of the North Beach protected for both the nesting of breeding birds, and the stopover of migratory birds. However, due to factors such as habitat loss and increased abundance of the
brown-headed cowbird
The brown-headed cowbird (''Molothrus ater'') is a small, obligate brood parasitic icterid native to temperate and subtropical North America. It is a permanent resident in the southern parts of its range; northern birds migrate to the souther ...
(a
brood parasite
Brood may refer to:
Nature
* Brood, a collective term for offspring
* Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents
* Bee brood, the young of a beehive
* Individual broods of North American periodical cicadas:
** Brood X, the largest ...
), species such as the
mangrove cuckoo,
black-whiskered vireo
The black-whiskered vireo (''Vireo altiloquus'') is a small passerine bird, which breeds in southern Florida, USA, and the West Indies as far south as the offshore islands of Venezuela. It is a partial migrant, with northern birds wintering fr ...
, and
prairie warbler no longer breed in this location.
As with many beach habitats in the region, also breeding in this park are endangered
loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of sea turtle, oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the Family (biology), family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around ...
s.

Australian pines (''
Casuarina
''Casuarina'', also known as she-oak, Australian pine and native pine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Casuarinaceae, and is native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and e ...
'' species) were introduced into Florida after 1890 to serve as
windbreak
A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the ed ...
s. The species are tolerant of salt-spray and poor soil, and have invaded many plant communities, suppressing the growth of native species. However, the trees are shallow-rooted and subject to uprooting in wind storms. In addition, stands of Australian pines on beaches have replaced deep-rooted plants, exposing beaches to erosion. The root systems also interfere with sea turtles digging nests above the high water mark on beaches. Australian pines are now considered an invasive pest, and have been generally banned in Florida Australian pines were well established on the islands in Fort De Soto Park. Removal of all Australian pines from the park is not considered feasible, but park management intended to reduce the number of trees. As of 2014, the park planned to remove about ten percent of the Australian pines in the park each year, starting with those closest to the shoreline. The
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is a Florida government agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tallahassee. It manages and regulates the state's fish and wildlife resources, and enforces related laws. Officer ...
(FWC) began removing Australian pines from North Beach in the park in 2015.
Gallery
File:St. Petersburg FL Fort Desoto path01.jpg, A walkway
File:2018 Fort De Soto - main bike path.jpg, The main bike path to North Beach
File:2018 Fort De Soto - data booth.jpg, A "data booth" used to relay elevations and azimuths from observers to mortar crews
File:St. Petersburg FL Fort Desoto03.jpg, The fortification for Battery Laidley; the data booth is on the left
File:Sunshine Skyway Bridge, from Fort DeSoto (2).jpg, A view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, officially referred to as the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, is a pair of long beam bridges with a central tall cable-stayed bridge. It spans Lower Tampa Bay to connect Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Florid ...
from Fort De Soto
File:Fort De Soto Historic Photograph Gallery.jpg, Fort De Soto Historic Photograph Gallery
File:Egretta rufescens Fort DeSoto, Florida.jpg, Reddish egret
('' Egretta rufescens'')
File:American Oystercatcher - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, American oystercatcher
('' Haematopus palliatus'')
File:Black Skimmer at Fort Desoto - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, Black skimmer
('' Rynchops niger'')
File:Black-bellied Plover with worm - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland (1).jpg, Black-bellied plover
('' Pluvialis squatarola'')
File:Fort De Soto Park (8416017620).jpg, Brown pelican
(''Pelecanus occidentalis
The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth ...
'')
File:Great Egret with breakfast - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, Great egret
('' Ardea alba'')
File:Great Horned Owl at Fort DeSoto - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, Great horned owl
('' Bubo virginianus'')
File:Black-crowned Night Heron - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, Black-crowned night heron
(''Nycticorax nycticorax
The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax'') r black-capped night heron commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and Nort ...
'')
File:Marbled Godwit at Fort Desoto - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg, Marbled godwit
('' Limosa fedoa'')
See also
*
Seacoast defense in the United States
Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence through World War II. Before airplanes, many of America's enemies could only reach it from the sea, making coastal forts an economical alternative to standing armie ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
* {{official website, http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm
Pinellas County listingsa
National Register of Historic PlacesFlorida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs*
Pinellas County listings*
Fort De Soto BatteriesFortDeSoto.com- A site dedicated to Fort De Soto Park
Laboratory for Coastal Research & National Healthy Beaches Campaign Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...
Fort Desoto Traila
100 Florida Trails
Desoto
Ghost towns in Florida
Parks in Pinellas County, Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Pinellas County, Florida
Florida in the American Civil War
Military and war museums in Florida
Museums in Pinellas County, Florida
Former populated places in Pinellas County, Florida
Beaches of Pinellas County, Florida
Beaches of Florida
1962 establishments in Florida
Protected areas established in 1962