Anclote Key

USA / Florida / Tarpon Springs /
 Upload a photo
Blue-green Gulf waters lap gently along the preserve´s beautiful four-mile-long beach. Located three miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs, this park is accessible only by private boat. Visitors must bring water and supplies; there are no provisions on the island. The park is home to at least 43 species of birds, including the American oystercatcher, bald eagle, and piping plover. A picturesque 1887 lighthouse stands as a sentinel on the southern end of the island. Visitors can swim and sunbathe at the beach, then fire up a grill and enjoy a picnic at the pavilion on the north end of the island. There is no charge for overnight stays in the primitive campground, but campers should check in by calling the park before arrival. (727- 469 - 5942)
floridastateparks.org/anclotekey/default.cfm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   28°11'21"N   82°50'45"W

Comments

  • It is rumored that on this island there are piles of mysterious stones, about 18 inches in diameter and nearly a foot thick, each with five holes in them. No one knows what these stones are for, or how they came to be here, but one theory is that they were either ballast stones from old sailing ships, or else they may have been hobbling weights that would have had a rope through each hole leading to the arms, legs, and necks of slaves to keep them from moving around freely. It's unclear if slavers actually ever used these waters, however. The stones may be there - it's a big island, and most of it is massively, massively overgrown with trees, bushes, weeds, and stuff - but in a quarter century of looking, I've never found them. There definitely are rattlesnakes on the island, though. I've found plenty of those.
  • There is a partially sand buried shipwreck on the Gulf side I found there a few years ago, I wonder if it is still there?
This article was last modified 14 years ago