Passage Key rumors?

[cruiserChick]

Anyone know anything about Passage Key (on the west coast of FL around the St. Pete area) and the current regulations? I heard (among other rumors...any info on those?) that it is a bird sanctuary but you are not allowed to actually touch the land there... anyone have any experience there?

 

[Shrew]

Closed to public use since 2005.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passage_Key_National_Wildlife_Refuge

 

[JohnEasley]

We boat around the neighboring islands on a regular basis. Egmont Key is to the immediate north and Anna Maria Island is immediately south. I can tell you from direct observation on many occasions that A) Passage Key is really nothing more than a small sandbar, B) it's locally known as a big party spot, and C) small boats belly up to it so people can party on the sandbar/key. Holiday weekends are often so crowded there that you could walk nearly 100 yards across the boats without ever getting wet.


Egmont Key, to the immediate north, has a bird sanctuary on the south end of the key. You're not allowed to anchor within its boundaries. Many people, including us, anchor north of the sanctuary and hike on the trails but the bird sanctuary is off limits.


Does that help?

 

[Vashon_Trawler]

The sandbar seems to be making a reappearance. It tends to come and go but remains protected. I will also add that Passage Key is a well-known "clothing is optional" hang-out, which is one reason why my wife and I avoid it.

 

[JohnEasley]

Passage Key is a well-known "clothing is optional" hang-out

We've heard that, too. But, despite using 30x binoculars, we've never observed such behavior.

 

[Fishing Fool]

It is clothing optional, we've observed it many times and yes, you're not supposed to be on the "land", that's why most folks just hang out on the sand bar or their boats and or they will walk around on the first 10' of land and don't go past there and the authorities don't hassle them if they stay close to the water's edge

 

[Vashon_Trawler]

We've heard that, too. But, despite using 30x binoculars, we've never observed such behavior.

Incidentally, I personally avoid Egmont during the Summer weekends--too crowded. We took a cruise around the island last weekend and it was particularly packed on the east and north ends.

Also be careful navigating the stretch of channel that parallels the north end of the Skyway from Indian to Mullet Key. We always get the snot knocked out of us from wakes. I recently had one boater come dangerously close at "full plow", passing on my starboard, and nearly send me out of the channel as I had to turn into the wake.