Anclote Key is a four-mile long barrier island located about 3 miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs, Florida. It is reachable only by boat. The entire island comprises Anclote Key Preserve State Park (link takes you to official state park web site). The only two structures on the island are the ranger’s house and the lighthouse.
Panoramic view from the top of the Anclote Key Lighthouse, looking north. Taken with my iphone and stitched on the fly using the Autostitch app. Click the image to enlarge to really enjoy the view.
If you don’t have a boat, you’ll need to take one of the ferry services from the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs. We use the Island Star, operated by Sunline Cruises. The main issue with the ferry is that it only allows you an hour or so on the island.
Anclote Key is within reach of a kayak. Fred Howard Park is the closest place to launch from and reduces your paddle to about 2 miles across open, but shallow, water. Here’s a video of my friend Kevin Mim’s kayak trip to Anclote Key:
Kayakers on Anclote Key.
The Island Star passenger ferry letting passengers off on Anclote Key. It takes about 30-40 minutes or so by ferry to arrive on Anclote Key.
What to do on Anclote Key?
As far as beach activities, you can do pretty much anything you can do on any other beach: sun bathing, walking, swimming, snorkeling, shelling, fishing, photography.
But because this is a state preserve and is completely undeveloped, there are other things that bring people here. Primitive camping is allowed on Anclote Key, at the northern tip of the island. You’ll need your own boat to get your gear out to the island though, because the ferries do not haul campers and gear back and forth. Other than a composting toilet (outhouse), there are no public facilities on the island. Bring your own food and water, and pack out all your trash. Mosquitoes are fierce at night, so bring bug netting and some powerful bug repellant. Seriously–bring it or be sorry.
If you like exploring nature, there’s plenty to discover. You can poke around in the dunes and forested areas, explore the beaches, and observe the bird life. Birding on Anclote Key can be very rewarding, and can result in sightings of anything from the regular residents to migrating shorebirds or stopovers from songbirds looking to refuel during spring and fall migration.
Anclote Key Lighthouse
The lighthouse was built in 1887 and was in service until 1983. Then it fell victim to vandals and the weather. It was completely restored and brought back into service in 2003 through the efforts of Friends of Anclote Key State Park. It is only open to the public on two or three special days each year. The view from the top of the lighthouse alone is worth making the trip on one of those days, which are usually announced several weeks in advance.
On the boardwalk to the Anclote Key lighthouse.
Anclote Key lighthouse staircase. It’s fairly steep and narrow–not for the claustrophobic.
Anclote Key Beach as seen from the top of the lighthouse.
Although there are no modern facilities on the island, there is an outhouse and a small covered picnic shelter not far from the lighthouse. If you take the ferry to Anclote Key, the ferry drops you off on the south end of the island. Because of the limited amount of time the ferry allows you on the island, don’t expect to be able to do a lot of exploring. Your activities will be mostly confined to the southern beaches.
Shells on Anclote Key beach, near the south end of the island.
On the beach at the south end of Anclote Key, looking north. The spot I’m standing on is relatively newly formed beach and is somewhat in the form of a hooked spit. You can see the flooded tidal area that most likely will eventually fill in with sand. Anclote Key is a growing island.
View of the resident ranger’s house on Anclote Key Preserve State Park.
Looking north from atop the lighthouse on Anclote Key.
To the south of Anclote Key is Three-Rooker Island, which is another growing island between Honeymoon Island and Anclote Key. It used to be just a big sand bar.
To the north of Anclote Key are several more small undeveloped islands whose only residents are birds.
