Fort De Soto

The Spanish American War brought concern of safety to the citizens of Tampa. Their concern led to the construction of a military outpost in 1898 which was later named Fort De Soto after Hernando De Soto, the Spanish explorer who arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 1539. The fort closed in 1923 with no battles fought. The land was purchased by Pinellas County which, after much planning, opened Fort De Soto as a park in 1963.

At the park you can see Battery Laidley and some of its mortars. Across the parking lot the Quartermaster Storehouse is open, providing information about the fort. Just beyond the storehouse is a trail that leads past the vacant sites of the fort’s main buildings. The shimmering waters of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico hug the nearby shore.

After the self-guided tour, continue past the snack bar/restrooms to the pier which stretches out over the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully, you will see a variety of shorebirds along the narrow shore. We saw pelicans diving for fish, a Great Blue Heron on his long thin legs eyeing something afar, Snowy Egrets pecking at the wet sand, and other birds playing tag with the foamy waves. As we made our way to the end of the pier, we spotted several dolphins playing in the water. There were rumors that someone had seen a manatee. At the end of the pier we gazed across the bay at the Egmont Key Lighthouse. Pelicans and egrets posed like statues along the pier’s railing as we chatted with the friendly fishermen who were reeling in and netting fish.

The park is located on Mullet Key, a barrier island situated at the entrance to Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. Besides fishing, visitors can also enjoy swimming, camping, hiking, and canoeing. Fort De Soto Park has something for both the history and nature buffs…like us.