Passage Key Wilderness
A violent hurricane swept through this area in 1920, transforming Passage Key, a mangrove island containing a freshwater lake, into a meandering, slightly vegetated sandbar. Situated within one of three refuges comprising the Tampa Bay Refuges, Passage Key Wilderness stands at the mouth of Tampa Bay, where it faces the full force of storms off the gulf. In the last few years, erosion has erased most of the island. At low tide, small portions of the island will still occasionally rise above the waterline. This one island represented Tampa Bay's last remaining nesting site for laughing gulls, black skimmers, and royal terns. However, with no more land being above water on a regular basis, there is no more bird breeding on the island.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Florida |
| Size | 36 acres |
| Designated | 1970, by Congress |
| Center point | 27.56° N, 82.74° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 5.7 miU.s.s. Narcissus (tugboat) Shipwreck ↗Crystal River, FL
- 6.1 miRegina Shipwreck Site ↗Bradenton Beach, FL
- 8.7 miJordan, Rufus P., House ↗Longboat Key, FL
- 10 miTerra Ceia Village Improvement Association Hall ↗Terra Ceia, FL
- 10.3 miDon Ce Sar Hotel ↗St. Petersburg Beach, FL
- 10.6 miWoman's Club of Palmetto ↗Palmetto, FL
- 10.6 miPalmetto Armory ↗Palmetto, FL
- 10.8 miRichardson House ↗Bradenton, FL
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Florida
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Passage Key Wilderness?
36 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Passage Key Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Passage Key Wilderness in?
Florida.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Passage Key Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1970.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Passage Key Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 27.556° N, 82.743° W. De Soto National Memorial is 6 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Passage Key Wilderness?
De Soto National Memorial (6 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Passage Key Wilderness?
The National Register has 25 listings within 15 miles, including U.s.s. Narcissus (tugboat) Shipwreck and Regina Shipwreck Site.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.