Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge

About Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge

Passage Key is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay in Manatee County, south of Egmont Key. President Theodore Roosevelt established Passage Key NWR in 1905 to preserve nesting colonies of native seabirds and wading birds. In the early 1900's Passage Key was a 60-acre mangrove island with a freshwater lake. Today, Passage Key is a low-lying sandbar that fluctuates in size, and is found often completely below water during high tide. More than 50 species of birds have used this small area including nesting American oystercatchers, black skimmers, royal and sandwich terns, and laughing gulls. Passage Key NWR is closed to public use year-round. Passage Key NWR is managed as part of the Crystal River NWR Complex.

How to Get There

Because of its small size and importance to wildlife, the refuge is closed to all public use.

Plan Your Visit to Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)