Regrettably, the Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most overlooked National Parks in the United States. Thus, we are here to highlight this highly undervalued National Park situated 70 miles from Key West. Despite its name, Dry Tortugas National Park is anything but dry. With plentiful marine life, coral reefs, and over 100 square miles of tiny islands, there is much to explore. This park is an ideal location for a weekend camping adventure or a brief day trip.
There are so many exciting activities to participate in that you will not be able to resist. It is the best snorkeling spot in the Florida Keys. You can bring your own boat or your own kayak, or you can rent. You can also charter a private boat ride or ferry ride to view the sea life. Enjoy the beach, or do some star gazing.
How to Get to Dry Tortugas National Park
The Dry Tortugas National Park can only be accessed by sea plane, charter boat or ferry ride.
Cheapest Way to Get to Dry Tortugas: Yankee Freedom Ferry
Yankee Freedom is the cheapest way to get to Dry Tortugas National Park. This ferry is concessioned to enter the park. It leaves Key West for Dry Tortugas at specific times of the day. The ticket is inclusive of a roundtrip, a buffet meal, showers to rinse off upon your return, and bathroom facilities. There is also a guided tour of the historic Fort Jefferson, and snorkeling equipment included in the cost.
The ferry ride is 2 hours there and 2 hours back, which gives visitors about 4 to 5 hours to explore the island. The downside of the Yankee Freedom Ferry is that it drops you off at Garden Key and does not provide any trips to the other islands of Dry Tortugas National Park.
Dry Tortugas Boat Charters: Wildlife, Diving, Snorkeling, and Fishing
The Dry Tortugas National Park allows many concessionaires authorization and access into the park. Services that may be available from such providers are wildlife tours, sailboat excursions, guided fishing, diving tours, and snorkeling.
Dry Tortugas Sea Plane Charter
The best views of Dry Tortugas National Park can be viewed on a full-day or half-day trip on a privately chartered plane.
History of Dry Tortugas National Park
In 1513 the first ever European who laid eyes on the islands, Juan Ponce de Leon, caught an abundance of ocean turtles here. He then started calling the islands “Tortugas”. In later years sailors would add “dry” to the name because there was no fresh surface water to be had.
During the golden age of piracy, the Florida Straits were bustling with activity. A great many treasure laden ships, especially from Spain, sailed along this route. They often met with misfortune here. This opened up the area for centuries of treasure hunting. The latest big find being recorded in 1985. A 17th century Spanish galleon was found with more than $450 million worth of gold and silver on board.
One of the sights to see at Dry Tortugas National Park is the historic Fort Jefferson which America started building in 1846, five years after Spain sold Florida to them. Today, it remains the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere.
As it currently stands, around 99% of Dry Tortugas National Park is underwater. There are seven small islands. The most pristine of the Florida Keys coral reefs can be found here, along with 300 species of birds.
Fort Jefferson History
Fort Jefferson was built with 16 million masonry bricks that was carted to Dry Tortugas by boat. It is the largest masonry structure in the Americas. Fort Jefferson was used to house prisoners during the Civil War – specifically soldiers who had been court-martialed. These prisoners were instrumental in the completion of its construction. The list of prisoners included some of the men found guilty for the Lincoln assassination. Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas were deemed a National Park in 1992, but before that, in 1935 Fort Jefferson had already been declared a national monument.
Why You Should Visit Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is definitely worth a trip to the Florida Keys.
The pristine beaches are great for snorkeling, and snorkeling equipment can be rented from one of the many charters serving Dry Tortugas National Park. Despite being one of the least visited National Parks in the US, trips sell out fast. Even day trips. If you consider overnight camping we can definitely recommend it. You will end up having Dry Tortugas National Park almost entirely to yourself.
What to Do At Dry Tortugas National Park
Finding things with which to occupy you during your day trip to the National Park will be easy.
- Loggerhead Key. This is one of the islands of Dry Tortugas that visitors can explore. It is 3 miles from the Garden Key and can be reached with a variety of small vessels. It is best to only attempt this if you are camping overnight due to time constraints. The island has much to offer, including wildlife, sea turtles (afterwhich Loggerhead Key is named), a lighthouse, shipwrecks, and the historic Carnegie Laboratory for Marine Ecology.
- Bush Key. This island can only be accessed during winter months, as it is closed the rest of the year for protected birds to nest. There is a land bridge that connects Garden key with Bush Key, but if the tides are not in your favor you might need a kayak.
- Because this is a National Park you are welcome to explore the pristine beaches, but not remove anything from them. Including sea shells.
- Spend your time snorkeling along the walls around Fort Jefferson. There are other areas to snorkel like the South Coaling Dock, the coral heads (if you have the experience), and the South Swimming Beach.
- You may walk along the edge of Fort Jefferson, but in order to preserve its history there are no railings, so it is important that you be careful.
- Once you arrive at the Garden Key you can take a guided tour on the island and around Fort Jefferson. The tours are held by a park ranger and visitors will learn about the Civil War, the island, and Fort Jefferson.
- While Fort Jefferson and Garden Key form the main attraction, most visitors will also want to catch a glimpse of surrounding attractions like the Rebecca Shoal Channel, the Marquesas Key, and the Boca Grande Key.
Dry Tortugas Packing List
When you plan on camping at Dry Tortugas, or if you are just visiting for a day trip, you need to be sure that you have everything you need with you. There are some things you can buy on the boat, but the price will be quite high.
What to Bring on a Dry Tortugas Day Trip
- Having a lightweight shelter can be great to have, if you are willing to carry it.
- Having a dry bag or beach tote is extremely useful.
- Medication for seasickness can be great to have. You never know when you might need it.
- It could be useful to have basic toiletries. Especially if you are taking the Yankee Freedom Dry Tortugas ferry which has shower facilities onboard.
- Even if the weather is warm, you might want to bring a light jacket or sweater.
- If you plan to snorkel you can benefit from a buff to protect your forehead from sunburn.
- The ferry (Yankee Freedom) provides flippers, masks, and snorkel if you do not want to bring your own.
- It is essential to protect yourself from the Florida sun. It can be very deceptive, so even during cloudy days and in the winter, bring sunscreen and additional sun protection, like sunglasses, etc.
- You can also bring hiking sandals to wear on the boat and on the beach.
- Bring a camera. If you are going to snorkel, an underwater camera can also be great.
- Bring a beach towel.
- A bathing suit and something to cover up is also great.
Dry Tortugas Camping
A day trip is fine, but if you really want to experience the area in all its splendor then a camping trip is a great idea. There is much to see in Dry Tortugas. It is one of the hidden gems in the Florida Keys area. The scenery is gorgeous and the shallow waters are great for snorkeling and swimming. The camping facilities are also quite basic, but it makes for an authentic experience.
You can also take a tour facilitated by park rangers of Fort Jefferson.
This is one of the natural wonders that remain in the USA today. It is an essential part of history. But most visitors do not realize how isolated the area is. This means that if you go camping here you need to bring everything. You cannot buy any charcoal, fuel, water, food, etc. in the park. The Yankee Freedom will take your camping gear to the island. When you are camping you will have more time to explore. If you are not able to camp, at least try a Dry Tortugas day trip. There are also other beach campgrounds in Florida, including many in Key West and Key Largo.
Dry Tortugas Camping Checklist and Additional Camping Information
When camping here you will be “primitive camping”, meaning that you need to bring everything, including your water for drinking and everything else. Yankee Freedom actually has a camping list that you can check out on their website. You are able to take your camping gear on the ferry, but there is a weight limit of 60lbs per person. Water is not included in the weight limit.
If your weight limit allows you can bring a life vest and a kayak so that you can explore nearby islands. You can even go see the Loggerhead Sea Turtles on Loggerhead Key. An inflatable kayak is also an option. When booking your spot on the Yankee Freedom remember to ask whether there is space for a kayak if you want to bring one. When camping you can also snorkel along the Moat Wall.
Exploring the seven small islands aside from only the largest island and the second largest island is really an amazing way to see this part of the Florida Keys.
A Day at Dry Tortugas National Park
A guided tour of Dry Tortugas is included in your ferry fare. The tours are given by park rangers. You are, however, not obliged to take the tour, and can instead spend more time in the water, if you prefer.
Meals and Facilities at Dry Tortugas
If you are traveling to and from Dry Tortugas on the Yankee Freedom then you will have two meals on the ferry (breakfast and lunch). There are also bathroom facilities on the ferry. There are no restaurants in the National Park. If you do not travel via the ferry then you will need to establish with your tour company what they will be providing.
Dry Tortugas National Park Snorkeling
On the ferry you can get a map of the best snorkeling spots in Dry Tortugas. It is great for beginners as well. The waters are calm and you enter from the beach. You can stay along the fort wall where the water is calmest and much of the ancient dock is covered in coral reef. It is important to remember that there are tarpon in the water, it is easy to mistake the biggest ones for sharks. Reef-safe sunscreen is essential, and you will need to bring your own towel.
Dry Tortugas Swimming
Dry Tortugas is an amazing place to relax and enjoy the soft white sandy beaches in the area. The absolute vast majority of the park is underwater, so we strongly recommend a swim. There are several beaches to choose from on these islands and its best to see on the day which is your best option.
