As soon as you pull up to Dry Tortugas National Park, you will be stunned by the bright turquoise waters and the imposing Fort that surrounds the island. It feels as if this island appears out of nowhere. For miles and miles around there is just open water and nothing else.
I have been to over half of the national parks and this one is in my top five! There’s just nothing else like it. You need to add this to your bucket list! Dylan and I were in awe the entire time we were in the park. Get everything you need to know about visiting Dry Tortugas below and watch our vlog here!
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Table of Contents
Everything You Need to Know About Dry Tortugas
What is Dry Tortugas National Park?
Dry Tortugas is one of the rare parks that is mostly underwater. There are seven different islands in the 100 mile space that are part of the park. These islands have wonderful coral ecosystems where you can snorkel and see underwater life.
Most people visit this park to see Fort Jefferson, a huge fort that was built to protect one of the most strategic areas in the seas. This was a common trade route and it was a good stopping place for ships to reload supplies. The Fort was supposed to be big enough to hold 450 cannons and is an extremely impressive structure, but it was never fully finished. Later, it was used as a prison and coal mining dumping grounds. You can also camp right outside of the Fort on the island.
How Do I Get There?
Boat Over
If you plan on visiting Dry Tortugas, then you’ll have to get there by boat or seaplane. Boats are the cheaper of the two options and it’s what most people end up doing. If you are lucky enough to have a private boat, you can ride it 70 miles from Key West to get to the fort. You only have to pay the entrance fee of $15.
Ferry Ride
For those, like us, who don’t have their own boats you can book a ferry ride. The Yankee Freedom takes daily trips to the fort with a steep price of $190 a person, but if you have an America the Beautiful pass you can get refunded $15 a person! The ferry provides breakfast, lunch, snorkels, and a tour around Fort Jefferson.
There are concessions sold on board and the ferry ride is incredibly beautiful. You can even choose to camp overnight and take the ferry back home the next day. Look into tickets early, because the ferry does sell out at times!
Seaplane
The last option is to take a seaplane over the 70 mile distance. The only seaplane that is allowed into Dry Tortugas is Key West Seaplane Charters. This is the most expensive of the options with a half day excursion costing $361 and a full day excursion costing $634. You’ll see beautiful sights from the air and the ride is only 40 minutes long.
What Do I Do There?
Tour the Fort
Once you’re in Dry Tortugas National Park there are plenty of things to do on the islands. My suggestion is that you start by walking around the Fort. If you take the ferry, they provide a tour right away, which we found really fascinating. Other visitors can read the signs or download tour info before you get to the island (there is no service on the islands).
Snorkel
After you’ve had your fill of history, you can take a lunch break or dive into the bright blue waters. The ferry operators provide snorkels and fins for their guests to explore the sea life below the water. You should make sure to swim around the moat and also explore around the old coal docks. We saw plenty of fish, beautiful coral, bright anemones, and even a barracuda! It was such a fun way to spend a few hours.
Bird Watch
One of the other main attractions of the islands are the wonderful bird life you can see on them. There is an island in the park that is home to the only US nesting grounds for the magnificent frigate birds. Other birds that you may see on the island include terns, boobys, and noddys. Walk along the island’s edge to see these birds in action.
Camping
If you’re camping there, you’ll be able to spend a lot of time relaxing and enjoying the island. You can have some time for sunbathing and chilling on the beach. Also, you can watch both the sunrise and sunset over the bright turquoise waters or go stargazing at night on the remote island.
I wish we had camped there, because it seems like one of the most unique experiences you can have. I highly suggest you stay overnight. Just note, that you have to pack in and pack out everything you bring. You’ll need to be prepared to camp on an island with no amenities and remember to Leave No Trace.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Dry Tortugas was one of the most unique experiences and special parks. I think that you should add it to your bucket list. We loved our experience and we would even go back again, despite the high ticket prices to get there.
Was this Guide to Visiting Dry Tortugas National Park helpful?Let me know in the comments!
You totally just blew my mind. How did I not know about this NP!? It look so awesome, and so different from all other national parks!
It is so different! It was such a unique experience and it was truly remarkable!
Dry Tortugas has been on my list for quite some time now! Hoping to make it there this year. I love how you answered all my questions about how to get there and what to do. Will be saving this for later!
Awesome, I hope that you enjoy when you go! It’s so amazing.
Oooh what an interesting National Park! I always think of things like mountains, expansive rock formations or forests for National Parks, but Dry Tortugas shows just how gorgeous an island park can be! I looove how pristine the water looks and it’s so cool that you can see so many birds!
I hadn’t heard about Dry Tortugas National Park until I read your blog. This place looks so beautiful! I hope I can visit it one day.
I hope that you can too!