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So, you want to visit one of the most remote national parks in the US? Then you came to the right place – I’ll tell you everything you need to know before you go!
The main island of the Dry Tortugas that people visit is where Fort Jefferson is located. This place is FULL of awesome history, so prepare yourself for a quick lesson!
The park is made up of 7 small islands; Loggerhead Key, Garden Key (where Fort Jefferson is located), Bush Key (which is sometimes connected to Garden Key by a sand bar), Long Key, Hospital Key, Middle Key, and East Key. As you can imagine, being out in the middle of the ocean, hurricanes and changing water levels greatly affect these islands. So, at times, some may disappear while others reappear!
These islands were supposedly discovered in 1513 by a Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon, who gave them their name due to the lack of fresh water (dry) and an abundance of turtles (Tortuga). Clever, right?!
Fort Jefferson, the largest brick masonry structure in the United States, was initially built to protect the gateway into the Gulf of Mexico as one of the first lines of defense. It’s strategic location not only made it an excellent stopping point for merchants, traders, and explorers traveling along the coast, but also the shallow reefs surrounding it made it nearly impossible for ships to sneak by unnoticed, though some did try. Because of this, the Dry Tortugas are made up of hundreds of thousands of ship wrecks…many full of treasure! Though there is no way to know exactly how much treasure is sunken here, you can safely assume there are hundreds of billions just sitting on the ocean floor, most likely never to be found. However, there are many people who have dedicated their whole life to finding some; here is an interesting story about a man who discovered $450 million worth in 1985!
Anyway, back to the fort. Construction on it started in 1846, built by slaves using over 16 million bricks imported from the main land. During the building process, the Civil War broke out, thus materials were harder to come by, so bricks were then imported from elsewhere. In some parts of the fort, you can even tell the difference in the bricks! Interestingly enough though, the fort was never 100% completed because of fears that additional bricks and cannons would cause further settling and place more stress on the structure and the cistern system (how they collected rain to have fresh water).
Although the 1,500 troops stationed here never had to defend it in actual battle, the fort did gain fame during the Civil War as a prison for Union deserters and other undesirables. Dubbed “America’s Devil’s Island,” its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, exiled for life for setting the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Lincoln. He was eventually pardoned by President Andrew Johnson for his heroic efforts in fighting an outbreak of yellow fever at the fort (which claimed the lives of many there; there are even a few graves!).
As you can tell, the islands have served many purposes, from protecting our country, being taken over by pirates, becoming a preservation area and breeding ground for birds and marine animals, a national monument, and eventually a national park in 1992.
The islands are situated about 70 miles west of mainland Florida (off the coast of Key West). Which means they aren’t super easy to get to; hence, why it’s considered one of the “most remote” national parks! But you CAN get to them. Here’s how…
BY FERRY
There is one ferry service that does daily trips to the Dry Tortugas, weather permitting of course. This boat can handle pretty big waves though, so as long as there isn’t a hurricane or tropical storm coming through, chances are your trip will still happen (we had 6-8 foot waves on our way out there!).
We paid $190 a person for a day trip. This of course included the transportation to the island and back, entrance into the national park, snorkel equipment, as well as breakfast and lunch! The boat has plenty of indoor seating with tables, as well as a few outdoor spots where you can go outside to enjoy the view. Travel time is a little over 2 hours each way.
I do HIGHLY suggest you take some form of medication to help control sea sickness! They do sell Dramamine on the boat if you forget. Even if you don’t think you’ll get sick, take it anyway. Another trick I’ve learned from going on cruises is to keep food in your belly! Sounds weird but it will keep the juices in your stomach from sloshing around. So, try to eat a light snack before getting on the boat and take advantage of the breakfast they offer as well. I’ve also found it helpful to bring hard candy, like jolly ranchers or peppermints, to help prevent nausea. I did all of these things and was comfortable enough that I was able to nap almost the entire ride!
There is a kiosk in Key West where you can buy tickets, but I always recommend booking ahead to ensure your spot. This is where I booked ours!
BY SEA PLANE
Though I would’ve loved to have done this, I am not rich and it was way out of my price range! However, it may be in yours! Key West Sea Plane Charters is the only plane service to the park. For a half day, it is $361 for an adult, and for a full day it is $634. Travel time is only about 40 minutes, so it is definitely the quickest route with also the best view! I wish we could’ve done this, but it was still fun watching the planes land and take off.
One downside to this is a half-day tour doesn’t seem nearly long enough to explore the park. Also, if you have a big group with you, you obviously wouldn’t all be able to fit. Regardless though it looked awesome and I totally want to do it someday.
BY PRIVATE CHARTER BOAT
You can do a quick google search and find multiple companies to give you quotes depending on how many hours you’re wanting to go out and how many people you have. If you have your own boat, I’m pretty sure you can also take it out, as long as you have permission from Coast Guard!
I definitely wouldn’t go without a guide unless you’re pretty skilled with navigation. Also remember that it’s 70 miles one way and waves can be rough, so this isn’t something that a boat like a pontoon could do! If you’re going to do it, I’d personally go with a company. I believe some of these include overnight stays on the boat, and some even offer diving and fishing.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET THERE
Well, that depends on what you like to do!
The park has a little bit of everything, whether you like snorkeling, sunbathing, fishing, camping, history, bird watching, you name it.
Here is a map where I’ve tried to mark things!
What I recommend doing is taking everything off the boat and claiming a place on whatever beach you prefer so you don’t have to carry everything (they don’t want stuff left on the boat). Of course, take valuables with you, but I highly doubt anyone will bother your snorkeling gear, beach towels, or cooler. We started off trying to carry everything with us and quickly realized it would be impossible to carry it all around the fort, so my mom went and sunbathed and watched everything while my dad and I explored a bit.
After you’ve got your spot, head to the fort! When you’re on the boat, they’ll try to offer you a guided tour. My advice is to skip it, unless the fort is the only thing you’re there for. Instead, start off by walking around the moat, viewing the outside of the walls, and keeping an eye out for sea life. Then head inside the fort. There are several plaques everywhere with information on them that makes it pretty easy to tour it on your own, so make sure you stop and read!
There is a tiny museum/visitor center right inside the entrance that you can walk through pretty quickly if you wish. Then go back to the left and up the stairs to the very top on the side where the ferry dropped you off to view the surrounding ocean; the view is incredible!
Then go back down the stairs and walk the dirt path that goes straight through the fort, and take the stairs up to the second level and check out the view from the giant windows! These make great photo opportunities. The lighting was a bit difficult to work with, but at one point my dad said “go stand right there!” and snapped a pic (the one with me standing in a window with wind blowing my hair) and it turned out perfect! He’ll be mad at me if I don’t give him all the photo creds, haha. Once you’ve explored the second level some, you can head up to the top again to see the view from the other side. Just be careful, it’s windy up there!
Then work your way back down and walk past the magazine, barracks, and new lighthouse. While you’re walking around, watch the clock so you don’t lose track of time and miss lunch. We timed it pretty much perfectly and after we were done exploring, we hopped back on the boat to grab our food then brought it back to the beach to eat. Remember to pop another Dramamine after you’re done eating!
Unfortunately, water conditions weren’t the greatest, so snorkeling was a no-go. We opted instead to walk along the beach, sunbathe, wade in up to our knees, and watch the planes land and take off. This was bar far one of the prettiest beaches with the cleanest and clearest bluest water I’ve ever seen. It’s unreal!
After a couple hours, it’s time to get back on the boat! While you’re waiting for everyone to get on, go ahead and use the restroom before you take off and then eat another light snack. They also open up the bar, so grabbing a strawberry daiquiri or a beer is a nice finish to the day too!
When you get back to Key West you’ll have enough time to hit up a few gift shops, walk along the harbor, and pick a restaurant for supper.
Dry Tortugas was by far my favorite thing we did on this trip, and by far worth the price and time in my opinion! Next time I go, I would love to try camping there as well as kayak over to Loggerhead Key. Can you imagine what the sky would look like on a clear night out in the ocean?!?! If you’re interested in camping, here is some useful information.
Here are a few tips + things you should pack if you decide to visit!
TIPS
- Wear your swimsuit underneath clothes or a coverup (my yellow dress worked perfect and made for some great photos!). This will eliminate time wasted in the dressing rooms when you first get there! Also bring a spare change of clothes for the ride back.
- If you’re into snorkeling, they do have their own gear you can use. We chose to bring our own fins and masks/snorkels, which was a hassle, especially considering we didn’t even get to use it. Next time I’ll only bring my mask and snorkel.
- Bring an insulated bottle (here is my favorite!) to keep your water cold, plenty of snacks, and nausea preventative! Can’t stress these 3 things enough.
- Also, pack sunscreen! It was only 70 degrees while we were there but we underestimated how much sun we would get and got a little burnt because we didn’t apply enough. Sunglasses and a hat are also great, just be careful since it can be windy. I almost lost my hat several times!
- Don’t be like my dad and wear tennis shoes! Hahaha, he kept having to take them off and put on his sandals whenever he went on the beach.
- Speaking of sandals, wear ones you don’t mind getting wet, or bring water shoes. While walking the beach, there were several spots with sharp shells that can cut your feet. I wore cheap flip flops and didn’t have many issues, minus a wave attempting to steal them from me.
- Use the restroom before you get to the fort so you’re not fighting everyone else for them!
- Pack a beach towel. One that repels sand is even better!
- There is absolutely zero cell service here. Like NONE. So, make sure people know where you are ahead of time so they aren’t freaking out that they can’t get ahold of you! It’s a pretty big fort, so if you have a group that’s splitting up to explore different parts, walkie-talkies might be a good idea. Here are some affordable ones!
- Speaking of no service, go ahead and put your phone on airplane mode to conserve battery. You can still use your camera to take pictures
That’s everything I can think of right now. Have you ever been to Dry Tortugas National Park? If you haven’t, I hope I’ve convinced you to put it on your bucket list! Every time I visit somewhere new, I declare it one of my favorite places, and this park has definitely made it to the top. I’m already wanting to go back!
If you go, please share your experience, any other tips you can think of, and what you thought of it! I hope this blog post was helpful to you!