Tips and Tricks for Dry Tortugas National Park
So Max and I needed a vacation in between semesters to decompress from the craziness that is graduate school. The last two years we went to Mexico- but because of Covid this wasn't an option for us- so we decided on Florida.
Over the last couple of years we have found that we love going to and exploring US National Parks. When we decided on Florida I saw that Florida has 3 National Parks all within roughly and hour of each other- so I thought why not go to all three.
The one that peaked my interest the most was Dry Tortugas National Park. First of all strange name- dry turtle- what?? Second of all it's literally an island in the middle of nowhere in the gulf of Mexico- how did this become a park?
Through all my research I have learned that one does not simply just go to Dry Tortugas on a whim- it takes some planning and an investment. Here are my suggestions if you are thinking about going. Or just some nice pictures and funny stories if you don't wish to go.
Step 1: Planning
I would recommend planning this trip at least a few months in advance.
How to get there: There are 3 ways- the most common way is the Yankee Freedom Ferry- which is the most popular and I'll get to in a second. The other two are by sea plane (very expensive but probably a really neat flight) or driving your own boat ( I don't own a boat so I have no advice on this one).
The Yankee Freedom Ferry is the only public boat that makes a daily trip there and back from Key West. It leaves about 8am and gets back around 5:15. The boat ride is about 2 hours each way. They offer day trips and campers. Day trips for adults is $190 (you have really commit to want to go there).
In addition you can also primitive camp on the island if you want more time there. We were feeling adventurous and honestly I would recommend it- it was an unforgettable experience.
You can call the ferry or book online- I would recommend doing this a few months out because there is limited space.
You also need to plan on staying at least a night in Key West unless you want to get up very early and drive down the keys. Most day trippers built this into their overall stay in Key West so this wasn't an issue for them. If you are camping you have to be at the dock with your stuff by 6am- and if you are day tripping they want you there by 7:15 so its an early day.
There is a parking lot down the street from the dock that has parking for $25 a day- Honestly that the cheapest day parking you will probably find in key west.
Step 2: Gathering supplies (for camping)
So this is primitive camping- emphasis on primitive. You have to bring all your stuff. They recommend bringing it in rubbermaid containers- but thats hard to do if you are flying. We packed our stuff into our backpacking backpacks and it worked out well for us. I would recommend backpacks or duffel bags over rolling suitcases because theres just sand everywhere.
At minimum you will need
- A tent
-head lamp/lanterns- no light pollution= it gets real dark out
- WATER- It's called Dry Tortugas for a reason- it's completely void of fresh water. We just went to the grocery store in Miami before we left for the Keys. We brought 3 gallons and that was more than enough. They recommend a gallon per person per day.
- Solar charger- this was nice to have- although we didn't have any cell service, we (lets be real- I) took a ton of pictures and it was nice to be able to charge my phone.
- Match light charcoal- we also got this at the grocery store in Miami before we drove down there ( I didn't think it would go well trying to put it on a plane)
-Matches (to light your charcoal)
-Sunglasses- I mean youre in the middle of the ocean and there are barely any trees there- do the math
-Pots/ cooking supplies/ plates/silverware - we have a backpacking cooking set that we brought to save on space
-Food- we just did snacks (like almonds, trail mix), protein shakes. For dinner we did an instant meal where you just add water because it seemed like the easiest path.
-Swim attire/ Towels. They provide free snorkel stuff. You may want water shoes/aqua socks because the beaches are mostly made up of a lot of broken shells
Things that are not allowed
- Hammocks- they are really big on no hanging things
-Clotheslines- see above
- Gasoline- They purposely check your bag for any illicit fire starters
Things that other people brought or other suggestions
- Chairs- we didn't because they were too bulky to fly with and they provide picnic tables
- Waterproof case for your phone- so you can take pictures while snorkeling or at the beach
- Fishing Poles/ supplies- a lot of people were fishing off the dock and eating their fish for dinner, which was neat. Neither of us are anglers- the most I've ever caught is a blue gill, so we didn't do this.
-Ear plugs- all the campsites are very close to one another. At 3am our campsite neighbors decided to have a very loud conversation for reasons only known to them. If you are a light sleeper ear plugs might be a good idea
- Kayak- if you are driving and you own a kayak you can bring your own or you can rent a kayak in key west. You can only bring a kayak on the boat if you are camping- mostly because you will not have enough time to kayak before the boat leaves for the day.
- Binoculars- Max got a pair for Christmas right before we went and he loved them. Great for looking at Loggerhead lighthouse, looking at birds (even if you're not a birder) and looking at stars at night.
- Cooler- we purposely opted not to do this because we only stayed one night and we would've had to get it on a plane but many other people had them. The boat sells ice so you could refill each day as needed.
You are provided a picnic table, a hard rubbermaid container, a trash bag and a grill with each campsite.
Max cooking dinner on the grill
Our campsite
Step 3: The Boat Ride
So its a two hour boat ride in the gulf of Mexico. If you are prone to motion sickness I would recommend bringing anti-nausea medicine and taking it before you get on the boat. They do sell it on the boat but its cheaper to be prepared. Also if you do feel sick while on the boat go out to the deck of the boat and look at the horizon and breathe the fresh air- DONT go into the bathroom- that will make everything worse.
On the boat they serve you breakfast (bagel, cream cheese, yogurt) and they do a nice job of giving you a history of the island and when it became a national park. You can also purchase cereal if you want a bigger breakfast.
Tip: Many people brought card games or books to entertain themselves during the ride.
If you are day tripping you will be served lunch on the boat as well. If you are camping I would recommend asking to have your lunch on the day that you are leaving because all of your stuff will be on the boat by lunch time. The lunch is a sandwich, chips and a drink.
There are bathrooms on the boat and there is also a "shower" on the boat. By shower they mean hose that you rinse off with on the back of the boat and they do not allow you to use shampoo or conditioner. There is no privacy either so you will want to do it in a swim suit.
One of the seaplanes that had just landed as we were waiting to get off the boat
Approaching Dry Tortugas from the boat- you can see Fort Jefferson in the Distance
Step 4: Enjoy your time at the National Park
The boat takes you to Garden Key, if you are camping and bring a kayak you can paddle out to loggerhead key (be warned it's a day trip out there). Bush key is connected to Garden Key but is only open to the public between October and January because it is the only known nesting site for the Sooty and Noddy Terns (yes apparently these are real bird names).
Map of Dry Tortugas National Park- Garden Key and Bush Key
1. Tour Fort Jefferson and explore the area
The fort is the most prominent feature of Dry Tortugas and it has a very interesting history. This is also the places for the best views of the park and surrounding keys. They offer a "brief tour" first which just gives a quick overview of the fort and then right after they offer an hour long walking tour around the fort.
- Pro Tip- you can go on top of the fort- just please don't fall down. There are stairs in the corners of the fort that give people access to each floor.
Pano from atop the Fort. Easily one of the coolest panos I've ever taken
Standing in front of Fort Jefferson
View from inside the fort
Max using his new binoculars to look at Loggerhead Lighthouse
View from atop the the fort- Loggerhead lighthouse is way in the distance
One of my favorite pictures from the trip! We are on top of the fort with a cool sea plane and Bush key in the background.
View of the broken moat wall (broken from years of ocean tides and hurricanes)
Other things to do:
- Go swimming/ snorkeling- they have free snorkel rental on the island. The water is relatively shallow and nice for snorkeling
Tip: If you are camping you may want to wait until the boat leaves for the day to go snorkeling, this means there are less people in the water that you have to watch out for
- Go Fishing- you are permitted to fish off the dock where the boat lands
- View Birds- the National Parks Service has a a birding guide for the island. Many birds visit the island at different times of the year
- Star gaze. There is no light pollution here so the night sky is AMAZING!!! Highly recommended!
The park has a strict rule of no shell collecting which is actually really cool because I have never seen so many intact shells before in my life. We walked along bush key at sunset and it was gorgeous.
Max modeling with a conch shell
Pano on Bush key
"I like shells"
Sunset with view of the fort
This is my other favorite photo from this trip. We just stumbled upon this that other people had arranged. It was so pretty!!!
Sand Dollar
Things to be aware of:
- There are hermit crabs EVERYWHERE seriously I've never seen so many. It is fun to watch them creep around and you can see their little tracks in the sand, but just be careful where you step
-If you are camping be aware that there are rats on the island that come out at night. This slightly terrified me although I never actually saw one- we did hear them outside our tent. Make sure you put everything either on top of your picnic table or in the hard cased tub that they provide for each campsite. Don't have food in your tent.
- We travelled here in January so it was 70s during the day and 50-60s at night. This worked well for us but something to keep in mind if you are trying to go in the middle of summer- you are going to be sweating in your tent at night.
-After the boat leaves they open up "pit" toilets. I was a bit nervous about these and I brought my own TP and hand sanitizer just to be safe but they ended up being cleaner than I expected. I've definitely been to way worse pit toilets at campsites on the mainland US. They supply TP and hand sanitizer and LIGHTS- I was shocked.
-If you are camping you have to stay on the boat longer than the day trip people when you first arrive on the island. The park ranger comes on the boat and gives you a lecture on all the rules of the park. From there you have to grab all your stuff and put it at your designated site. They provide wheelbarrows for you to throw your stuff in and haul it over to your site. You will miss the fort tour on your first day so if you want to see it make sure you plan to do it another day.
-The camping fee is separate from the boat fee- you have to pay the camping fee in cash when you get there. It is $15 a night so make sure you bring exact change.
-Tip: There is a boat house on the dock as you get off the boat. This has a lot of information such as maps, and other guides for the island. It also tells you what time the sun is going to set that day which is nice to know when to plan dinner.
Fun Fact: Dry Tortugas is technically in Central time zone but I never saw a clock on the island. The boat operates in eastern time zone. Also they are very good about counting people so they will not leave anyone behind.
Hermit crab creeping around our campsite
Our trusty "Lamp" in front of the beach and Fort Jefferson. We take him everywhere we camp
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