Dry Tortuga
68 miles away from Key West, in the middle of the Gulf Mexico, is one of the most remote, least known, (and I think coolest) National Parks in the United States, the Dry Tortugas.
Encompassing a small group of islands and reefs at the very end of the Florida Keys, the park is known for its tropical beauty (including some of the healthiest coral reefs in the US) and for its historical significance as the home to Fort Jefferson, one of the largest army forts / prisons ever built (but never finished) in the United States.
How to get there
Unlike most national parks, you can’t simply show up without plans or drive to the park. Getting there requires advanced planning and special transportation.
Ferry: The Yankee Freedom (based out of Key West, FL) is how nearly all visitors see The Dry Tortugas. It’s a full day experience, starting with breakfast on the boat, and getting you back in time for dinner. Traveling to and from the island takes a little over 2 hours each way. Once there, you are given lunch and a few hours to explore at your leisure.
Pro Tips: The Yankee Freedom has a near monopoly on travel to and from the Park, and not surprisingly that means getting there is both expensive and difficult. Boat tickets cost $180 per person, including your national park fees (as of 2020). Figuring out parking adds to the cost. During high season spots on the boat should be booked months (literally) in advance (the lack of availability was a real surprise and near disaster for a last-minute traveler like me). Despite that, the boat is comfortable, and the staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Lastly, be aware that the seas can be quite rough and the boat almost never cancels for weather reasons (according to locals I talked to). So, it’s on you to check weather forecasts, and make sure you are prepared if you’re apt to get motion sickness. To be honest, if the seas are going to be rough and it’s going to be raining, I would ask for a refund. If it’s going to be sunny and you can handle some motion in the ocean, push ahead.
Sea Plane: A few companies take visitors out to the islands daily. Going by plane is quicker (typically takes 45 minutes each way), more private (4 people per plane vs. 200 on the ferry), but costs almost twice as much per person. If you’ve got the dough and photography is important to you, going by seaplane would be a great way to get aerial shots of both the reefs and Fort Washington.
Private Charter: Lastly, private fishing and scuba charters also take visitors out to the islands (typically on multiday trips).
Pro tip: According to locals and park rangers I spoke to, the best months to visit the park are February – April. October – January can also be quite nice. However, while the waters can be calm during these months, visitors must be prepared for stronger winds and choppy seas on many days.
Exploring the Park:
Walking: Before I started my journey, when I thought of National Parks I imagined they all must have miles and miles of wilderness hiking trails. The Dry Tortugas doesn’t have any trails. In fact, except for the Pier and two small swimming beaches, it’s mostly covered by the MASSIVE hexagonal Fort Jefferson. (The only “wild” area within walking distance is Bush Key, however it is closed most of the year for nesting birds).
When I first learned about the lack of trails I was disappointed. That was unnecessary, as it turns out. Climbing around and exploring the 16 million brick structure was a blast. In addition to walking parts of the ring around the moat (a must!), I loved hiking through and over the many stories of exposed masonry.
If you are a history or architecture buff, there is plenty to keep you occupied as well. Most interesting to me was seeing the prison cell that once held Samuel Mudd, who was convicted in the conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln. (He was later freed after helping to fight a deadly epidemic on the island). I also had an interesting conversation with a ranger about how refugees from Cuba in the 1990s often piloted to the island to claim sanctuary, and how during one of the recent government shutdowns a flotilla of residents from Key West boated out to the Island and illegally entered the fort in order to keep it open for tourists after all the park rangers left.
Snorkeling: I swam around nearly the entire island, slowly taking in the colorful fish and corals. I’d only recommend doing so if you are a strong swimmer. For less of an adventure, you could just snorkel near either the North or South Beaches. Personally, I thought the best snorkeling was around the North Coaling Dock Ruins.
Pro tip: the quality of snorkeling depends on the surf. On a windy day visibility can be quite low. On clear days, the park is said to have some of the best snorkeling in the US. Unfortunately, the day I was there was windy. Even still, I loved my time in the water. It’s just another reason I need to plan my next trip out there.
Bird Watching: The Dry Tortugas are a stop for many migratory birds. Around 300 bird species pass through these tiny islands each year, some quite rare. On my trip, a few birders brought high powered binoculars and scopes up to the top level of the Fort Jefferson to observe nesting birds on nearby Bush Key.
Even if you aren’t a birder, you can’t miss the spectacular frigate birds, who look like pre-historic dinosaurs, have 7-foot wingspans, and soar all day above the Fort.
Hanging Out: the truth is most visitors do an hour guided tour of Fort Jefferson (led by the boat staff) and then hang out for hours on the beach. I didn’t do that, but people who did seemed pretty happy about it.
Photography
I imagine the best photography opportunities are available to those who camp overnight. Being so far out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico you must get spectacular sunrises, sunsets, and stars. (More on camping on the island below).
Unfortunately, from a photography perspective, most visitors only get to explore the island during the middle of the day (with all its bright light and glare). One way to deal this with is to get a polarized filter for your lens if you are shooting with a DLSR. This essentially lets you see the world through your camera as you do from polarized sunglasses. The filter lets you capture layers and colors (especially in the ocean) that usually get washed out on a bright day.
In addition to photographing the ocean and the beach, I really enjoyed shooting both around the moat and inside the fort. There are countless passages, nooks, layers, and broken bricks in the masonry that make for interesting compositions. Be sure to explore the middle level, not just the ground and the top, as most tourists do.
Lastly, this would be a fun place play with underwater photography. I can imagine some really cool shots in the water with fish underneath and someone walking on the moat above. Unfortunately, capturing that kind of shot requires very fancy cameras or casings for your DSLR, which can run into thousands of dollars. Still, if you don’t have that kind of gear (which I don’t), it could also be fun to shoot some of the corals using a much, much cheap point and shoot waterproofed camera, such as the Olympus Tough TG-6.
Where to Stay
In the Park: There is no lodging for tourists on The Dry Tortugas except for 8 primitive camp sites in the Garden Key Campground. Spots are available on a first come first served basis.
Unfortunately, unless you have a private vessel, you’ll need to get a separate camping reservation from Yankee Freedom, which limits itself to bringing 10 campers each way per day. These restrictions mean if you want to camp, you need to book your reservation even further in advance than you would for a regular day trip (meaning many MONTHS or even a full year in advance during high season).
From conversations with a ranger out on the island, usually there are only a handful (at most) of campers on the island each night, meaning once the ferry leaves at 3pm, you (and a handful of new friends) have the island essentially to yourself until 10am the next morning when the ferry returns. For Jefferson remains open until sunset, and reopens at sunrise.
Note that there is NO water or food available on the island, so campers need to bring all of their gear and supplies with them.
Onshore: When planning a trip to Dry Tortugas you’ll need to figure out lodgings onshore before and after your trip as well, since the ferry leaves early in the morning (you need to be there by 7am) and doesn’t arrive back to shore in the evening (usually after 5).
This was a major annoyance for me. Key West is extremely expensive, especially during certain weeks in the winter, and you have to travel literally hours north before you can find cheaper lodging options. Given this, I’d recommend booking hotels a month + in advance in order to ensure you find a good deal. Otherwise, if you are a last-minute traveler looking for a good deal, like me, set that alarm for the middle of the night, and get excited for several hour pre-dawn drive through blackness before you catch the ferry.
Pro tip: don’t let yourself get crabby about the lodging challenges of Key West (like I did), you’re about to be out in paradise
There’s no denying it, it’s not easy to get to The Dry Tortugas, but remember as you make the journey it’s all part of the adventure. The day I went, as we were heading back to shore I took a look around the main cabin of Yankee Freedom and saw everyone was either smiling or fast asleep. It’s hard to have a bad day out there if it’s sunny…
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Thank you for reading my National Park Adventure Guide to Dry Tortugas National Park. I hope you have a wonderful time exploring.
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