The Dry Tortugas National Park & Fort Jefferson

“Not all classrooms have four walls.” -Unknown

If you want a fantastic, must-do activity when visiting Key West, Florida, visiting The Dry Tortugas National Park is it! 

The Dry Tortugas National Park is an archipelago of seven coral reef islands located 70 miles west of Key West. As one of the most inaccessible National Parks and the least visited National Park in the United States, Dry Tortugas is accessible only by seaplane or boat.  The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, delicate coral reefs, shipwrecks, sunken treasures, and the massive Fort Jefferson. 

The first European to see the Dry Tortugas was Juan Ponce de Leon, who visited in 1513. During his visit, Ponce de Leon caught 160 sea turtles and subsequently referred to the islands as “Tortugas,” or turtles. The “dry” title of the islands refers to the absence of fresh water. “Dry Tortugas” is the second oldest surviving European place in the U.S.

Fort Jefferson

Covering 16 acres, Fort Jefferson is the centerpiece of the Dry Tortugas National Park. Six-sided and comprised of more than 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. Construction took place between 1846 and 1889 but was never completed due to settling that fell twelve inches, causing serious structural damage. The fort’s remote location, extreme summer heat, disease, hurricanes, and lack of fresh water all contributed to the fort’s unfinished state and despite the fort’s eight-foot thick walls, technological advances in Naval warship designs and ship-borne artillery advanced beyond the defensive capabilities of Fort Jefferson’s architecture and ultimately contributed to its redundancy.

The fort is encircled by a 70-foot wide mote that functioned as a barrier against attacks but it also protected the fort from waves and storm surges, serving as a breakwater.  

The fort functioned as a military fortress and was initially used to protect vital shipping channels. It was designed to hold enough men, supplies, and artillery to withstand a year-long naval siege. It was also designed to be outfitted with over 400 guns, 125 of which could fire on a target miles out at sea, at any one time, making an attack on the fort a foolish endeavor. Since the fort was never completed, many of the casemates designed to hold these guns were never used for their intended purpose. Instead, many on the second floor were used to house soldiers and prisoners. Intimidating in its size alone, the fort served only as a deterrent and the guns that were put in place were never fired. The fort was later used for other purposes, most notably a prison where Samuel Mudd, Edman Spangler, Samuel Arnold, and Michael O’Laughlen were famously imprisoned, all of whom had been convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The fort was later used as a coaling station and naval seaplane facility. 

Today, the harbor around the Dry Tortugas is well known to be a safe anchorage for ships during storms.  

In January 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated the fort as a National Monument, and in 1970, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1992, The Dry Tortugas was established as a National Park. 

Getting to the Dry Tortugas

Today, visitors to the Dry Tortugas have three methods available for getting to this remote National Park; seaplane, ferry, or private boat.  

The ferry, Yankee Freedom, takes visitors on a two-hour boat ride each way over the open ocean. Arriving around 10 AM, visitors will have nearly 5 hours at the fort. Timing for the trip is very structured so there is an early morning check-in, short orientation for the trip, and boarding of the ferry. As part of your fees for the trip, a lite breakfast, and lunch is served. Yankee Freedom also provides a full bar, additional food for purchase, and restrooms for use while on the island. For more details and to plan a trip, visit http://www.drytortugas.com. The entrance fee to the National Park Service is also included in the fees for the ferry.

The seaplane offers morning, afternoon, or full-day tours.  The flight time to the park is 40 minutes each way with two and a half hours of time at Fort Jefferson.  A full-day tour allows six and a half hours at Fort Jefferson.  For details and to plan your trip, visit http://www.keywestseaplanecharters.com. 

Regardless of the method of transportation you choose, both websites are thorough and helpful in planning your trip.

What to do at the Dry Tortugas

If you are a history buff, Fort Jefferson is living history and your ferry guide will weave memorable stories that bring the fort alive.  National Park Rangers live at Fort Jefferson in shifts and they are happy to answer questions.  There is also a self-guided tour that is provided by the National Park Service but be sure to download it to your phone before your trip.  There is NO CELL SERVICE at Fort Jefferson.  

If you are less than enthused about the history of Fort Jefferson, the aquamarine water around it is alluring enough on its own!  The waters around the fort are full of life so snorkeling and diving are popular with visitors.  Both the Yankee Freedom and the Seaplane tours offer snorkeling equipment if needed. 

The island also offers kayaks, bird watching, swimming, and tent camping. If you are interested in spending the night in this remote location, be aware that camping reservations are very much in demand and are currently the waitlist is at least one year out.

Tips for visiting the Dry Tortugas

The last time we visited Key West, we decided to see if we could get tickets to visit The Dry Tortugas by ferry but we didn’t try until we had arrived in Key West, finding tickets sold out for our entire visit. We could’ve attempted to board the ferry on the day we wanted to go and try to catch cancelations but instead, we had a reason to visit Key West again (like I need a formal reason to return)! So, my #1 piece of advice would be to plan your trip to the Dry Tortugas early and book your tickets when you book your trip to Key West. This might be the least visited National Park but trips to the park are limited and so are the number of seats. Don’t wait until you are in Key West to try to get a ticket. You might be able to snag a last-minute trip if there is a waitlist but if this is the centerpiece of your trip to the Keys, plan early.

When you get your tickets be sure to read and re-read the tips provided by Yankee Freedom or the Seaplane. Understand that this is a remote location so you will need to understand what is provided for your trip and what you should be prepared to take with you.

Take your camera!  This place is rugged but very beautiful and you will want to snap some photos.  However, the National Park Service does not allow drones so if you were hoping to fly your drone, and this is a great spot to do it, know that all drones will be confiscated and a fine will follow.  

*Some historical references provided by the NPS self-guided tour materials provided by Yankee Freedom and the National Park Service.