Park Overview
Dry Tortugas was designated as a National Monument in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1983 the monument was expanded and designated a National Park in 1992 by Congress.
The island was discovered by European settler Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Upon his landing, he caught over 160 sea turtles, thus prompting the name Tortugas, which is Spanish for turtles. Dry comes from the fact that there was no fresh water on the island.
The United States gained ownership of Florida from Spain in 1822. Construction of the fort (Fort Jefferson) began in 1847 to help protect the US from ships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. Fort Jefferson is the largest fort in the Western Hemisphere, although it was never fully completed. It never ended up being used, except as a prison during the Civil War.
Getting to Dry Tortugas and the cost
Less than 100,000 people visit Dry Tortugas each year and mostly for one reason: it is hard to get to. You have 3 options if you want to see this park. None of them are cheap and all of them require booking 6-12 months in advance.
1) Private charter boat
2) Sea plane
3) Yankee Freedom Ferry out of Key West
Private Charter
Unless you know someone in Florida with their own boat that’s willing to take you for free, you will have to pay for a ride out to Dry Tortugas on a private charter. This will cost thousands of dollars. Key West Charter Boat offers trips to Dry Tortugas and a variety of other trips like lobstering and sunset cruises. Please note that this is not the same as the Yankee Freedom. This would be for a private trip.
Sea Plane
Sea Plane Adventures works with the National Park Service as a concessionaire. They run half and full day trips out of Key West to Dry Tortugas. Exact rates are on their website, but for adults it costs roughly $360 for a half day (2.5 hours on the island) and $630 for a full day (6.5 hours on the island). Children under 12 cost a little less.
Yankee Freedom
The most economical way to get to Dry Tortugas is by the Yankee Freedom, which also works as a concessionaire with the National Park Service. The ferry only does one trip out each day. It departs at 8am and returns at 5:30pm. It is approximately a 2.5 hour ride, which leaves you with about 4 hours to explore the island.
Even though this is the cheapest way, it still isn’t cheap. Adults are $190 each, children 4-16 are $135, and students (17+), active military, and seniors are $180. So a family of 4 is looking at $650 for a day trip. If you have an America the Beautiful pass, they will refund you the $15 park entrance fee on the day of the trip.
It should also be noted that the sea plan does not allow camping equipment. So if you plan to camp, you must ride the Yankee Freedom.
When is the best time to go?
I think there are pros and cons to any month. Weatherspark.com is a great resource to help you determine what is best for the type of trip you want. It breaks down when to visit the park based on different factors like water temperature, air temperature, precipitation, etc., so you can decide for yourself.
I chose late June for my trip because I teach and wanted to wait until school was out. Hurricane season technically runs from June-November, so I figured the odds of a tropical storm weren’t as high in June. I don’t mind the heat and humidity, but assumed June would be better than July or August.
Besides not being able to go during the school year, I wouldn’t want to. Even though the air temperature might be more tolerable in the winter, the water temperature will be lower. Additionally, the water tends to be cloudier and more choppy. After my trip several people told me they were jealous I got to kayak to Loggerhead because they went during months that conditions weren’t favorable for kayaking.
Day trips to Dry Tortugas
This information is based upon the trip provided by Yankee Freedom, since that is the only mode of transportation I am familiar with.
Itinerary
The Yankee Freedom departs from the ferry dock in Key West each morning at 8am. Day trippers will check in at 7:00. You are free to move about the boat after it leaves. The ferry docks on Dry Tortugas between 10:30-10:45. From there, you are free to explore the island until it leaves again at 2:45.
What’s provided?
Food – Each passenger is provided with breakfast and lunch. Initially, breakfast is a bagel and cream cheese. Once the staff gets situated, they offer yogurt, fruit cups, and orange juice free of charge. Lunch is available from 11am-1pm and is a ham or turkey sub from Jimmy Johns, chips, cookies, and drink. You can take it to eat on the beach or sit on the air-conditioned boat. They do ask about dietary restrictions and kid options upon boarding. At 1:30 they begin to offer alcoholic beverages and other food items for purchase.
Snorkeling gear – The ferry offers free snorkeling gear, though you are welcome to bring your own. I thought what they provided was great. I have no need for snorkel gear in Maryland, so I didn’t care to purchase my own beforehand.
What to do with your 4 hours on the island
Four hours on the island is okay. I recommend camping if you truly want to experience what Dry Tortugas has to offer; however, I know that is not an option for a lot of people. You can still have a good time in 4 hours.
Guided Tour – Yankee Freedom workers provide a 45 minute tour of the fort every day at 11am. I camped for 3 nights and saved the tour for my last day. It was interesting and I learned a lot! Some of the information is on the signs throughout the fort, but the workers add stories and other insight.
Explore the fort – Walking and exploring the fort on your own is a great option because the guided tour will only take you through a small portion. I would take a little more time to explore the 2nd level (look out for the stalagmites!) and walk around the very top of the fort. You get amazing views from up there!
Go to the beach – Swimming and snorkeling are obviously very popular activities. The water is the most perfect shade of blue. I suggest snorkeling along the moat walls for the best chance to see fish.
Camping on Dry Tortugas
This will be a lot of information to consume. I suggest reading through it twice and learning from other resources like the Dry Tortugas Camping Facebook page, and the Yankee Freedom Camping page.
How do I camp on Dry Tortugas?
The only way you can camp on the island is if you come on the Yankee Freedom or a private boat. Boaters may choose to anchor (within 1 nautical mile of the Garden Key lighthouse) and sleep on their boat, or bring gear onto the island. Either way they must check in with a Park Ranger and fill out a boat permit.
How long can I camp?
If you come on the Yankee Freedom you can camp for a maximum of 3 nights. If you come on a private boat you may camp up to 14 days. Camping on the island costs an additional $15 per night (cash only), paid to the park service upon arrival.
What do I bring?
The Yankee Freedom has specific rules on what you can bring camping. Each camper is allowed 1 storage container (up to 27 gallons), 1 cooler, and 1 other bag (backpack, duffel bag, etc). They also allow loose items like a camping chair and umbrella. They ask you to bungee your loose items to the container but I didn’t have bungee cords and they didn’t say anything. The weight of your gear is not to exceed 60lbs, although that is not strictly enforced either.
You are responsible for all your food and water for the duration of your trip. It is recommended you bring 1 gallon of water per person per day with you. Make sure to get ice before you leave, but you can buy ice from the ferry while you’re there for $7 a bag. If you go in the summer months you will likely need to buy ice every day.
Is there anything I can’t bring?
You may not bring:
Lighter fluid
Compressed gas (propane)
Weapons (guns, axes, machetes, or knives longer than 2.4 inches)
Fireworks
Any cooking must be done over charcoal (self-starting recommended) and lit with matches or a lighter.
Review this page for specific information given by the Yankee Freedom.
Can I rent camping equipment in Key West?
If you’re flying down, odds are you won’t be able to bring absolutely everything you need to camp. You could check everything as luggage but that sounds like a hassle and expensive if you ask me. I recommend renting camping equipment in Key West. There are a few companies you can use, but these are the only two I researched for my trip:
1) Tracy’s Traveling Kayaks
2) Camping Florida Keys
Even though Tracy’s Traveling Kayaks focuses mainly on kayaks, she does offer camping and beach equipment. I flew down my backpacking tent, mattress pad, and smaller gear pieces. I only rented a few things from her and she bundled it with my kayak so I’m not sure on her prices.
Camping Florida Keys offers a 3 night camping package for $250. I’m not sure if they do a la carte, but you can add on extras to the package. Tracy will bring everything to you the morning you leave and come pick it up the day you get back. Camping Florida Keys requires you to pick up and return the equipment at certain locations.
Where can I set up my campsite?
There are approximately 10 designated campsites on the island. These campsites are nestled inside the trees and are more defined. If all of those campsites are claimed when you arrive, you will have to go into the overflow area. The overflow area has picnic tables scattered around and a few grills positioned back closest to the fort. Even though this is a group area, it’s still easy to mark out a spot as your “campsite.”
I chose to camp in the overflow area. I went at the end of June and it was hot; the breeze is much better here. If you are back in the trees, the trees and other tents will block the breeze and it can get really hot!
Kayaking on Dry Tortugas
Kayaking in Dry Tortugas was a must for me. I knew I wanted an activity to do in addition to snorkeling, and specifically I wanted to go to Loggerhead, which you can only get to by paddling/boat.
If you want to bring a kayak you must reserve a kayak spot on the ferry, which costs an additional $25. However, there are only 3 kayak spots per day on the ferry, which makes it harder to book dates. If you plan to kayak, I would book your spot on the Yankee Freedom at least a year in advance.
Obviously it is ideal if you are able to bring your own kayak. If you aren’t, I highly recommend renting one from Tracy’s Traveling Kayaks. She meets you at the ferry the morning you depart and gives the kayak directly to the crew. You do no handling of the kayak except while on the island. She’s also a fantastic human, who has helped her customers out in extreme emergencies (including myself).
Cost: It cost $180 to rent my single kayak for the duration of my trip. This includes the life vest, paddle, dive flag, extra ropes and an anchor, a radio for safety purposes, and first aid kid.
What encompasses Dry Tortugas?
There are 4 main parts of Dry Tortugas: Garden Key, Bush Key, Long Key, and Loggerhead Key.
Garden Key is the main part of the park and is home to the park headquarters and Fort Jefferson. You can swim and snorkel on the two designated beaches.
Bush Key is closed from February to September for bird nesting season. The National Park website says that over 80,000 birds inhabit the island! It’s really crazy to see and hear all of those birds. Depending on water levels, Long Key is sometimes connected to Bush Key. Visitors were also not allowed on Long Key during my trip due to the birds.
Loggerhead Key can only be reached by kayaking 3 miles, each way, or by a private boat. Most people like to visit this island so they can snorkel in Little Africa. I was fortunate enough to get to Loggerhead and the snorkeling was amazing. It was way better than on Garden Key in my opinion! You can not camp overnight on this island.
Know before you go
In my opinion, a day trip will not do this park justice. Camping really makes the trip more complicated and intricate to plan, but I really encourage you to try and make it work. I camped the maximum of 3 nights and still could have enjoyed more time on the island. It was nice to have all 3 nights because the sunset and sunrise was not always favorable.
Also, once the ferry leaves with the day trippers, you are only on the island with the other campers (and maybe a sea plane or two). You have the entire rest of the day to enjoy the fort and the beaches without the crowds. It is also so fun to hang out with the other campers. Some of the best times to capture pictures are during hours the ferry isn’t there.
Lastly, if you do camp – bring a kayak! It really lets you see more of the park. Even though I couldn’t walk on Bush or Long Key, I was able to kayak around them and get pretty close.
Last updated: July 17, 2022
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