7 Key Things to Know Before Visiting Dry Tortugas

70 miles off the coast of Florida, deep in the Gulf of Mexico, is a cluster of remote islands. On these Dry Tortugas National Park keys, you can snorkel with sting rays and jellyfish, swim in turquoise water, paddle through choppy ocean waves, and camp under the stars. It’s time to plan your trip to one of the most remote and least visited National Parks in the USA!

fort jefferson at dry tortugas national park

Before visiting Dry Tortugas National Park, there are some things you should know. From island closures and hurricanes to reservations and transportation options, here are seven key things to know before visiting Dry Tortugas National Park.

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DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK AT A GLANCE

Before diving in, here are a few highlights for planning a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park.

Getting There: The closest major airport to Dry Tortugas is Miami International Airport. Find affordable flights here.
Entrance Fee: $15/person or FREE with an America the Beautiful Pass
Where to Stay: Camp in the park or stay right outside the park in the town of Key West.
How to Get Around: To get there, take a ferry or seaplane. Once you’re there, you’ll just walk around the island.
Best Time to Visit: December – May (Read my January guide here)
How Long to Visit: 1 day

Table of Contents

7 Key Things to Know Before Visiting Dry Tortugas

1. Bush Key is closed from February through September every year.

Bush Key, an island typically attached to Garden Key by a land bridge, is only open to the public from October through January. Since rare birds breed from February through September each year, the NPS closes the island to all visitors during those months.

So that’s why the best time to visit Dry Tortugas is during this short window – October through January!

2. Hurricane season is from June 1 through November 30.

Atlantic hurricane season is usually from June through November, so ferry and seaplane travel is frequently postponed during these months.

If you’re traveling to Dry Tortugas during this time of year, keep an eye on the weather and prepare to alter your plans if needed.

3. Camping and transportation reservations need to be made early.

fort jefferson moat at dry tortugas national park

Ferry and seaplane reservations tend to book up quickly. I recommend booking your tickets several weeks, or even several months, ahead of your trip date. For reference, we booked our ferry tickets in September for our January trip; the tickets were almost gone when we bought them.

And if you’re hoping to be one of the few lucky campers who get to camp on the island, you’ll need to make your reservations six months before your trip.

4. The only ways to get to Dry Tortugas are by boat or seaplane.

Private boats (permit required!) and charters are welcome on Dry Tortugas, but the two most popular options for getting to Dry Tortugas are the ferry and the seaplane.

The ferry is the cheapest way to get to Dry Tortugas, but it is slower than the seaplane.

To get to Dry Tortugas by ferry, book reservations with Yankee Freedom Dry Tortugas Ferry. Regular adult tickets cost $235 + National Park fee (or park pass). You’ll pay a little bit more to camp and/or bring a kayak. Sea travel time is 2.5 hours each way.

Breakfast, lunch, drinks, and snorkel equipment are provided with each ticket.

The seaplane is the fastest way to get to Dry Tortugas, but it is more expensive than the ferry.

To get to Dry Tortugas by seaplane, book reservations with Key West Seaplane Adventures. Expect to pay $507 for the half-day trip and $890 for the full-day trip. Flight time is 40 minutes each way.

Drinks and snorkel gear are provided with each ticket but snacks/lunches are not.

Need help deciding whether you should take the seaplane or ferry to Dry Tortugas? Check out my full comparison guide!

5. There are no hotels or lodges on Dry Tortugas.

There are no lodges or hotels on any of the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park, so unless you snag one of the 10 campsites on Garden Key, you’ll have to stay in Key West.

Beware: Campgrounds and hotels in Key West are extremely pricey! We stayed at Boyd’s Campground, and the tent sites cost $100/night in January.

If you want to stay in a hotel in Key West, here are my recommendations for a range of budgets:

Havana Cabana Key West – budget
Margaritaville Beach House Key West – mid-range
Parrot Key Hotel & Villas – luxury

6. There is no food on the islands.

Food is not available on Dry Tortugas. If you’re taking the ferry, breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided. If you’re taking the seaplane, you will need to pack your own lunch and/or snacks.

There are plenty of spots to eat lunch on the island: on the ferry or at the picnic tables on the beach. You could also bring a towel and enjoy your snack/lunch on the beach or the lawn – this is what we did!

7. There are seven islands on Dry Tortugas, but not all are open.

Dry Tortugas National Park is mostly open water (99% water, to be exact!), but there are seven islands. Two are always open (weather permitting), one is open seasonally, and all others are always closed.

Garden – always open, weather permitting
Loggerhead – always open, weather permitting
Bush – open October through January
Long – always closed to the public
East – always closed to the public
Hospital – always closed to the public
Middle – always closed to the public

Garden Key is the main island of Dry Tortugas. This is the key that Fort Jefferson and its surrounding moat sits on. This key also has boat docks, a hiking trail, picnic tables, beaches, a visitor center, and a campground. Garden Key is the only island where camping is allowed – designated sites only.

Loggerhead Key is the largest island of Dry Tortugas and requires a 3-mile open water paddle from Garden Key. It has shipwrecks, a lighthouse, and an abundance of loggerhead sea turtles.

Bush Key is a sanctuary for rare birds. This seasonal island closes for breeding season – from February to September. Also, a narrow land bridge separates Bush and Garden Keys. When this land bridge gets destroyed by a storm, a channel will form between the two islands, and a boat (kayak, canoe) will be required to get from one to the other.

Long Key is sometimes connected to Bush Key by a natural sandbar but is always closed to the public for nesting wildlife.

East Key is the smallest island of Dry Tortugas and is always closed to the public.

Hospital Key is always closed to the public for nesting wildlife.

Middle Key is always closed to the public for nesting wildlife.