Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida Est. 1992

Dry Tortugas National Park

Ocean Island
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1992
Size
64,701 acres
Visitors / yr
84K
Entrance
$15
Best season
February through May
Nearest airport
EYW Key West International
Park Closure: Sections of moat wall closed until Winter 2026 +4 more Wildfire Tracker
01

Why Dry Tortugas is worth the trip

Florida · Established 1992

Seventy miles past Key West, out where the Gulf turns a color that looks backlit, a 19th-century fortress rises straight from the sea. Fort Jefferson is the largest masonry structure in the Americas, roughly 16 million bricks of unfinished Civil War-era ambition, and it once held Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician imprisoned for setting John Wilkes Booth's broken leg. You reach it by ferry or seaplane, and by no other means.

The snorkeling starts where the moat wall ends. Coral heads, tropical fish, and water clear enough to count your toes from the ramparts. Day-trippers get a few hours on the island. If you can land one of the handful of primitive campsites, stay over. After the last ferry leaves, a fortress, an ocean, and a sky full of stars belong to the campers.

02

Top things to do in Dry Tortugas

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Dry Tortugas National Park
Start here

13 Things to Do in Dry Tortugas National Park

Read the guide
01 Viewing Wildlife in Dry Tortugas Wildlife Watching · nps.gov Viewing Wildlife in Dry Tortugas Viewing wildlife in Dry Tortugas 02 Fishing at Dry Tortugas National Park Fishing · nps.gov Fishing at Dry Tortugas National Park Fishing at Dry Tortugas 03 Paddle to Loggerhead Key Paddling · nps.gov Paddle to Loggerhead Key Paddle to Loggerhead Key 04 Snorkel Little Africa Snorkeling · nps.gov Snorkel Little Africa Snorkel Little Africa
Before you go

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03

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Dry Tortugas.

Things to Do Fun Facts

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Key West, FLGateway town
  • Garden Key Campground 8 sites
Compare stays near Dry Tortugas

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Dry Tortugas field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Water Shoes
    Quick-drying grip for shorelines, slot canyons, and river crossings. View on REI
  • Dry Bag
    Keep your phone, camera, and spare clothes dry near water. View on REI
  • Sun Hat
    Full-brim coverage for exposed trails with zero shade. View on REI
  • Binoculars
    Spot wildlife from a safe distance without disturbing them. View on REI

Getting there

  • EYW Key West International 70 mi
  • MIA Miami International 230 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Dry Tortugas map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
04

When to go

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Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
75°
65°
Moderate
Open
Feb Best
76°
65°
Moderate
Open
Mar Best
79°
69°
Heavy
Open
Apr Best
82°
72°
Heavy
Open
May Best
86°
76°
Heavy
Open
Jun
89°
79°
Heavy
Open
Jul
91°
80°
Moderate
Open
Aug
91°
80°
Moderate
Open
Sep
89°
79°
Moderate
Open
Oct
85°
76°
Light
Open
Nov
80°
71°
Moderate
Open
Dec
76°
67°
Moderate
Open
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
05

More Dry Tortugas guides

06

Parks near Dry Tortugas

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Everglades National Park
Florida

Everglades

132 miles away
Biscayne National Park
Florida

Biscayne

177 miles away
Congaree National Park
South Carolina

Congaree

646 miles away
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains

760 miles away

Worth protecting

Dry Tortugas belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for Florida

Threatened Lands Map

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