Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas National Park lies 70 miles west of Key West, Fl. The area encompasses a cluster of islands, shoals, coral reefs and the surrounding waters.

Ponce de Leon sailed the waters off the southwestern coast of Florida in 1513 and, noting an abundance of sea turtles, named them Las Tortugas (”the turtles”). They later became known as the Dry Tortugas, because of the lack of fresh water in the area.

The centerpiece of the Dry Tortugas National Park is Fort Jefferson, the largest brick and masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere and the biggest fort still standing from the 19th century. From the standpoint of natural history, the park is important to the region in that it protects seven coral islands — the Dry Tortugas, the most pristine and amazing coral reef in the continental United States.

The Dry Tortugas islands are a wonderland of warm and azure water, with white sandy beaches, and abundant coral reefs teeming with life. Snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and bird-watching are the main activities there.

Dry Tortugas National Park History

In December 1824 and early January 1825, five years after Spain sold Florida to the United States for $5 million, U.S. Navy Commodore David Porter inspected the Dry Tortugas islands. He was looking for a site for a naval station that could help suppress piracy in the Caribbean region. Unimpressed with what he saw, he notified the Secretary of the Navy that the Dry Tortugas were unfit for any kind of naval establishment. He reported that they consist of small sand islands a little above sea level, had no fresh water, barely enough land to place a fortification, and in any case are probably not solid enough to bear one.

While Commodore Porter thought the Dry Tortugas were unfit for a naval station, others in the U.S. government thought the islands were a good location for a lighthouse to guide ships around the area’s reefs and small islands. A small island called Bush Key, later called Garden Key, was selected as the site for the lighthouse, which became known as Garden Key Light. Construction began in 1825 and was completed in 1826. The 65-foot (20 m) lighthouse was constructed of brick with a whitewashed exterior. A small white cottage for the lighthouse keeper was constructed beside the lighthouse.

In May 1829, Commodore John Rodgers stopped at the Dry Tortugas to evaluate the anchorage. Contrary to Commodore Porter’s experience, Rogers was delighted with what he found. The Dry Tortugas, he reported, consisted of 11 small keys and surrounding reefs and banks, over which the sea broke. There was an outer and an inner harbor. The former afforded a safe anchorage at all seasons, and was large enough to let a large number of ships ride at anchor. Of more importance, the inner harbor combined a sufficient depth of water for ships-of-the-line, with a narrow entrance of not more than 120 yards (110 m). Rogers said that if a hostile power should occupy the Dry Tortugas, United States shipping in the Gulf would be in deadly peril, and “nothing but absolute naval superiority” could prevail. However, if occupied and fortified by the U.S., the Dry Tortugas would constitute the “advance post” for a defense of the Gulf Coast.

A series of engineering studies and bureaucratic delays consumed the next 17 years, but the construction of Fort Jefferson (named after the third President, Thomas Jefferson) was finally begun on Garden Key in 1846. The new fort would be built so that the existing Garden Key lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper’s cottage would be contained within the walls of the fort. The lighthouse would continue to serve a vital function in guiding ships through the waters of the Dry Tortugas Islands until the current metal light tower was installed atop an adjacent wall of the fort in 1876. The original brick lighthouse tower was taken down in 1877.

Dry Tortugas National Park Operating Hours

The park is open year round.

Ft. Jefferson on Garden Key is open during daylight hours; closed at dark.

Loggerhead, East and Middle Keys are open year-round during daylight hours.

Bush Key is closed to visitors February through September to protect nesting Sooty and Noddy Terns.

Hospital and Long Keys are closed all year.

Dry Tortugas National Park Fees

Entrance Fee – The entrance fee for the park is $5.00 for visitors 17 and older. The pass is valid for 7 days. Currently, Sunny Days Catamarans and Yankee Freedom are collecting the fee from their passengers. National Parks Pass, Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access Passports honored.

Camping – The campground is a self-service fee area with a nightly fee of $3 per person. A 50% discount applies to holders of the Golden Age or Golden Access Pass. No other discounts apply. Fees paid for transportation (seaplane or ferry) do not include camping fees.