If you are looking for one of the best place to explore in Key West, Florida? Then, Key West’s Dry Tortugas National Park is our 1st suggestion to you, which covers nearly 110 square miles of land. This lovely park is perfect for you, where you’ll visit with anyone. Its limited accessibility makes it a more unique and amazing place to explore. This 100 square mile Dry Tortugas National Park is totally covered by open water with seven small islands. This park is known as the home of magnificent Fort Jefferson, charming blue waters, peerless coral reefs and marine life and is also known for bird watching. It is also famous as the largest all-masonry fort in America, which was constructed from 16 million bricks. Also, it is renowned as a Union prison during the Civil War.
In this, Dry Tortugas National Park travel guide, we give you every possible details that makes your trip comfortable and stress-free. This nation has so many things to explore, such as the historic Fort Jefferson, crystal-clear turquoise waters, vibrant coral reefs and many more. As like, we have plenty more to discuss that we surely discuss along this guide.
What Is Dry Tortugas National Park?
Dry Tortigas national park is a breathtaking national park, located approx 70 miles aways from west of Key West, Florida. It is well-known for its crystal clear water, pleasant environment, historic Fort Jefferson, Garden, loggerhead, and many more attractions. This park is open for everyone, whether you are a tourist or a local. Here, every visitor will become a witness of this park’s beauty where they enjoy nesting seabirds, five species of turtles and nurses. This National park is filled with amazing features and activities, and it is a primitive, eco-friendly destination. Whenever you visit this park, make sure there is no food, water and services, meaning visitors have to bring all necessary supplies according to their requirements. This place is totally surrounded by wildlife, islands, and marine life. These things make this place more special and memorable for visitors.
History of Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park has a rich and fascinating history that takes you back centuries. It is a well-known park that was first discovered by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in the 16th century. Spanish Juan Ponce de Leon gave this park its “Las Tortugas” name. The reason behind this name is its seven species of turtles and a large number of turtles. Also, the word “Dry” is added later to inform visitors that there is no fresh water to drink. In this park, in the 1800s, Fort Jefferson was constructed to protect the coastline and serve as a military stronghold. The letter on this fort played roles as a military base and prison before the area was eventually preserved for its historical and natural significance.
Top 3 Things to Do in Dry Tortugas National Park
This place offers various things to do in Dry Tortugas National Park, visitors can explore the amazing historical 19th century Fort Jefferson on Garden Key. Visitors can explore and experience water activities, live fishing, snorkeling and swamming, and they can bring their own boat to explore all iconic locations, for their better experience. Garden Key also offers an amazing opportunity of camping, you can explore an incredible experience of camping with star gazing, snorkeling, sunsets and so on. The important and highlighted information for first time visitors is that it’s a remote location , so you have to come with full preparation. Careful planning is essential for your visit to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Explore Fort Jefferson
At the heart of Dry Tortugas National Park stands a fort built around 1846, which is the largest masonry structure in the western hemisphere.This popular fort is not only famous for its iconic views but also for its important role in protecting the Gulf of Mexico. There you’ll see its key hotspots like the prison cell of Dr. Samuel Mudd and the bastions that were preserved with Union Civil War cannons and furnaces. It is a remote place and there are only two ways to access this destination, via boat or seaplane. This iconic place offers bird watching and an amazing panoramic ocean view from the top of its massive brick wall.
Key stunning activities
- Swimming: This place is completely surrounded by water, and popular activities include swimming at South and North Beaches and snorkeling along the fort’s brick wall to explore the marine life.
- Walking on the roof: It offers a 360 degree, panoramic view of the Gulf and surrounding reefs, all you have to do is a small hike to the top.
- Bird watching: Fort Jefferson is famous for its iconic bird watching, this place offers stunning bird species. This area is a perfect place for spotting various species
- Camping: Camping at this wonderful park makes you feel magical and it can be your best memory of this trip, where visitors can enjoy stargazing, swimming and other water activities. It allows visitors to camp overnight at garden key.
Experience Kayaking and Paddleboarding
When you explore Dry Tortugas National Park, make sure you don’t miss experiencing its thrilling kayaking and paddleboarding. It allows you to experience beautiful sunlight reflecting off the water with lovely marine life. Visitors can experience both quick paddles near Garden Keys and longer open water paddles. Paddlers can also explore seagrass beds, explore around Garden, bush and loggerhead keys including the opportunity to observe marine life. It offers stunning things to explore like, leading snorkeling, superior seclusion and a more amazing natural environment. Paddle round trip will take several hours to reach Loggerhead key, it will definitely provide an isolated experience, presenting a historic lighthouse, shipwrecks and fewer crowds.
Specific Activities
- Eco Touring: As we discussed above Dry Tortugas national park is a lovely park which offers many breathtaking activities. But its eco-touring may give your trip an extra boost because it allows you to experience a pleasant sea and coastal area where you can enjoy a variety of sea turtles, fish, and other marine animals.
- Kayaking around Fort Jefferson: Kayak around the historic 19th century fortress gives a memorable experience to visitors. Observing Fort while kayaking gives an opportunity to deeply examine the old iconic structure made up of 16 million bricks.
- Remote Snorkel Access: Visitors can explore more stunning remote snorkeling sites via kayaks, it allows you to access sites away from the Garden Keys. Through Kayaks you can explore Little Africa reef located in Loggerhead Key western shore including Windjammer Wreck known for its iron hulled shipwrecks deep inside the water around 20 feet near Loggerhead Key.
Bird Watching & Exploring Key Habitats
Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles west of Key West, is famous for birdwatching. It attracts over 300 species and serves as a major migratory hotspot and breeding ground. Bush Key and Garden Key these two key habits offer perfect viewing spots for migratory warblers and rare seabirds.
Birding & Exploration Activities
- Observing Sooty Tern nesting: Around 80,000 to 1,00,000 Sooty Tern built nests on Bush Key particularly in the months of February and September. It offers a stunning opportunity to observe noisy wildlife viewing opportunities.
- Migratory Passerine Watchin: The land areas of Garden Keys near Fort Jefferson offer warblers, vireos and hummingbirds during spring migration, often you can experience nearest views.
- Enjoying Beautiful Birds: Whether you are exploring Dry Tortugas national park solo or with family, you definitely need to add birds watching activity in your list. It is the most vibrant and pleasant activity that makes you feel calm, refreshed and helps to connect to nature.
Best Time to Visit at Dry Tortugas National Park?
The best time to visit this park is between November and April, cause at this time you can experience warm and pleasant weather. At this time, you feel cooler, drier and less humid weather that can make your tour more comfortable. This time period is also perfect for exploring historic Fort Jefferson, where you can take beautiful images. So make sure you always choose November to April to visit, but as a tour guide we believe there’s always a perfect time to explore any place you choose to go.
Conclusion
Dry Tortugas Park is a perfect place to explore and deeply observe nature, it offers amazing activities and memorable experiences. This place gives you a combined experience of camping with stargazing, water activities like swimming and kayaking, observing 300 species of birds and five species of turtles. One particular thing that makes this place an iconic destination is that it is totally surrounded by water so visitors can only access this place via a boat or a seaplane, it is a historic 19th century park, which built with 16 million bricks, known for its calm environment, and as this park is a totally remote place so visitors have to come with full preparation.