During our travels, we have made it a point to visit any national parks in the area. We even have a scratch-off map that lists all 63 of them. So far, we have been to 25 of the parks and have seen glorious mountains, majestic animals, and amazing lakes and rivers. But I will have to say that our trip to see Dry Tortugas National Park has been the most unique so far. This national park is located 70 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida … in the middle of the ocean!
So, I guess you have figured out that we couldn’t drive the RV (or a car for that matter) to this park. There are only two ways to get to Dry Tortugas – you can go by boat or by seaplane from Key West. Not being a big fan of the high-seas, I did not want to spend 2 ½ hours each way on a ferry boat. We decided on the seaplane route with Key West Seaplane Adventures. It was a little more expensive, but the advantage is the short 40-minute trip each way. They offer half-day and whole-day excursion options.
Getting There:
We were so happy that my sister Kelli and brother-in-law Tim could join us for this amazing trip. We arrived at the Key West airport 30 minutes early to sign waivers and get our supplies. The company supplies a cooler, ice, and drinks for each group to take along as well as snorkeling equipment. The Dry Tortugas is a remote location and there are very limited services there– no cell phone coverage or internet, no food or water, and no trash cans. So, you must bring everything you need with you and pack out all trash to protect this vulnerable wildlife area.
We watched a short video and then walked out to the plane. Each of their 2 planes seat 10 passengers and make the trip back and forth 4 times a day. The planes are amphibious seaplanes which means they have wheels and floats. In Key West they take off and land on the runway just like any other airplanes. Once airborne, the wheels retract into the floats, and they become a seaplane.
We rolled down the runway right on time and the flight over was very smooth. On the plane everyone gets a window seat and a headset to hear the well-narrated trip information. We cruised at 500 feet over the crystal-clear waters, allowing us to spot various islands, a shipwreck, sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles below. Yes, the animals are large enough to see as you fly over them … if you keep a sharp eye out and timing is good!
Dry Tortugas National Park is actually made up of 100 square miles of mostly open water with a cluster of seven small islands scattered inside it. The area was originally discovered by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in 1513. He called it Las Tortugas (which means turtles in Spanish) because of all the magnificent sea turtles that he saw in the surrounding waters. The name was later changed to Dry Tortugas on sailing charts to warn mariners that the islands had no fresh water and were thus “dry.”
At Dry Tortugas there is no airport or runway so the seaplanes land and take off on the ocean. Once you land the airplane taxis directly onto the beach so you can disembark. You don’t have to swim or wade ashore. The pilot makes sure you know the exact time to be back for departure as there are no extra seats on any flights and you can’t stay overnight.
Once on the island your time is your own to see Fort Jefferson, explore the island, snorkel, enjoy beach time, or do some bird watching. We had 2.5 hours to explore since we took the ½ day tour.
Fort Jefferson:
Garden Key is the centerpiece of the cluster of islands that make up Dry Tortugas and is home to majestic Fort Jefferson. We started off at the small visitor center to get my park passport book stamped. Then we took a self-guided tour of the fort, which still looks much the way it was when soldiers lived and worked there in the mid to late 1800s. Composed of 16 million bricks, it is the largest brick structure in America but sadly was never finished despite 30 years of work. The building process took so long in part because all of the bricks and supplies had to be delivered by boat … not to mention disease and the Civil War!
To enter the fort, you cross a huge drawbridge over the 70-foot moat, which served to protect the fort from invaders. You can walk along the top of the six-sided structure and see the gun towers on each of the corners and three levels of artillery placements. Its original purpose was to control navigation and protect ship traffic in the Gulf of Mexico.
During the Civil War, Fort Jefferson was mainly used as a prison for Union deserters. Its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd who was convicted for conspiracy and harboring John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Lincoln. By the late 1800s the fort transitioned to a Navy refueling station until it was abandoned in 1916.
Snorkeling:
Next we spent some time snorkeling in the turquoise waters surrounding the fort. The crystal-clear water holds abundant coral reefs that provide a haven for more than 400 species of fish. We saw many varieties of colorful coral and tons of different fish. The area’s protected waters make up 99% of the park and are teeming with bird and marine life. Those turtles that Ponce de Leon saw are still found here. In fact, the Dry Tortugas area is the biggest nesting site for the Green and Loggerhead turtles in all of the Florida Keys. Bird lovers will be happy to know that over 300 species have been spotted in the area.
Before we knew it, our time in this beautiful place was about up. We got our drinks and snacks and took a quick break at picnic tables on the grounds. Then we made our way to the seaplane for the short flight back to Key West. We loved exploring Fort Jefferson and learning its interesting history. Snorkeling in the beautiful turquoise water and seeing the fascinating coral and sea life was amazing. To top it all off, the ride in the seaplane was a cool experience and gave us awesome views as we flew across the ocean. Visiting a national park is always a great experience, but the remote beauty of Dry Tortugas National Park was one-of-a-kind!
Did you miss the first 3 Florida Bucket List posts? No problem, you can read them by clicking on the links below!
Hi Robin,
It’s such a joy to read and see the photos of your travels.
Lots of history you shared in this bucket list that I was not aware of.
Thank you David & Carol– We think it’s fun to learn about new places and the history is usually very interesting. We didn’t even know about Dry Tortugas a year ago, so we really learned a lot on this trip!
That last photo of the beach should be framed and on a wall. What a gorgeous shot!
We got to take a float plane several years ago off Washington state and it was so. much. fun. Definitely worth spending the extra dollars to have that kind of an awesome adventure.
Thanks Laura. Everything on the island was so beautiful it was easy to take good photos! We did enjoy the float plane and it was nice to get there so much faster than on the ferry. Hope your transition is going well and look forward to hearing your updates.
How cool was that to take that seaplane ride? Oh my goodness and to share it with Kelli and Tim was so special. I miss you and Kelly both. That fort reminds me of Fort Monroe in a way but without all that beautiful water. I have snorkeled off the waters of Key West years ago and your pictures remind me of that. Such a fun and visually stunning experience. Another great adventure, thanks for sharing 🙂
We were so happy Kelli and Tim could join us in Key West– we had a lot of fun together. It was very interesting learning about Fort Jefferson. Even though it is the largest brick masonry structure, only two forts are larger in area: Fort Monroe and Fort Adams! The turquoise waters were definitely so beautiful there.