While we were in Key West recently, we decided to spend our Saturday at Dry Tortugas National Park. Fair warning, if you decide to make that trip that it will be a full day. There are only 3 ways to get to the park since it is located 70 miles off the coast of Key West; the Yankee Freedom Ferry, a Seaplane or your own boat.
The Ferry Ride
Ferry ride was our choice since it is the cheapest route. For $190 per person, you can take the 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to the island. Included in your ticket is a bagel breakfast, a boxed lunch and snorkel gear to use if you choose to. We decided to use our own snorkel gear since that was the main reason that we were making this trip.
Check in at the Key West Ferry Terminal starts at 7am, so the day definitely starts early, especially for vacation. The ferry staff is very welcoming and explains how the boarding process will go and what to expect out of your day. While they do provide a light breakfast and boxed lunch, there are also additional food and drink options available for purchase on board the ferry; coffee, yogurt, chips and alcohol, etc.
One of the nice things about the ferry ride is that you can sit inside or outside. We chose to sit outside on our way to the park, so we could take in the beauty of the ocean and the islands you pass on the way.
The Park & Fort Jefferson
Once the ferry docks at the park, the next 4 hours are yours. The crew does offer a 45 minute tour of Fort Jefferson, if you are interested. Since we were there mostly for the snorkeling, we decided against that and headed straight to the South Swim Beach to claim some of the minimum space in the shade.
I really enjoyed the snorkeling at the South Coaling Dock Ruins. I was able to see my first squid there and to say it freaked me out would be an understatement. Zach enjoyed swimming a little further out so he could see bigger fish. But if you have never been able to swim with bright colored tropical fish before any of the snorkeling areas there will amaze you.
We snorkeled for almost 2 hours and then took a break to get lunch from the ferry. When we travel, we always pack snacks and water since we learned early on that we both get hangry pretty easy and it’s nice to have something as a backup. The lunch provided was a sub, chips, cookie and a drink and was substantial enough to keep us fueled up for the rest of the afternoon.
After lunch we took a short walk around part of Fort Jefferson and once you get inside it is even more intimidating that it is from the outside. My favorite way to see the fort was actually from the water. You can swim around a large part of Fort Jefferson and seeing the brick structure under the water is really cool.
The Ride Back
For the ferry ride back we decided to sit inside so we could take advantage of the air conditioning and cool off from 4 hours in the sun. They do have showers at the back of the ferry to rinse off, so that is nice to help you feel a little refreshed after being in salt water and covered in sunscreen all day. The ride back also meant that the bar was open. They had a pretty good selection of beverages available for purchase, including your typical frozen island drinks.
Most people seem to take this time to snooze a bit before you get back to Key West, which we tried as well, but I failed at miserably. I’m never good at attempting to sleep sitting up, too many head bobbles. You make it back to Key West around 5:30pm. Near the ferry terminal are quite a few restaurants, so we decided to eat when we got back and then head on to our hotel to relax for the rest of the evening.
Overall Experience
Overall I would highly suggest visiting Dry Tortugas National Park, especially if you have never snorkeled at a reef. We really enjoyed the whole experience. I had never seen a seaplane land and take off in person before, so that was neat to see. We also had a Below Deck moment and got see some people with a big yacht get brought to the shore on a dingy for a picnic set up on the beach.
Camping
If primitive camping is your thing, they also offer camping at the park. They only allow 10 people per day, so you would have to make a reservation pretty far out. Also keep in mind that there is very little shade on the island, so I would plan on camping there in the winter months.
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