Dry Tortugas National Park

So far Dry Tortugas National Park has been the hardest to get to. It requires a guide, personal boat or riding the ferry. There’s a limited amount of tickets available for the ferry each day. I didn’t know that i was going to be able to make it. With no ticket in had we walked over from our hotel to hopefully take a no shows spot….there were 5 spots that opened up that day and I was able to grab one of those slots. It’s a 4 hour one way trip from Key West to ride the 70 miles to Ft. Jefferson, which is the main island that’s accessible for the park. It’s an old civil war fort in the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN. The park spans around 100sq miles that’s mostly water with only 7 small islands. It protects the marine life that lives at the tip of the continent.

We had a few hours to explore after the boat docked and I took my time walking around the old fort, checking out the massive walls, cannon fortifications and the inner depths of what so many people lived in such isolation for so many years as they lived, worked and were imprisoned at the fort. There’s tons of marine life surrounding Fort Jefferson and lots of snorkeling opportunities around the ruins from the islands once use as a refueling stopover for ships.

I’m not really a tropical fan usually. I’m always drawn to the mountains and cold more often but the isolation and uniqueness of Dry Tortugas really drew me in. If you’re in Key West, plan ahead and book your ticket go. It’s well worth the journey.

A late afternoon walk around Key West. The lushness, the history and the architecture like this is really only seen here.