Dry Tortugas National Park
Planning Your Visit
Planning your Visit
The Florida Keys EcoDiscovery Center offers exhibits, a film, information, and gift shop about the Dry Tortugas as well as other preserved lands and waters in the area. Located at 35 East Quay, Key West, FL 33040 (305) 809-4750 the center is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Dry Tortugas National Park is open all year; Fort Jefferson on Garden Key is open during the daylight hours—as is Loggerhead, East and Middle Keys. Bush Key is closed to visitors from February through September, due to the sooty tern nesting.
The Dry Tortugas National Park Visitor Center is located inside Fort Jefferson; it is open all year during daylight hours, and features exhibits, a video on the fort's history and natural resources, and a bookstore. For additional information, call (305) 242-7700.
Getting There
Since there are no roads to Dry Tortugas National Park, visitors can only reach the area by boat or seaplane. (Private pleasure boats are welcome, as long as they are totally self-sufficient; no provisions—food, water or fuel—are available in the park.) For ferry schedules, prices and reservations, contact Sunny Days: (800) 236-7937 or (305) 292-6100 or visit online at www.drytortugas.com, (800) 788-0511, or Yankee Fleet: (800) 950-2FLY or (305) 294-7009 or www.yankeefleet.com. Seaplane transportation is provided by Seaplanes of Key West. Visitors can obtain schedules and other information by calling (800) 950-2FLY or visiting their website at www.seaplanesofkeywest.com.
Dry Tortugas In Depth
News from the Parks
Civil Rights Leaders Declare Fundraising Success for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
December 4, 2008 - 3:10pm
Civil rights leaders gathered Wednesday to declare that they had finally overcome their money obstacles and raised more than $100 million to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
December 4, 2008 - 3:10pm
Civil rights leaders gathered Wednesday to declare that they had finally overcome their money obstacles and raised more than $100 million to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
Wildlife Biologist Cites Reasons Behind Bear Attacks
December 4, 2008 - 3:08pm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver said bear management and education of the public must take place in order to decrease harmful bear and human encounters.
December 4, 2008 - 3:08pm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver said bear management and education of the public must take place in order to decrease harmful bear and human encounters.
Park Develops Plan to Preserve Outcrops
December 4, 2008 - 3:05pm
Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.
December 4, 2008 - 3:05pm
Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.
White House Christmas Tree Lighting Closes Streets, Limits Parking
December 4, 2008 - 3:04pm
D.C. police are warning travelers of street closures near the White House during the afternoon rush hour for the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
December 4, 2008 - 3:04pm
D.C. police are warning travelers of street closures near the White House during the afternoon rush hour for the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
Officials Prepare for Chronic Wasting in Deer
December 4, 2008 - 3:01pm
Chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, could devastate local deer populations, and National Park Service officials want to be prepared if the disease makes its way inside the boundaries of Monocacy and Antietam national battlefields.
December 4, 2008 - 3:01pm
Chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, could devastate local deer populations, and National Park Service officials want to be prepared if the disease makes its way inside the boundaries of Monocacy and Antietam national battlefields.
