We love the National Parks and part of our RV travel goals is to get to all of them. Recently we checked off our 13th one in 2024 bringing us to a total of 35 out of 63 parks visited. This was a trip to Dry Tortugas, about 70 miles west of Key West, FL in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a remote island consisting mostly of historic Fort Jefferson and surrounded by beautiful clear water full of vibrant coral reefs and abundant marine life.

Being an island, the only way to Dry Tortugas is by plane or boat. Going by plane means taking a sea plane that lands on one of the island beaches. While this is the fastest way to get to the island, it is also the most expensive. Currently, Seaplane adventures is the only flight service offering half and full day options. Travel by boat gives you the three options of your own boat, private charter, or the daily ferry boat. The ferry boat, Yankee Freedom, is the most common mode of transportation being the least expensive. This was the option we chose.

View of Yankee Freedom through fort window

Given there is only one ferry per day and the Dry Tortugas are a popular destination for anyone visiting the keys, it does sell out fast. We tried to book a trip 2 years ago while in the keys, and every day was already sold out. This year we booked our passage at least a month in advance while still in PA. The one negative to booking so early is you cannot check the weather beforehand. We had a very windy day leading to a bit of a wild ferry ride to the island.

The trip begins in the ferry terminal in Key west in the morning. Upon arrival, you check in, get a boarding pass, and a wrist band. Snorkeling gear rental is included in the fee, you just need to sign a waiver during the boat ride. Upon returning the signed waiver, a crew member will punch your wristband. A simple breakfast of bagels, doughnuts, and/or cereal as well as coffee, tea, and juice is provided upon boarding. Lunch is also included and available on board the ship from 11am - 1pm. It consists of premade subs, bagged chips or pretzels, cookies, and water or soda. Shortly before boarding, a quick briefing on safety and ship information is provided. This is also when the captain warns us about the ocean swells caused by the windy day and recommends purchasing Dramamine. (we were already prepared and had taken meds before arrival plus had extra for the return trip). Needless to say, it was a choppy ride to the Dry Tortugas. The first half was bumpy but once leaving the shelter of the keys and reaching more open water, the ride became really rough. Thankfully, the meds worked, and I only felt a little uneasy. However, there were many on the ferry who weren’t so fortunate.

Upon arrival you have a few choices when you disembark. You can take a group tour of the Fort Jefferson or walk around on your own as there are many informational signs. We chose to explore the fort on our own. It is hexagonal shaped, with towering brick ramparts surrounding an open courtyard and a surrounding moat.

The path inside the fort takes you along the outer walls, where you can admire the intricate brickwork, arched windows, and massive gun ports that once housed cannons. Tight dark cement spiral stairs lead to a floor above and the rooftop, which is grass covered. From the top of the fort, the views of the surrounding islands and blue waters are breathtaking, offering a perspective on the fort's location.

After our fort exploration, we took our lunch break. You have the option of eating onboard or taking it outside to one of the many picnic tables. We decided to eat on the ship by one of the windows.

In addition to the fort, are some beaches, two of which offer snorkeling areas. With the wind and choppy waters, we opted not to snorkel even though we had signed the waivers. We did stroll along the water’s edge along the sand, discovering many different shells, pieces of coral, and even some hermit crabs.

Soaring above we saw many sea birds including the frigatebird.

At the end of the day, everyone needs to be aboard the ferry by 2:45pm for a 3 pm departure. Since it was a windy day, and we had done all we wanted to, we boarded a little early to get a good seat. The trip back to Key West is more festive with music and a bar serving beer and cocktails. While the return trip was calmer, most people still weren’t really in the drinking partying mood. I felt good but still wasn’t taking a chance with alcohol.

All in all, it was an excellent day and worth the trip. If we do get back to the keys during a less windy time of year, we just may make the trip again in the hopes to snorkel.

Dry Tortugas

December in the Keys

Girl Time Escapades