WE SUGGEST BRINGING: 
towel
sunscreen
hat
sunglasses
swimsuit 
comfortable shoes
camera & binoculars
jacket or long sleeve shirt in winter
don’t forget your watch

 ENTRANCE FEES

Dry Tortugas National Park Fees
$5.00 - 17 and older - One Time 

Seaplanes of Keywest, Sunny Days Catamarans, and Yankee Freedom are collecting the fee from their passengers. National Parks Pass, Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access Passports honored 

WHAT TO DO

Enjoy a Self-guiding walking tour of Fort Jefferson or Ranger conducted activities. 

Snorkeling, Bird and wildlife watching. The Dry Tortugas are renowned for spring bird migrations and tropical bird species. 

U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features.