Are you looking for a remote and unique camping experience? Dry Tortugas National Park offers camping on an island surrounded by turquoise waters with complete isolation except for the historic Fort Jefferson constructed in the 1800s. With a little luck or advanced planning you can secure a treasured camping reservation for Dry Tortugas. Everything you need to know about camping at Dry Tortugas National Park is detailed in my experience below.
Camping Reservations for Dry Tortugas
To secure a coveted camping reservation, first go to the Yankee Freedom website. The ferry is the only public transportation available for camping on the island. (If you can’t get a camping reservation then you can decide between the Dry Tortugas ferry or seaplane. Only 10 campers are allowed on the ferry, per ride, to accommodate the large amount of gear needed per person. Use the website to see what dates appear available for camping, but book the reservation over the phone.
To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Dry Tortugas National Park until I started planning a long weekend in Key West. Key West is a pricey destination and I was focused on finding free things to do in Key West, but once I realized camping on a remote island was possible, the trip became focused on the Dry Tortugas. Even though our reservations were made last minute, we were able to secure one night of camping. Since there were only two of us making the trip, one night was the perfect amount of time to explore the island. If you are traveling with kids or a group, then opt to stay two or three nights.
A few days before departure, I received an email waiver describing the rules for camping and a packing list. The camping is primitive, so you take the time to prepare a thorough packing list. You will need to pack all of your water, food, camping gear, snacks, and adult beverages (if needed).
Getting to Dry Tortugas
Dry Tortugas National Park is located 68 miles off the coast of Key West. It was quite the journey for us to reach the island. We drove through the Keys and stayed at the Palms Hotel in Key West the night before and after our camping trip. The hotel assisted us in finding street parking to leave our car during our time in Key West and Dry Tortugas.
The morning of the trip to Dry Tortugas National Park started early. We needed to be at the ferry terminal by 6:00am to load all of our camping gear. This meant a challenging 5:00am wake-up call at the hotel (after a few too many mojitos the previous night on Duval Street). We packed up our cooler and camping supplies and WALKED 15-minutes to the ferry terminal. In hindsight, I would agree with Chris that we could have tried to call an Uber to drive us to the terminal, but there seemed to be no one awake at this early hour. If anyone was awake, I am sure they would question why a couple with camping backpacks was walking in the road, wheeling a cooler and carrying a storage bin between them.
Right on time, we arrived at the terminal for gear check. Using a large wheelbarrow, we loaded all of our items and wheeled them to the ferry. We met with Captain Rick for a brief introduction and to review the rules of the road. He handed us a waiver to sign acknowledging it isn’t guaranteed, due to weather or mechanical issues, that the ferry will return to get us on our scheduled departure day. We only packed enough food and water for one day, so we certainly hoped we wouldn’t be stranded on the island!
After our early morning check-in, we walked to Cuban Coffee Queen. It was only 6:15am so we waited for them to open and ordered breakfast sandwiches and two coffees. We returned to the ferry terminal around 7:00am to formally check-in for departure. During check-in we showed our America the Beautiful National Parks Pass which meant we received a $30 refund on our ferry tickets. Total cost for two campers to travel by ferry is $390 with the park pass discount.
Once onboard the ferry, we took two seats by the windows. Since we were traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was determined to not move as I wanted to limit my interaction with others. All passengers were required to wear masks, unless eating or drinking, and the boat crew did a good job reminding passengers of the policy (after all, their entire business is built on tourism). The ferry ticket includes breakfast and lunch. We took our breakfast bags and like most campers do, we planned to eat the included lunch the next day when returning to Key West. Word to the wise, if you’re a big breakfast person, try to grab something before getting aboard the ship.
The ferry journey to Dry Tortugas takes about 2.5 hours. The ocean was calm resulting in a pleasant ride. As Fort Jefferson came into sight, we could see several private sailboats and yachts anchored off shore. Two seaplanes were arriving at the same time as the ferry. Excitement was quickly setting in that we would be spending the night here!
Day 1 – Dry Tortugas Camping
Set Up Camp
After the ferry docks, all campers stay onboard to receive a briefing from a National Park Service employee, while our gear is unloaded onto the dock. When you make your camping reservations, you are primarily reserving your place on the ferry and not reserving an actual campsite on the island. There are no advanced reservations for specific campsites, as it’s first come, first serve.
There is plenty of room to accommodate all campers, but there are only a few designated campsites in the trees which provide shade. If you are traveling in a group, after the briefing, send one person out to claim a site while the others pack up the gear into a wheelbarrow on the dock. Campers spending multiple nights on Dry Tortugas will move into the shaded camping sites after others leave. I was off the boat first and found a semi-private spot, with enough shade for our two-person backpacking tent. This spot was closest to the composting toilets which may be a positive or negative depending on your point of view!
We set up camp, paid the $15 fee for one night of camping (bring cash), and picked up snorkeling gear (included with ferry ticket). Then we were all set up and ready to start enjoying the island.
Explore
The first activity we did was walk around the island to get a better understanding of the space. We walked through the fort, visited the park gift shop, explored the beaches, and took a ton of photos! We were looking forward to taking more photos after the ferry left with most of the island visitors!
Snorkel
One activity you must do during your visit is get in the water and go snorkeling! It is advertised that 99% of this National Park is underwater protecting the beautiful coral and colorful fish. We waited until late in the afternoon, when most people were out of the water to start our first snorkeling experience.
It had been more than a decade since I last snorkeled, but I was able to quickly get back into it. I recommend asking for a flotation vest when you pick up your snorkeling gear. It was key to help with maintaining a safe distance from the coral.
We set out to swim from the south beach to the north beach by going around the fort. During our visit in February, the water was a little cold at first, but we quickly adapted. The temperature of the water was forgotten when looking at the intricate coral.
To see a lot of coral, I recommend swimming along the moat wall of the fort. It is neat to see the sections of the moat wall that have collapsed over time from under the water. As we got closer to the north beach, I was starting to get very cold. Then Chris spotted a barracuda, which solidified for me that I was done snorkeling for the day.
Relax on the Beach
The ferry leaves to return to Key West at 2:45pm. During this time the only visitors on the island are campers, owners of private boats offshore, and those who traveled by seaplane. We took our towels and alcoholic seltzers to a now private beach and soaked up the sun while watching the ferry sail away. This was the moment I realized how amazing it would be to own a private island, because honestly it felt like we were on our own tropical, private island.
Watch the Sunset
A highlight of the day was watching the sunset from the top of Fort Jefferson. The best view is from the far left section of the fort. After crossing the moat, walk across the field, turn left and go up the staircase closest to the private housing reserved for the National Park Service.
We set up our tripod and took photos while enjoying the incredible view. After the sunset, we were back on the beach and watched lightning in the night sky from a distance. The rain finally reached the island and ran back to the tent just in time for a downpour. Of course it rained on our trip, but it really didn’t impact any of the daylight hours, so we can’t complain.
Day 2 – Dry Tortugas Camping
Watch the Sunrise
It is rare that I wake up to watch the sunrise, but this is one I do not regret seeing. From the top of the fort I was able to enjoy a variety of viewpoints as the sun made its appearance.
Take a Morning Dip
The benefit of camping on the island is enjoying it without others around. We went for a morning swim and snorkeled in a different part of the north beach. Snorkeling in the morning was an amazing experience. The water was calm and we saw a lot more fish than we did snorkeling during the afternoon (luckily, we didn’t see any barracudas).
Pack up Camping Gear
After our morning swim, it was time to pack up our campsite. On your departure day, campers need to place their gear on the dock by 10:30am. We dropped off our gear and went back to the beach to claim a shady spot before the ferry passengers arrived.
Eat Lunch on the Ferry
As previously mentioned, the ferry ticket includes breakfast and lunch, so we opted to eat our lunch on our departure day. Lunch was a simple sandwich with some snacks and we requested two vegetarian sandwiches.
Hang Out in the Fort
After lunch, we had enough sun for the day, so we returned to the fort to spend the rest of the afternoon. We stopped at the gift shop to pick up a Dry Tortugas National Park poster (we have one from every National Park we’ve visited) and a magnet to add to our collection. After stocking up on souvenirs, we walked through the fort until we found a comfortable spot with a great view to sit and read. From the spot we chose we were even able to watch a turtle swimming in the moat!
Return to Key West
Before we knew it, it was time to board the ferry and head back to Key West. The ocean was rough and made several people feel sick. After the long ferry ride, we were thankful for an Uber to get back to our hotel. After checking in and taking a much needed shower, we went out in search of dinner and key lime pie to successfully end our long weekend in Key West.
Summary – Dry Tortugas Camping
If you take anything away from this lengthy post on our camping experience in Dry Tortugas National Park, I hope you remember these 5 tips:
- If you plan to take the ferry to visit Dry Tortugas, definitely plan to camp at least one night. A day trip to Dry Tortugas may be more enjoyable by taking a seaplane to have more time exploring the island.
- When camping, try to find a camping spot in the trees, but don’t stress if there aren’t any available. The overflow camping area is a big field of picnic tables near the fort.
- Go snorkeling and bring an underwater camera. Swimming around the fort and exploring the beautiful coral is a must do!
- Watch the sunset and wake up for the sunrise. Nothing is better than enjoying the views while most of the campers are still sleeping.
- If you’re prone to motion sickness, take some Dramamine with you in case the water is choppy during the ferry ride.
Keep Exploring! If you enjoyed this guide, check out our other National Park itineraries for One Day in Acadia National Park and Two Days in Arches National Park.
