Dry Tortugas National Park is located 68 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida, traveling to the islands by ferry or seaplane are the two main public transportation options. There are pros and cons to each option and below I break down all of the details to know when choosing transportation to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Dry Tortugas Ferry
Cost: $190 per adult ($15 refund with an annual National Parks pass)
Included with Dry Tortugas Ferry Ticket
- Breakfast (bagel, yogurt, coffee, juice)
- Lunch (sandwich, chips, cookie, juice)
- Snorkeling equipment
- Storage for camping gear with advanced booking (extra $20)
- Bar with tasty drinks and great prices is open for the return trip to Key West
Ferry Experience
Traveling on the Dry Tortugas Ferry is a full day adventure, beginning early at 7:00am and returning to Key West around 5:30pm. The Yankee Freedom III is the only public ferry that completes one round trip journey to Dry Tortugas National Park per day.
It’s certainly not a private experience as the ferry will book up to 175 seats per day. This means when the ferry arrives, the island is at max capacity and your visit to the national park is during the busiest time of day.
The ferry ride is 2.5 hours each way, which will leave about 4.5 hours to explore Fort Jefferson, go snorkeling, and relax on the beach. It is a long and tiring day with limited time at Dry Tortugas. Many people fall asleep on the return ferry trip to Key West or opt for cocktails from the bar, open only for the return trip.
Included with your ferry ticket is a basic breakfast and lunch. Even though the meals are simple, they are necessary as there are no restaurants or vendors at Dry Tortugas. The snorkeling equipment requires signing a waiver, but I highly recommend using the equipment unless you have your own. Viewing the beautiful coral and sea life at Dry Tortugas National Park is a highlight of visiting this national park.
Camping at Dry Tortugas National Park
One of the biggest advantages of taking the ferry to Dry Tortugas is the ability to bring all required camping gear to spend a few days at Dry Tortugas National Park. The ferry reserves 10 spots per day for campers, so getting a coveted spot requires reservations months in advance. We were lucky to experience camping at Dry Tortugas National Park and we secured our ferry reservations only a few weeks before traveling.
What to Pack and Wear
Be sure to pack a towel or blanket to lay out on the beach, water bottle and snacks, underwater camera, dramamine (for the ferry ride), and coral safe sunblock to use when snorkeling.
The only bathrooms on the island that are available to be used during the day on the island are the three bathrooms on the ferry. For this reason, I recommend wearing your bathing suit under your clothes to avoid needing to change during the day. Also be sure to wear sturdy sandals to safely explore Fort Jefferson. I wore my Chacos and was very happy I had them for the uneven floors and stairs.
Dry Tortugas Seaplane
Cost: $361 half day or $634 full day adult ticket ($15 park entrance fee not included)
Included with Dry Tortugas Seaplane Ticket
- Snorkeling Gear
- Beverages
- Unique birds eye view of Fort Jefferson
Seaplane Experience
The biggest advantage of traveling by seaplane to Dry Tortugas National Park is the flight time is less than 45 minutes, which means more time to explore the island. A half day ticket only provides 2.5 hours on the island, but a full day ticket, although pricey, will give you 6.5 hours. The full day ticket has the advantage of experiencing the calmness of Dry Tortugas before and after the ferry arrives. For these reasons, if you opt to travel by seaplane, I recommend the full day ticket.
Besides the unique experience of flying on a seaplane, the flight to Dry Tortugas offers views of a 20-mile stretch of clear shallow water from the air where you can spot many types of marine wildlife including sharks and sea turtles. The seaplane ticket includes snorkeling equipment, so you can take full advantage of the underwater beauty of this national park.
While limited on the amount of gear you can bring on the seaplane, I recommend packing the same items mentioned above plus a lunch, as meals are not included.
While all of the options to travel to Dry Tortugas National Park is necessarily cheap, it is a worthwhile experience and to save some money there are plenty of free things to do in Key West. I hope this comparison provides you with all of the details needed to make an informed decision and plan your experience at Dry Tortugas National Park.
