Dry Tortugas National Park: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures

Dry Tortugas National Park sits 70 miles west of Key West, a cluster of tiny islands, coral reefs, and the giant brick walls of Fort Jefferson that you can reach only by boat or seaplane. This guide shows you how to plan one, two, or three days there: how to book the ferry or seaplane, what to bring to a park with no food or water, where to snorkel along the moat wall, and how to camp on Garden Key.

What's inside

• Nine ready-made itineraries: one, two, and three days, each at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, from a relaxed ferry day to two nights of camping and the paddle to Loggerhead Key, each with a weather or cancellation backup
• The islands' history, from the Spanish treasure routes and the building of Fort Jefferson to the Civil War prison, Dr. Samuel Mudd, the lighthouses, and the shipwrecks
• Sightseeing highlights: the fort's casemates and upper tiers, the moat wall, snorkeling from the beaches, Bush Key's seabird colony, and Loggerhead Key
• A wildlife chapter profiling 14 animals, from magnificent frigatebirds and sooty terns to green sea turtles and tarpon, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look
• Trip planning for the ferry and seaplane, camping gear and rules, fees, seasons, closures, safety, and accessibility
• 34 photographs and 4 orientation maps

What you'll receive

• EPUB ebook (Dry_Tortugas_National_Park_Brian_D_Russ.epub, about 9 MB) for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps. Kindle readers can send it to their library with Amazon's Send to Kindle.
• PDF (Dry_Tortugas_National_Park_Brian_D_Russ.pdf, 96 pages including the cover, about 22 MB) for any device, and for printing pages. It opens on the illustrated cover.

Your download link arrives by email right after purchase.

Edition

First illustrated edition, October 2026, with research completed October 2026. Ferry schedules, island closures, and fees change, so check the park's current alerts before you travel.

Pack water, book early, and stay for the sunset if you can.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.