Visiting Dry Tortugas has been on my bucket list, even before I moved to Florida. I was so excited when I finally had the opportunity not just to visit this remote island, but to camp on it! This was also my first time camping ever! Checked a lot off the bucket list on this adventure.
We drove down to Key West the day before. Stopping in Marathon Key at Keys Fisheries to enjoy their famous and delicious lobster Rueben, which was an absolute must.
It also gave us the evening to enjoy Key West and get a good night's sleep.
On the morning of departure, you have to be on the dock at 6:30 am if you are camping to load your stuff onto the ferry. This will take some time because a guard has to go through all stuff that you are bringing on board. Guidelines say to stick to around 60 pounds of supplies per camper. There is no limit on how much water you can bring, and since there is no fresh water on the island. I suggest bringing a decent amount. We camped for three nights and we brought (6) 2.5 gallons of water, which was more than plenty. And don't worry, there are giant wheelbarrows to help you load your stuff onto the ferry and from the ferry to the campsite. At the end of this post is a full list of what we brought on our camping trip.
After we loaded our stuff onto the ferry, we had some time to grab a much-needed cup of coffee from Cuban Coffee Queen, located not too far from the dock.
The ferry ride is about 2 hours long. The first section is pretty calm because you are protected by some smaller key islands. I enjoyed hanging out on the bow of the ship with fresh air and less dramatic ocean motion. But then you will hit the open water and it will get pretty rough. I've been on boats a lot, even worked on cruise ships for years, and the rough seas got to me. There was a storm out in the Gulf, which intensified the waves. Many of us got seasick. When we did the return journey, I took a non-drowsy Dramamine, and with no storm, it went much smoother. So I would suggest having or taking something for motion sickness, even if you think you have experienced sea legs.
When we arrived at Dry Tortugas, the day passengers went straight on to the island, and those camping went to the top deck. One of the park rangers met us there to go over rules and tips for camping on this remote island. There are compost toilets for us campers on the island. They are closed during the time the ferry is docked, so you will have to use the ones on the boat for most of midday. The ferry does have fresh water showers you can use to rinse off, but you can not use soap. Again you are on a remote island, and even in an emergency, it will take some time to get assistance out there so make smart choices.
There is a small tree-covered area that you will see to your left from the ferry. This is where the campsites are. We were lucky and got an awesome spot! The trees created a little cove for us. The grill and picnic table were right next to each other, that became our kitchen area. There are dry boxes that you can borrow. You can pick them up over by the compost toilets. These are very helpful for when it rains. Not too many animals on the island but there are some island rats. They only come out at night, so make sure you put any food or water in a dry bin. Only saw the rats one of the nights we were there, and that's because we cooked later in the evening.
Hermit crabs are everywhere! And by the way, they love charcoal.
We set up our tent along the base of a tree. We put a little mat out in front to dust off our feet before going inside. You are not supposed to hang anything on the trees, so there are poles with pegs that you can use to hang dry any items. I brought a few plastic hangers to help our towels and wetsuits to dry better. We also used one of the pegs to hang our camping shower. That was one of the luxuries I just had to have, purchased it on Amazon. You just fill it with freshwater and it has a mini shower head that when you unclip the plastic tube the water flows.
Those of us camping spent the first few hours setting up our campsites. We then took the rest of the day easy and just walked around the island, checking out our new home for the next few days.
There is a walkway that goes around the fort. You can almost walk all the way around, but two large chunks were taken out by a hurricane. Upside down jellyfish can be seen in the mote. We were instructed by the park rangers to stay away from swimming in the mote due to sanitary reasons.
The storm caught up with us later that evening. It rained most of the time while we tried to cook our hamburgers. I was glad I brought my beach umbrella, which we used to create a dry area to eat. Packing rain jackets was smart because it allowed us to still cook and do other tasks, even as our fingers became extremely pruney.
After spending the last few hours wet, we finally turned on our brains and went and hid out in the large fort. Exploring the lower level, you can see all the areas that once held massive cannons. On one of the windows, they still have the Totten Shutters. These brilliantly engineered shutters would open from the airflow that came out before the cannonball and shut immediately after, protecting the soldier from enemy fire.
You can also view on the bottom level one of the boats Cubans sailed on hoping to reach America.
The weather cleared up just in time for sunset. So we grabbed a beverage and headed up to the top level of the fort to enjoy a spectacular view!
We tried to go snorkeling around the coal pillars next to where other boats park their dingy. We started from the beach near the campsite and swam around to them. It's cool to see the coral that has grown on to the pillars. It becomes like a fun underwater maze. We didn't snorkel for long because of the rough winds affected the water, sloshing us about.
We spent the afternoon exploring the north side of the island. Tons of conch shells can be found! And I mean like ones in absolutely perfect condition.
There is even a tree decorated with them.
The rule of the national park is that you can't take anything off the island. I did take one back to our campsite to enjoy while we were there and you can take plenty of pictures.
The sand dissipates and the beach becomes made up of broken shells, so it would be wise to wear shoes. At the far end is a sanctuary island for the Magnificent Frigate bird. This island is one of the few places in the world where they nest. It is amazing just to sit and watch them float in the air.
Once the day explorers leave the island it's so liberating for those of us that chose to camp. You basically have your own private beaches!
At night, you can see the stars so clearly that you can pick out constellations. We even saw the Milky Way! It was bioluminescence season too. The sand is where we would notice them, and you could scoop them up and watch them flicker like Tinkerbell.
One of the nights we decided to do some night snorkeling. Bring your handy dandy dive light, a wetsuit, and jump in! Even though we had snorkeled along the fort wall earlier that day, it was totally different at night. A certain mysteriousness and different creatures. We saw these two massive lobsters just crawling along. Saw this crab-like species that had attached itself onto coral for a little shut-eye. The tarpons, that were the size of half of me, loved our dive light because it highlighted the small baitfish. I saw one of the tarpon snatch and eat a fish right in front of my face! They started to get a little too close to us, so we finished up and hopped out. It was an incredible experience though!
Until you go to Fort Jefferson and see how massive this fort is, then you could understand why it took us several days to truly see all of it.
Around 11 a.m. there is a tour you take, for free, and learn about the history. Our tour guide, Hollywood, was incredible! We had already explored parts of the fort, but the stories he told brought it to life!
The name Dry Tortugas was created by and for sailors. Tortugas meaning there were turtles to be found, which sailors used for food. It was called Dry because there was no fresh water to be found. It was also well known to sailors for being a safe harbor in the middle of the Gulf. The island that Fort Jefferson resides on is technically called Garden Key. Forts along the ocean were built to protect shipping routes. America knew that we didn't have the Navy that Britain and many other countries did, so we built these massive forts to house giant cannons and troops. During the Civil War, this fort was actually under the control of the Union. It was part of a historic standoff between a Union and a Confederate Army. Due to the sheer colossal size of the fort, its weapons, and with a little bit of bluffing, no shots were fired, and the Union won.
Another historic fact is that Dr. Samuel Mudd was sentenced to life here, after being convicted for being part of the Lincoln assassination by apparently tending to John Wilkes Booth's broken leg. You can visit his cell.
I don't want to spoil it by giving you all the good stories. But the tour is definitely worth attending!
There is a small gift shop at the front of the fort. They have some cool books about Fort Jefferson, as well as some fun memorabilia. There is a small museum area, and there is a stamp you can use for the National Park Passport or whatever book or paper you have.
The best thing about camping on the island versus just a day trip is the friends you get to make. We had met this couple, Jim and Kim, that was on one of the catamarans in the harbor the previous day. After running into them again with their adorable poodle, they kindly invited us back to the boat. They had such an incredible life story and funny enough from my home state of Texas. We laughed and chatted, dove of the bow into the water, and watched the seaplanes fly over us at sunset. It was a perfect way to end the day.
We got going a bit earlier on our last day of camping since you have to have your campsite packed and loaded onto the dock by 10:30 a.m. when the ferry arrives. We did take a moment that morning, and I led us through a yoga session while the sun rose over the water. The weather was stunning that day, and the wind had died down a lot. So after our stuff was loaded onto the ferry we grabbed our snorkel gear.
Another camper friend, Matt, joined us for some final day snorkeling. We went and checked out some snorkeling on the north end of the fort by the pillars over there.
Do be aware of moon jellyfish, their sting isn't lethal, but it hurts.
Our friend Matt told us about another snorkeling sight he had found not too far off from the fort. From the beach area by the campsite, we swam along the wall until we got to the edge, then headed left directly out from there. Suddenly you will see all these beautiful and vibrant reefs!
We continued along this route until the reefs started to become fewer and farther. Then we headed directly inland towards the beach.
This trip was so incredible! It was so great to get away from everything (there is no cell service or wifi on the island). To wake up with the sun, explore the deep blue seas, and travel back in time. We spoke to some other campers that were excited to be back camping Dry Tortugas again, and now I know why. Though I am a little biased, going on one of the day trips out here is still worth it. But I like to make the most out of my adventures, and one day would not have been enough for me. This little remote island in the middle of the Gulf has a lot to show you.
Camping Packing List:
- tent -clothes/shoes
-blow up mattress -rain jackets
-bamboo matt -toiletries
-sheets/blankets -camp shower (Amazon)
-pillow -hangers
-towels -baby wipes
-paper towels -hand sanitizer/wet ones
-silverware -sunscreen/aloe
-knives -skin so soft spray or liquid (for no-see-ums)
-plates/bowls -bug spray
-tumbler -head lamps
-cutting board -lantern
-pots/pans/cast iron skillet -portable charger
-sponge -GoPro
-dish soap -cash (will need to pay for camping, gift shop, and
-charcoal for the ferry)
-food
-coolers
-adult beverages
-fresh water (I like the jugs with a spout)
-snorkel gear (goggles, fins)
-wetsuit/booties
-dive light
-beach chairs
-beach umbrella
-floaty
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