The fort is located on Garden Key in the lower Florida Keys within the Dry Tortugas, 68 miles (109 km) west of the island of Key West. The Dry Tortugas are part of Monroe County in Florida.

Feb 24, 2025 · Fort Jefferson was built to protect one of the most strategic deepwater anchorages in North America. By fortifying this spacious harbor, the United States maintained an important “advance post” for ships patrolling the Gulf of America and the Straits of Florida.

Cruise in spacious comfort to Fort Jefferson aboard the Official Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry - the Yankee Freedom. A high-speed catamaran, our vessel transports guests 70 miles from Key West to the Park. Made up of seven small islands, it is …

Jun 30, 2021 · Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the park is known the world over as the home of magnificent Fort Jefferson, picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs and marine life, and the vast assortment of bird life that frequents the area.

Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park of the United States located about 68 miles (109 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, in the United States. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of …

When you arrive to the Dry Tortugas, you'll enjoy a guided tour of Fort Jefferson from a National Park Ranger and see history from the Civil War era.

Jan 8, 2021 · With no car access, Dry Tortugas is only accessible by boat or seaplane. Visitors are required to provide their own food, water and all other supplies while at the park. You can enjoy dramatic landscapes and the history of Fort Jefferson, or explore our beautiful reefs, marine life and shipwrecks.

Nestled within the islands and shoals that make up the Dry Tortugas, the harbor offered ships the chance to re– supply, refit, or seek refuge from storms. The location of the Tortugas along one the world’s busiest shipping lanes was its greatest military asset.

Sep 6, 2022 · Fort Jefferson may be located on a scenic tropical island in what is now Dry Tortugas National Park, but inside this fort, there’s no sense of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters that lie just beyond the 50-foot-high, 8-foot-thick walls.

Jan 19, 2022 · We will explain what to do in Dry Tortugas, the ins and outs of Fort Jefferson, and how to use the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry. We will also help to keep your trip seamless and more enjoyable by explaining the Dry Tortugas mistakes to avoid.