Roughly 70 miles (112.7 kilometers) off the tip of Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park is a little out of the way.
The first thing you need to do is navigate to the launch point for this national park. That means either flying into Miami International Airport (MIA) and renting a car to drive to Key West along the 113-mile (182-kilometer) section of U.S. Route 1 (spanning 42 bridges) known as the Overseas Highway, or flying into the Key West International Airport (EYW/KEYW). Of course, you can also make this a road trip and tow your boat (or kayak) with you.
Once at Key West – if you haven’t towed your own boat with you - you’ll have the choice of renting a boat at Key West to navigate to Dry Tortugas, taking a ferry, or chartering a seaplane ride. The ticket price for a spot on the state-of-the-art Yankee Freedom III catamaran ferry might take your breath away, setting you back $250 for adults ($235 with a National Park Pass). If your child is between the ages of 4-16, a ferry ticket runs $195. Infants ride for free. Seniors 62 years of age and students 17 or older can get a ticket for $240 ($225 if you have a National Park Pass). Tickets run $225 for active military or their spouses. IDs are required for all ticket purchasers.
These ticket prices are for day trips only and do not include camping. If you choose to spend one, two, or three nights pitching a tent in the park, ferry prices range between $200 (children under the age of 16) to $255 for adults without a National Park Pass. If you intend to bring your kayak and camp in the park, the ferry will – ahem – ferry your kayak, as long as there is available transport space. Note: These prices do not include the $15-$30 nightly fee for a standard or group campsite.
Various rental businesses at Key West provide boats for a day or multiple days of fun on the water. Boatsetter.com is a great place to start your rental search. Also, a Google search will pull up Key West boat rentals. You can rent anything from a pontoon to a captained luxury yacht for 2-8 hours, with prices ranging from $62-$1,667 per hour depending upon boat choice.
A ferry or personal boat is not the only way to check out this national park, however. Reserve a spot with Seaplane Adventures, the only seaplane service permitted to fly to Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson , for a morning, afternoon, or full-day tour. You’ll enjoy a unique view of the fort and the water surrounding it, and possibly spot sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins in the water from overhead. The rates for a seaplane adventure are also steep, from $507 (adult) to take a four-hour half-day tour, to $890 (adult) for a full-day excursion.
If you do pilot your own boat to Dry Tortugas National Park, make sure you’ve planned and prepared, since there is no food, water, or fuel available in the park.
According to Park Staff:
Dry Tortugas National Park is remote destination, no food, water, or fuel is available in the park. You must bring all provisions you will need for your entire journey to the park, at the park, and back home from the park. Please do NOT plan on "catching" your food. While fresh caught seafood is an excellent addition, you should not count on fishing to provide you with food. In addition to planning to bring enough provisions for the entire length of your expedition, you should also plan on bringing a few extra days' worth of food and water.
The weather can change from a beautiful, calm sunny day to tropical storm wind and rain in a moment's notice. You should be prepared to spend an extra day or two in the sheltered waters of the Dry Tortugas should a storm sneak up on you. Having planned for a couple extra days of food and water will only be a little extra work if not needed, and a tremendous benefit should you need it.
It’s a smart idea to check the Offshore forecast and the Tide and current forecast for Dry Tortugas National Park before setting out on your planned adventure into the park.
- By Rebecca Latson - March 12th, 2026 7:33am
