Almost 70 miles west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built, is a central feature. The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or “tortugas” provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.
U. S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800’s due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features.
History & Culture
Ponce de Leon discovered the Dry Tortugas in 1513 when he caught over 100 sea turtles there. Subsequently the islands were referred to as the “Tortugas” (turtles). During the 1600’s and 1700’s the area around these islands was used by pirates as a base for attacking merchant shipping in the Gulf of Mexico.after the War of 1812, a group of forts from Maine to Texas was envisioned to provide defense for the United States of America from foreign invaders. Fort Jefferson was built to protect the southern coastline of the United States and the lifeline of commerce to and from the Mississippi River. The fort was planned to be the greatest of the group.
Fort Jefferson is a six-sided building constructed of 16 million handmade red bricks. In 1825, a lighthouse was built on Garden Key, one of six islands that make up the Dry Tortugas, to provide warning to sailors about the dangers of reefs and shoals surrounding the Dry Tortugas.
Construction of the fort began in 1846 and in 1847 the islands became a military reservation. In 1850, the officers’ quarters were completed and the fort was officially named Fort Jefferson, after our country’s third President Thomas Jefferson. The walls reached their final height of 45 feet in 1862.
Construction of the fort dragged on for more than 30 years and it was never really finished. Construction of the moat was also an engineering challenge and was not completed until 1873. The invention of the rifled cannon during the Civil War rendered the walls of the fort vulnerable to destruction and made the fort itself somewhat obsolete.
During and after the Civil War the fort began to be used as a prison for deserters and other criminals, most notably Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was sentenced to life in prison for his part in President Lincoln’s assassination. Dr. Mudd, perhaps unknowingly, repaired the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth the man who assassinated Lincoln. In 1874, the army completely abandoned the fort after several hurricanes and a yellow fever epidemic. It wasn’t until 1898 that the military returned, in the form of the navy, which used the facilities during the Spanish-American War. The fort was also used from 1888 through 1900 as a quarantine station and was garrisoned again briefly during World War I.
In 1908 the area was designated as a bird reserve and transferred to the Department of Agriculture. On January 4, 1935, it was designated by President Franklin Roosevelt as Fort Jefferson National Monument, the first marine area to be so promoted. On October 26, 1992, the monument was upgraded to national park status in a bill signed by President George Bush.
Getting There
The Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson are located roughly 70 miles West of Key West, Florida. Many people think that Key West is the last of the Florida Keys, however, the Dry Tortugas are actually the last of the Keys. The Dry Tortugas is considered to be one of the most remote and isolated National Parks in the United States. The fort is approx. 2 hours by boat or 30 min by plane.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Dry Tortugas National Park
P. O. Box 6208
Key West, FL 33041
Phone: 305-242-7700
Fax: 305-242-7711
Operating Hours & Seasons
The park is open all year.
- Ft. Jefferson on Garden Key is open during daylight hours; closed at dark.
- Loggerhead, East and Middle Keys are open year-round during daylight hours.
- Bush Key is closed to visitors February through September to protect nesting Sooty and Noddy Terns.
- Hospital and Long Keys are closed all year.
Weather/Climate
Dry Tortugas National Park is located in a subtropical climate. Temperatures range from the mid-50’s to mid-80’s. Weather during April and May is often ideal. There are two seasons: Winter storm season (December-March), windy with rough seas and Tropical storm season (June-November).
