Taking the Boat to Dry Tortugas National Park from Key West

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the coolest places to visit, not just in the Florida Keys, but in all of the southern USA. There are a few ways to get there, but the most common is the Yankee Freedom ferry from Key West. If you’ve seen our pictures you know it’s beautiful; if you’ve seen our videos you know that sometimes the crossing from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park can be very rough, but not always.

We’ve got the full scoop on what to expect and how to plan a visit to Dry Tortugas. Have you made the journey out to Fort Jefferson and the islands of the National Park before? I always love talking to people about it because everyone has such a different experience. Read on and you’ll see what you can do to both make sure you can add a visit to your time in Key West as well as tips to make it a smooth trip. Please leave a comment or send us a note if you have any additional questions, as this is quite the experience and it takes planning. We’re always happy to share more.

What to Expect on the Boat to Dry Tortugas

You have a choice for how to arrive at Dry Tortugas National Park, and it’s either doing the seaplane trip or the Yankee Freedom boat. Most people arrive via the boat (catamaran foot ferry) because it’s 1/4-1/3 the price of the seaplane ticket. Because Dry Tortugas NP is so far away from Key West, you’re very limited in your options for getting there, and very few private charter boats will make the trip. The Yankee Freedom boat trip takes about 2.5 hours departing from Key West, and it’s usually a beautiful crossing with turquoise waters, dolphins and sunshine.

The way back from Dry Tortugas NP is usually a faster crossing, sometimes by more than an hour, getting back into Key West around 5:30 pm or just after. Pulling into Key West before sunset, you get to wrap up your day in the Historic Seaport with lots of restaurant and beverage options, so it’s a nice finish to the experience.

Meals Provided on the Yankee Freedom to Dry Tortugas

Since the day starts early with boarding beginning at 7:30 am, breakfast is served on the Yankee Freedom boat to Dry Tortugas NP. Bagels, fruit, cereal, coffee and juice are all available as soon as everyone is on board. Coffee and water are available all day free of charge. There are also snacks available from the galley all day, ranging from pretzels to pizza (concession style, not high quality restaurant style). When you get to Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas NP, the crew will get lunch ready for everyone to grab as they disembark. Hoagie sandwiches are catered so you’ll be able to choose from a few options, served with condiments on the side, chips, cookies, beverages, and then you can either put them in a paper bag to enjoy whenever you like as you explore the National Park, or you can come back and eat on the boat.

If you have dietary needs you can tell the crew when you first board in the morning and they’ll put together a meal that suits your needs (vegetarian, gluten free…). On the way back in the afternoon, there isn’t a meal provided, but the snack back is hoppin’ with people getting cocktails, sangria, sodas and snacks. The vibe in the afternoon is much different from the morning as everyone has had a day of swimming and walking around the fort. It’s a fun ride back, even when the seas are a bit rough.

Is the Dry Tortugas Boat Trip Really Rough?

Before you read on and think that you’ll never be able to visit Dry Tortugas National Park because you’ll never be able to survive the rough seas on the “Vomit Comet” keep in mind that the season absolutely impacts how smooth or rough the ride out to the islands is. I’ve done the Dry Tortugas ferry several times and of my four passages, only one was bad. Granted, that one time was epically bad with random 15′ waves from crest to trough, but the other three passages were not bad at all.

If it’s unsafe they do not go out to Dry Tortugas from Key West. Even on the really bad crossing we did, it was managed very well and the captain did an incredible job tackling the waves in the smoothest way possible. Yes, on THAT crossing probably 80% of the ship vomited or was making ready to, but this was not a standard experience. The three other times I’ve done this it was not bad and was a fun, beautiful trip. The second most rough crossing I’ve had was rough enough that my super-sensitive kiddo felt sick on the way back, but even then he didn’t vomit, and he’s known to be an easy puker.

If you’re visiting the Florida Keys in the summer, that’s the best time to go out to Dry Tortugas National Park on the ferry. The boat ride tends to be at its most calm and the snorkeling out at Fort Jefferson is at its best. If you’re planning the trip in the spring or late winter, that’s when you’ll experience the roughest seas.

Tips for the Best Boat Trip to Dry Tortugas

Know your limits before you plan for the boat to Dry Tortugas. I mean this in terms of motion sickness, entertainment and interests. If you think you’ll be ill on the crossing from Key West, take precautions to proactively fight the seasickness (motion sickness medication, pressure bracelet…). Once you’ve left on the boat to Dry Tortugas, be mindful of how you’re feeling. If you feel a little off, just head outside to the back of the boat where there’s fresh air and it’s the smoothest ride. Also, remember that an empty stomach that you add a bunch of water to is NOT going to be a winner. You need a little food and a little fizz to stay feeling well usually.

The best place to sit on a rough day is the middle back on the lower lever of the Dry Tortugas ferry. This is the smoothest spot besides the outdoor seats on the back of the boat. On a smooth, sunny day the best seats are up on the top deck outside. That’s my favorite spot to sit for the passage from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park.

Being Prepared for the Dry Tortugas Ferry

The boat to Dry Tortugas is pretty nice. It’s got inside seating on the bottom and top floors, and then lots of outside seating on the upper level. You can go out on the front of the boat when it’s more calm, and the back of the boat is always open, but often it’s got the people who either don’t feel well or are worried that they may not feel well. There are tables amidst all the inside seating, so if you want to bring a small game like cards or travel Yahtzee, you’ll have a surface for it. It’s not a working environment though, so leave that laptop at home. There is no internet or cell service on the boat, and you lose your cell reception very soon after leaving port from Key West, so if you feel like bringing something to entertain yourself, it needs to function without a network.

I also like to bring snacks and water bottles when we do the boat to Dry Tortugas. While there are options available through the galley, I like to have apples and oranges for us, and I like to have our own water bottles full of ice. This way we also can bring these things onto land with us when it’s time for exploring Fort Jefferson and having a picnic at the beach.

Something that’s REALLY important when you do the boat to Dry Tortugas National Park is to use your reef safe sunscreen! Being out on the water means lots of sun exposure, and then once you’re at Garden Key (where Fort Jefferson is), you’ll want to stay protects while you walk along the moat wall or top of the fort, and then also when you’re on the beach or swimming. Sunblock is so important!

FYI: when you disembark at Fort Jefferson you are provide with snorkel gear, so you don’t need to bring your own.

STAND BY “I can’t get reservations for the Dry Tortugas ferry” 🙁

Yeah, that’s a bummer for sure. You do need to plan for the boat to Dry Tortugas as far out as possible. The last time we did I booked our tickets five months in advance, and then we had a friend that wanted to join us and she couldn’t get a ticket. We checked each day for a month before our departure date but no spaces opened up for her to book a single ticket. THERE IS HOPE THOUGH!!!!

If you don’t have tickets for the Yankee Freedom III out to the National Park, you can show up at the terminal in the Historic Seaport at 6:30 am on the day of departure and write your name on their stand-by list. The cutoff time for check in and boarding is 7:45 am, so if anyone doesn’t show up they’ll go down the list of hopefuls for the day and fill the vacant spots. I don’t know who would NOT show up, but it happens so you may just be in luck.

Parking for the Yankee Freedom Boat to Dry Tortugas

If you’re staying directly in Key West then leave your car at your hotel or resort and walk to the Historic Seaport to catch the boat to Dry Tortugas. The ferry leaves from the municipal dock next to the Half Shell Raw Bar (walk along the marina away from Cuban Coffee Queen and the Marker Resort) and there is both street parking and lot parking, but it’s expensive and you don’t need to park there if you don’t have to. If you’re staying on Roosevelt Blvd, such as at the Gates Hotel or Havana Cabana, you can likely use the hotel shuttle to get you to the dock (confirm with your hotel what time they start). You’ll want to be to the dock by 7:00 am so you can be one of the first to board to pick the seats you need, but if you’re running late, as long as you have enough time to check in and board by 7:45 or so, you should be fine. DON’T CUT IT CLOSE!