Dry Tortugas Fast Facts
How big is Dry Tortugas National Park?
Dry Tortugas covers a total area of 64,700 acres or 101 square miles.
How many people visit Dry Tortugas National Park?
83,817 people visited Dry Tortugas in 2021. A table showing all years can be found at Dry Tortugas Visitation Stats.
When was Dry Tortugas National Park created?
Dry Tortugas was made a national park on October 26, 1992.
What are the highest and lowest elevations in Dry Tortugas National Park?
Dry Tortugas’ lowest point is 0 feet at the Gulf of Mexico. The highest point in Dry Tortugas is 10 feet at Loggerhead Key.
What time zone is Dry Tortugas National Park located in?
Dry Tortugas is in the Eastern Time Zone.
How much does it cost to enter Dry Tortugas National Park?
$15 per person per week.
Five Random Facts About Dry Tortugas
The name Dry Tortugas comes from two separate factors. There is no fresh water source on the keys within the park, causing early explorers to label the area “dry”. Tortuga is the Spanish word for turtle, of which there are five kinds within the park.
Dry Tortugas is located 70 miles west of Key West, out in the Gulf of Mexico. Boats and seaplanes are the only way to reach the park.
Like many national parks, Dry Tortugas was first a national monument. President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the area personally and designated the area as Fort Jefferson National Monument on January 4, 1935.
Fort Jefferson occupies nearly all of Garden Key, the land that virtually all visitors come to. Construction of Fort Jefferson began in 1847 but was never completed.
Fort Jefferson was used as a military prison during the Civil War.
Where is Dry Tortugas National Park?
Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the more unique national parks in the United States, and one of the smallest by land area. It is located far out in the Gulf of Mexico, about 70 miles west of the city of Key West. From Key West, a boat or plane must be boarded to get to the park. Further directions and maps can be found at Getting to Dry Tortugas.