After cutting short our visit to the flooded Congaree National Park, we left Columbia, South Carolina, on the morning of April 12th to head south on I-26 and I-95 to the three National Parks in southern Florida.
Florida is a long state, measuring about 400 miles from Jacksonville in the north to the Keys at the southern tip. The long drive necessitated a stop in the middle of the Florida coastline on the way to Key West for our boat trip to the Dry Tortugas.
The long drive through Florida necessitated a stop in the middle of the Florida coastline on the way to Key West for our boat trip to the Dry Tortugas. We chose to stop in Titusville, near the Kennedy Space Center, in the hope that we might happen to see a space launch during our stop.
We chose to stop in Titusville, near the Kennedy Space Center, in the hope that we might happen to see a space launch during our stop. We didn’t have that much luck, but we did have dinner at Shiloh’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant with a great view across the Indian River Lagoon to the launch facilities, where NASA’s new moon rocket was on the launch pad undergoing testing. And we held out hope that a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch may coincide with our northbound return trip.
Key West is the launching point for trips to Dry Tortugas National Park, the fourth destination in our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.
After a stay in Titusville on the night of April 12th, we continued our trip south to the Keys on April 13. Because we were still a day ahead of schedule, we chose to stop for the night in Marathon, in the middle of the Keys, breaking in half the 113-mile Overseas Highway trip to Key West. The following morning, we enjoyed a half day at the beach in Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key before completing our journey to Key West, the launching point for trips to Dry Tortugas National Park, the fourth destination in our electric road trip to all 51 National Parks in the Lower 48 states.
Located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dry Tortugas have a rich maritime history, becoming a National Monument in 1935 and a National Park in 1992.
The Dry Tortugas have a rich maritime history, becoming a National Monument in 1935 and a National Park in 1992. Located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, the park is one of the least visited National Parks because of its isolation, averaging about 63,000 visitors in recent years.
Visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park come on the Yankee Freedom III ferry, which transports about 175 visitors each day for a two and a half hour trip out, about fours on the island to explore, and a mid-afternoon return trip to Key West.
Almost all visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park come on the Yankee Freedom III ferry, which transports about 175 visitors each day for a two and a half hour trip out, about fours on the island to explore, and a mid-afternoon return trip to Key West, arriving at 5:00. Though most of the time is spent on the ferry, the trip is quite enjoyable, both because of the beautiful waters traversed during the voyage and because the crew is so eager to please and provides lots of helpful information during the voyage.
The park encompasses about 65,000 acres, almost all of them under water, except for the 104 acres on the seven islands.
The islands were first charted in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. During his visit, his crew captured 160 sea turtles, which were an excellent source of food for a vessel on an extended voyage—hence the original name, Las Tortugas.
The islands were first charted in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. During his visit, his crew captured 160 sea turtles, which were plentiful at the time and were an excellent source of food for a vessel on an extended voyage—hence the original name, Las Tortugas. British mariners subsequently named the islands the Dry Tortugas on their charts to designate the lack of fresh water.
The highlight of the park is Fort Jefferson, which dominates Garden Key’s 14 acres and the entire area.
The highlight of the park is Fort Jefferson, which dominates Garden Key’s 14 acres and the entire area—which indeed it was built to do. The fort was part of the U.S. defense strategy of the era—building a network of coastal fortifications to compensate for a Navy that could not compete in strength during the 19th century with the major European nations that still had colonies and interests in the Western Hemisphere.
Though seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Dry Tortugas were actually a key maritime location.
Though seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Dry Tortugas were actually a key maritime location. They offered a natural deep-water harbor and safe haven from storms. They also sat astride a chokepoint for ships traveling in and out of the Gulf of Mexico due to the ocean currents that pass along the keys and subsequently up the east coast of the United States.
Fort Jefferson was the third largest and the most powerful in a network of coastal fortifications built by the United States in the 19th century.
Fort Jefferson represented a major effort by the United States to assert its presence in the region. Construction started in 1847 as part of a defense strategy favoring coastal sea forts, and continued for four decades. It was the third largest and the most powerful in a network of such fortifications, built to hold out on its own for up to a year. As a result, it is massive, something that is best appreciated when you are inside the fort or on top of the walls.
Fort Jefferson was also used as a prison. Its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who had treated John Wilkes Booth’s injured leg after he assassinated President Lincoln.
The fort was about half finished at the time of the Civil War. During the war, it served as a base for the Union blockade of Confederate ports. It was also used as a prison. Its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who had treated John Wilkes Booth’s injured leg after he assassinated President Lincoln. Dr. Mudd was imprisoned in Fort Jefferson until 1869, when he was pardoned after controlling an outbreak of yellow fever in the fort.
Everything used in the construction of Fort Jefferson, including 16 million bricks, had to be imported by ship to the island, from as far away as Maine.
The fort itself is a marvel of engineering, even though it was never fully completed. Virtually everything used in its construction, including 16 million bricks, had to be imported by ship to the island, from as far away as Maine.
The staff of the Yankee Freedom does a fantastic job of conveying some of the history of the fort and the islands.
The staff of the Yankee Freedom does a fantastic job of conveying some of the history of the fort and the islands, and we especially enjoyed the 20-minute talk in and about the fort by Hollywood, the director of the Yankee Freedom crew. All of the staff are helpful and friendly, and they work hard to make the trip an enjoyable experience for all. If you go, please tip them generously for the efforts at the end of the day.
The trick for the best snorkeling experience, as explained by the Yankee Freedom crew, is to figure out which way the current is flowing.
During our four hours on the island, we enjoyed the brief history talk, followed by a little exploring of the fort, and then eating the lunch provided by the Yankee Freedom under a palm tree. We still had about an hour and half to snorkel around the fort, following the outer wall from the north beach to the south beach. The trick for the best snorkeling experience, as explained by the Yankee Freedom crew, is to figure out which way the current is flowing and then snorkel in that direction, rather than try to fight the current, as we initially did.
We had visited the island several years earlier, and the biggest change we noticed was the large number of seaplanes that now make the trip out to the islands. We saw three or four land during our time on the island. Those trips are much more expensive, and the time on the island is shorter, but I imagine you probably get a great view of the islands and the fort on the way in. One reason people take the seaplanes is that the ferry has become very hard to book with the rising popularity and visitation to the National Parks. So if you plan a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, you will need to book months in advance, as we did.
Overall, we enjoyed our second trip to the Dry Tortugas, though the first time was probably more memorable. We were fortunate to have a spectacular day, so the views of the islands and the blue-green waters around them alone are worth the trip.
Lodging
To visit the Dry Tortugas, you need to spend at least two nights in Key West—one the night before the trip out to the islands, and a second after your return in the late afternoon the following day. There are many hotels in West Key, and most are expensive.
We chose the Silver Palms Inn, which has two well-maintained Tesla Destination Chargers and good reviews. It is about a 20-minute walk from the inn to the waterfront areas, including the terminal where the Yankee Freedom operates, but we enjoyed walking through the streets of Key West and seeing the interesting architecture. Due to the early departure time of the ferry, we drove down to the waterfront on the morning of our trip to the park, which requires a parking fee of $40. Overall, the Silver Palms Inn was quite pleasant and the staff helpful and friendly. And they make a great breakfast omelet.
Charging
Although the journey to Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park is long, we had one of our easiest charging experiences due to the availability of destination chargers at our hotels.
Although the journey to Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park is long, we had one of our easiest charging experiences due to the availability of destination chargers at our hotels.
We left Columbia, South Carolina, with a full battery, thanks to the Level 2 chargers at the Aloft Hotel we stayed in there. On the way to our stop in Titusville, Florida, we stopped at two Superchargers—one in Hardeeville, South Carolina, where our Subway lunch took longer to eat than the charging, and a second one in Jacksonville, Florida.
At our overnight stop in Titusville, the Hampton Inn had both a Tesla Destination Charger and a Level 2 charger. So we departed on the morning of April 13 with a full battery, requiring only one stop, in the Pompano Supercharger, on the way to our midway stop in the Keys at Marathon.
Leaving Marathon on April 14, we still had plenty of charge to make it the rest of the way to Key West, where Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms Inn awaited us. But we had not yet seen the chargers at Silver Palms, and Tesla hasn’t installed a Supercharger on Key West, so we made a brief stop at the Supercharger on Marathon to add a few electrons to ensure we could make it back from Key West even if there were a problem with the Destination Chargers there. In the end, that proved an unnecessary insurance policy as the Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms were in pristine condition and available for our use.
Leaving Key West on April 16, after our visit to the Dry Tortugas National Park, we had a full battery thanks to the Destination Chargers at the Silver Palms, giving us plenty of range for the journey to our next stop in Homestead, Florida.
Supercharging at Hardeeville, SC (43 kWh @ $0.31) $13.33
Supercharging at Jacksonville, FL (40 kWh @ $0.36) $14.76
Supercharging at Pompano, FL (55 kWh @ $0.42) $23.10
Supercharging at Marathon, FL (13 kWh @ $0.38) $5.00
Total Supercharging $97.26
Hiking Trails and Other Activities in the Park
The activities at Dry Tortugas National Park include exploring Fort Jefferson and snorkeling in the waters around the fort. The islands are also a preserve for a variety of migrating birds.
Total Hiking Miles (Still) 15.8 miles
Impressions
As a maritime National Park, Dry Tortugas is a unique park, with a fascinating history and a picture-postcard location, as well as a special way to get there. It offers something for history buffs, adventurers, snorkelers, and birding enthusiasts alike. Many of the members of the Yankee Freedom crew love the location so much that they will spend their free time there, sailing to the islands or camping there.
Visit Duration: There’s not much discretion about a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park. It’s a day to get to Key West, a day at the park, and a third day to return from the Keys, with at least a two-night stay in Key West. You can combine a trip to the Dry Tortugas with other activities in Key West, which we did previously, but for this trip, our two nights in Key West were just right.
There is also an option to camp on the island, taking the same Yankee Freedom ferry that transports day visitors. But this option is limited in numbers and hard to reserve.
On the morning of April 16, we left Key West, heading back up the Keys to Homestead, which would be our base for visits to the other two National Parks in Florida: Everglades at the southern tip of the state, and Biscayne in the waters south Miami.