Dry Tortugas National Park

Florida National Parks

Welcome to Florida's magnificent Dry Tortugas National Park located about 70 miles west of Key West. This park can only be accessed by seaplane or watercraft and consists of seven islands. Perhap's the park's most unique feature is it's historic Fort Jefferson, one of the largest 19th century forts in the United States. The fort was built between 1846 and 1875 in order to protect invading enemy ships from entering the Gulf of Mexico. This land first became a park on January 4, 1935 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designated it as Fort Jefferson National Monument. In 1983 the park grew in size and in the fall of 1992 Congress officially made it Dry Tortugas National Park.

Wildlife: Dry Tortugas National Park helps protect the home of many marine animals including some listed as threatened or endangered. Some of the wildlife include about 30 species of coral, nurse sharks, and sea turtles. Not all of the park's wildlife is aquatic, the park is also home to over 300 known species of birds. Please treat their home with respect when visiting.