fort jefferson

I absolutely loved our time at Fort Jefferson. You had your own private island basically. The best way to go is Key West Seaplane Adventures. You get there after the ferry leaves with about 40 of your closes friends..lol and you are left on the island for 2 -3 hrs with only 8 people!! You MUST take the time to go out there! It is soooo peacefully and so beautiful!

Take a 2+ hour trip on a pretty fast boat from the docks in Key West to Fort Jefferson. The trip includes lunch and be for warned anything you bring with you...soda cans, wrappings, etc, must all leave with you.It can be pretty hot during the summer so stay hydrated.The place is extremely fascinating from a historical perspective and the views of the emerald water around you are spectacular.I spent an hour snorkeling from the old boat dock and it is like getting into a tropical fish tank....the fish are beautiful.We will definitely be going back !

We went here with our daughter (12) to see the fort. As a note it is a 2 1/2 hour ferry ride there, and when you arrive, there is really not much to "do" on the island aside from sight seeing. The fort itself and grounds are lovely but some of the walking was on the roof top which could be dangerous for young children. My daughter in general was a little bored here, so I would recommend it for older teens personally. We enjoyed it but it really wasnt a family day activity. Another 2 1/2 hour ferry ride back made for a long day in rough waters. For the amount we paid for this I honestly didnt think it was the best use of money.

You've got it all when you get there, history, nature, scuba diving, beach... What else could you ask for? Enjoy the great national park!

This park and fort has a very deep, diversified and colorful history. Our 2 1/2 stay was not long enough. We spent our time completely canvassing the fort and then a walk along the beach to the bird sanctuary taking many photos. We had planned to snorkel, but by then we had run out of time. Overall experience: our trip was fantastic. If you go by ferry you have more time on the key versus the seaplane. Each has there own advantages. Just go! Plan your trip on good weather days.

This is a definite must do! The boat ride each way takes 2 1/2 hours but well worth it! Breakfast and lunch is included in the price of your ticket! You get there around 10:30 AM. The Park Rangers give 3 different hour long guided tours. We took the 10:45 AM tour and then went back to the boat for lunch. After lunch we explored the fort inside and out! So much interesting history! An engineering feat for the time...over 16 million bricks used. And the views are fabulous! You can also snorkel and play in the water! We walked the moat walkway and saw some beautiful fish! It was a trip we will remember well! We love our national parks!!!!!!!!

This is one of the least-visited national parks and it is gorgeous. Of course, it takes some effort to get here by boat or plane...maybe a little sea-sickness, maybe a little heat exhaustion, that sort of thing. But it isn't overwhelming and the rewards are worth it. Best snorkeling in the Keys and we've snorkeled all over the place. It is so incredible to have the beautiful water, amazing coral, and the history of the fort in one place. Also a fantastic place to go birding!

What a history this fort has had in the founding...to protect the sea lanes and the early years of the US and it's Naval forces. As well as a safe harbor for ships traveling the Gulf when a bad storm approaches. It's so remote, no phone or internet signals...good! No one yakking on their phones or clicking out text messages...that in itself makes the day special as you can kick back and enjoy the day learning about history, enjoying nature and relaxing!The Park Services folks were great as well...lot of pride in their work and very nice to speak with regarding anything at the fort.The story of Fort Jefferson is so cool and after a 2.5 hour boat ride, it's a welcome sight to see in the middle of the vast waters of the Gulf.

Everything was great about this trip. The staff and service, the food, the tour, the whole day was great. We didn't get to snorkel because we are nosy and wanted to see more of the fort. We heard the water was too cold anyway. But the setting is just beautiful and I would love to go back and camp. We took the ferry and were entertained with videos and a tour guide and a decent cold breakfast. Most people were passed out on the way back. The Fort is solar powered and they use composting toilets. But the facilities on the Ferry are clean. It was an awesome trip I've wanted to take for years and I'm so glad we finally made it. I would go again.

Very remote, about 70 miles from Key West in the middle of the gulf. There is a ferry you can take ($170 for an adult) or you can take a plane. We took the ferry and you get a breakfast on the way there. It was small (eggs, toast, grapes, etc.) but filling. There weren't too many people on the boat and plenty of seats (I even slept on the way back). The Fort was great. You can sign up to take a tour or you can just walk around. You're there about 4 hours. You can also swim & snorkel which is absolutely stunning (so bring your swimsuit!). They also serve lunch which is sandwiches, chips, cookies, pop, etc. If you fly your travel time is a lot shorter but note that there are no bathrooms at Ft. Jefferson. If you take the ferry, you can use the bathrooms and the showers on board to rinse off sand. Very expensive, very remote but worth it to me. For me it was a once in a lifetime adventure so I'm glad I went.

We thoroughly enjoyed our vist to the Fort. Beautiful day in mid November Veterens Day 2014. Great guided tours as well as snorkeling snd camping. Prep the kids though there is NO cell reception because there are no cell towers. This is a National park and kept up as such. Looking forward to coming back

We checked the reviews about ferry v. sea plane to Dry Tortugas (from Key West), and though I was apprehensive beforehand the sea plane trip turned out to be wonderful. Each of the 10 passengers gets a headset and you hear details from the pilot (and some great music!) about the history and environment you're flying over. We were able to see a lot of sea turtles, fish and even dolphins from the air.We had a great afternoon on the island. There was enough time to explore the fort, snorkel, and eat leisurely (bring snacks and beverages) before the flight back. We heard there were a lot of beautiful jellyfish on the north side of the island that day, but I was happy that the side we were on had only a few. If you're worried about stings, stop at Ron Jon's in Key West and get a rashguard (it's like a spandex wetsuit top, ours were on sale on a closeout rack) and some Safe Sea, which is a cream sunscreen that is also supposed to help avert stings. These were not particularly cheap and not a perfect defense against getting stung, but it worked fine for us. As we left we gave our extra bottle of Safe Sea to a couple of campers, I hope it worked for them too!Dry Tortugas was an amazing and unforgettable experience, and pristine environments like this are vanishing fast. I'm glad we went, and I'm glad the National Park Service is taking such good care of the island and waters there.

I'm not an architect or history buff, went to Dry Tortugas to camp and walked the Fort. Would have taken the guided tour but it didn't work out, we took self tour. Maps, signs and information help, if you come over on the ferry they have a nice video about the Fort that increased our appreciation of things we saw without a guide, the boats from Cuban refuges were very interesting. Loved taking pictures of the doorways, arches and windows to the sea. After walking two levels got tired and wanted to call it quits but found a round stairway and went to the top. A must see! even though the awesome undertaking of consistent brick work and history are amazing on the main levels, the top is like a different place. View of ocean, mounted guns, the inside court yard, nice. Gift shop was very small, I would have liked to have gotten a sticker, but none. There's an interactive area with a short 3D move but the table with old journals and letters from when the place was being built and occupied intertained us for and hour. If you're not going to snorkel and are only there for the day it's a nice destination, defiantly walk the Moat Wall if you can. Kind of pricey at about $170 pp for ferry but a good opera ticket or quality basket ball game would be close. If old building/castles are your thing, for architecture, pictures or romance, it's amazing! The ferry ride over and back is very nice if you have sea legs, otherwise bring dramamine! The plane ride is great with its arial views and shorter travel time but pricey at $515 per person.

Fort Jefferson is awesome. The boat ride over was nice--saw some sea turtles and flying fish. The crew was great. We toured the fort, then went back on the boat for lunch. Then it was time for some awesome snorkeling. The whole trip was beautiful. I highly recommend taking this trip. I just wish we could've stayed longer.

What an amazing place. The Fort rises from the sea as you approach by boat (can only be reached by boat or sea plane) and you can not grasp the mense size of the structure until you are inside. A must see!!