Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park
Fort Jefferson and Garden Key
Map
Interactive map of the park and its islands
LocationMonroe County, Florida, United States
Nearest cityKey West
Coordinates24°37′43″N 82°52′24″W / 24.62861°N 82.87333°W / 24.62861; -82.87333
Area64,701 acres (261.84 km2)[2]
EstablishedJanuary 4, 1935
Visitors56,810 (in 2018)[3]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
Websitenps.gov/drto Edit this at Wikidata
Dry Tortugas
National Park Service map of the Dry Tortugas
Map
Geography
Locationend of the Florida Keys, United States
Coordinates24°38′00″N 82°55′12″W / 24.63333°N 82.92000°W / 24.63333; -82.92000
ArchipelagoFlorida Keys
Adjacent toGulf of Mexico
Total islands7
Major islandsGarden Key
Area10,000,000 acres (4,000,000 ha)
Highest elevation10 ft (3 m)[4]

Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park of the United States located about 68 miles (109 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, in the United States. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago's coral reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs.

The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, colorful coral reefs, and shipwrecks and sunken treasures. The park's centerpiece is Fort Jefferson, a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. Fort Jefferson is the largest brick masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere,[5][6] composed of more than 16 million bricks. Dry Tortugas is unique in its combination of a largely undisturbed tropical ecosystem with significant historic artifacts. The park is accessible only by seaplane or boat and has averaged about 63,000 visitors annually in the period from 2008 to 2017.[3] Activities include snorkeling, picnicking, birdwatching, camping, scuba diving, saltwater fishing and kayaking. Overnight camping is limited to eight primitive campsites at the Garden Key campground, located just south of Fort Jefferson.[7]

Dry Tortugas National Park is part of the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve, established by UNESCO in 1976 under its Man and the Biosphere Programme.[8]

  1. ^ "Protected Planet | Dry Tortugas National Park". Protected Planet. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  2. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-03-06. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  3. ^ a b "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  4. ^ "Loggerhead Key High Point". Peakbagger.com.
  5. ^ "National Park Service Dry Tortugas National Park". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2010-10-11. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  6. ^ Herndon, David (November–December 2001). "Trips: Florida's Dry Tortugas National Park". National Geographic Adventure. Archived from the original on November 9, 2001. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  7. ^ "Discover Dry Tortugas National Park & Fort Jefferson in the Florida Keys". Trips To Discover. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Everglades & Dry Tortugas". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2016.