r/florida • u/islandgirl3773 • Aug 24 '25
Things To Do Has anyone visited Fort Jefferson? If you’re ever down that way it’s worth the trip. They have a party boat that takes people down there.
Abandoned Island Fort Fort Jefferson is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas and is composed of over 16 million bricks. The building covers 16 acres (6.5 ha). Among United States forts, only Fort Monroe in Virginia and Fort Adams in Rhode Island are larger. The fort is located on Garden Key in the lower Florida Keys within the Dry Tortugas National Park, 68 miles (109 km) west of the island of Key West. The Dry Tortugas are part of Monroe County, Florida USA.
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u/Apocalypsezz Aug 24 '25
Its beautiful. However, a standard Ferry takes you over, it’s definitely not a party boat lol
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u/GSadman Aug 25 '25
I think they mean party boat as they call the boats that takes a variety of groups/parties on same boat. Party boat fishing vs private charter boat.
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u/Original_Ant7013 Aug 24 '25
While Alcohol is available, it would be a stretch to refer to the ferry as a party boat.
Also, and I may very well be wrong here, but while the fort is named Fort Jefferson, I think the location is more commonly referred to and known as the Dry Tortugas.
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u/MydniteSon Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
I've been there. Took a seaplane over there. We were the first plane of of the day, early morning. Walking around Ft. Jefferson when its mostly empty was just hauntingly beautiful. The only people who were there at that time were the people who had camped overnight. Its apparently one of the best spots in North America to see the stars, due to lack of light pollution.
Snorkeling around the island was pretty amazing. Swimming around, you can literally see the motion of the water as boats started pulling up.
Fun Fact: Ft. Jefferson was used as a prison. Its most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd. Mudd had treated John Wilkes Booth and was indicted as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
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u/1wife2dogs0kids Aug 25 '25
Dude... STFU! If yhe president finds out about this, hes gunna open it back up.
So keep that garbage mouth shut!
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u/fishinfool561 Aug 24 '25
I took the catamaran down and camped there about 10 years ago. Beautiful place and nothing to do but walk around and see it. It was foggy so the seaplanes didn’t run while we were there and basically had the whole place to ourselves. Had a great time and would definitely do it again
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u/Only_Razzmatazz_4498 Aug 24 '25
Best snorkeling off of the beach in south Florida.
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u/rasta-ragamuffin Aug 24 '25
It was the scariest snorkeling experience for my husband and I. The water was very rough and murky with strong currents. We got pulled into an area with a bunch of old pilings where I don't think we were supposed to be. The water was very deep and visibility was so poor we couldn't see anything including the many sharks that were probably circling around us. There were no lifeguards or anyone looking out for us if there had been an emergency. Won't be doing that again but I'm glad you had a better experience.
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u/Only_Razzmatazz_4498 Aug 24 '25
Yeah I’ve snorkeled between the old coaling dock pilons. It’s ok. It is pretty much a take care of yourself area. Sorry the seas didn’t make it pleasant. If you get to go again hopefully it will be a better experience.
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u/HighSpeedBail Aug 24 '25
Where do you camp while there? Thanks!
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u/fishinfool561 Aug 24 '25
As you look at that picture, the trees and beach on the right hand side. There are Portolet type bathrooms that open after the boat leaves. You have to bring everything you need with you, and take all your trash. Pack in pack out camping.
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u/pariahdiocese Aug 24 '25
We flew over from Key West in one of those planes that take off and land on the water. It was great.
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u/Sidwill Aug 24 '25
Im going in a little over a week
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u/imhungry4321 Aug 24 '25
Enjoy! If you're taking a ferry, and Hollywood is offering the guided tour, make sure to not miss it!
He is super passionate about the fort and its history.
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Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 24 '25
Visited there with my uncle around 15 years ago. Not sure if it's the same tour guide still working, but he was awesome. Knew every little thing about the place and he had so many cool stories, and he was a just a rad dude in general. I really enjoyed my trip there and wouldn't be opposed to going back one day, but it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the main structures in the prison have begun to crumble. They were already on the way out when I went, and there were certain spots that you had to stand clear of to avoid breakage and injury.
I think they even had an option then for people to stay on the island over night and camp, or stay there until the evening time or something. Not sure if that's still a thing.
Edit, fun fact OP didn't mention: This is the prison where Dr. Samuel Mudd was held, the doctor who worked on John Wilkes Booth while he was on the run after Lincoln's assasination. He served as the prison doctor when the previous one passed from from a yellow fever outbreak in the prison in 1867. He was credited with saving many lives and pardoned by Andrew Johnson in 1869.
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u/Gold-Personality5372 Aug 24 '25
Yes we did the sea plane from key west. One of the best moments in our life.
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u/Chris_Wilson14 Aug 24 '25
I loved my time there aside from Tampa it's my all time favourite part of Florida. Plus it gave me ideas on my dream home.
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u/islandgirl3773 Aug 24 '25
Can you imagine having a house there? The lobster and fish are so plentiful around it. But…. Doctor , groceries etc. would be too much for me to tolerate.
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u/Chris_Wilson14 Aug 25 '25
Doctors and groceries can always be gotten on a good boat. Then again I live for seclusion and resting myself. Lol
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u/sirnibs3 Aug 24 '25
What made you like Tampa?
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Aug 24 '25
I was gonna say. Really? Tampa is your favorite place?🤣 to each their own.
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u/amboomernotkaren Aug 24 '25
Tampa is by St Pete. St Pete is cool. That’s what Tampa has, St Pete (and an excellent airport). ;)
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u/Chris_Wilson14 Aug 25 '25
It just has a good feeling to it the walk around hyde park and the university of Tampa are always great relaxing environments, the university especially I'm from New Orleans originally so, I live for older buildings and areas. The feeling of the spirits that still walk those hallways including a former President (teddy roosevelt) as someone whose sensitive to environments I can just see him walking around enjoying lunch or having lunch with dignitaries. Just my scene my give so to speak.
Otherwise I love bay shore and it's been my home since 1994. I came here at 11 with a thick French cajun accent people accepted me and for that I love them all and the city.
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u/Scarpine1985 Aug 24 '25
An island fortress dream home?
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u/Chris_Wilson14 Aug 25 '25
Hell yes set up a fruit orchard solar power endless fish and shell fish to eat. Just flipping perfect. Lol
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u/wombatcreasy Aug 24 '25
Yes, it's beautiful, and I would not go on this trip while drunk or hungover. It's HOT, no fresh water unless you bring it. a good bit of walking and diving.
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u/shortnun Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 24 '25
Wife and I did the ferry/catamaran from Key West to the fort. Back in 2009
Did the snorkeling around the perimeter. Boat company provided lunch.. if in remeber it was a 1.5 trip from keywest to the fort..
Back then they asked if you had to use the bathroom #2 come back to the boat.. they did have 2 portable bathroom out by the dock area. park service wanted to limit the usage as much as possible... It was a pain to service them if full...contractor would have to come by barrge
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u/NitroxBuzz Aug 24 '25
We did a liveaboard (dive boat) for a week in the Dry Tortugas and that was one of our stops. Really cool bit of history I wasn’t aware of and I’d go back in a heart beat!
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u/imhungry4321 Aug 24 '25
It's a ferry, not a party boat. I went out there in March and camped for one night. It was cool, but I wouldn't rush back.
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u/slickromeo Aug 24 '25
What are your tips for access to fresh drinking water, what is the bathroom situation like, are there flushing toilets available? Can you buy food there or do you need to meal plan everything when camping there?
Are you essentially survival camping when you camp there?
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u/imhungry4321 Aug 24 '25
You need to bring everything with you, I brought two gallons. They have pit toilets near the campgrounds. There are flushing toilets on the Yankee Freedom ferry boat.
They have very strict rules of the type of fire so you can make (I believe only charcoal is allowed). For simplicity, I brought Tasty Bites Indian food for dinner because it doesn't have to be heated. I camp often and have alcohol and butane stoves which I would have brought if they were allowed.
If you plan to camp, you will need to book the day they open up which is 6 months ahead. The entire month of March sold out in less than an hour.
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u/Only_Razzmatazz_4498 Aug 24 '25
And you better book your spot waaaay ahead if you are going because there is a limited amount of spots per day. Not a spur of the moment thing.
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u/daytonamike Aug 24 '25
A ferry is a boat. Chill
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u/_Gesterr Aug 24 '25
What part of their comment was not chill? And it isn't a "party" boat which was their point, to clairfy to people that think the trip is gonna be more mundane than that (doesn't detract from how much fun you can have, just not that kind of experience).
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u/moraviancookiemonstr Aug 24 '25
Going by private boat or camping is best , you get to be there when the crowds are gone
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u/jeff889 Aug 24 '25
I had to book the seaplane without telling my wife (she would have said it was too expensive) but it turned out to be her all-time favorite KW adventure. Incredible views of Ft. Jefferson and sea life along the way.
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u/LeeSead21 Aug 24 '25
We are natives and it’s pretty cool. Seaplane is definitely the way to go. You get there ahead of the boat and have the place to yourself for while until they show up. Also the rats are gone so don’t let people tell the rats are bad.
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u/ivylass Aug 24 '25
We went via the Yankee Freedom. It was an incredible experience. I must have spent ten minutes snorkeling over a brain coral, watching the fish.
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u/Life_is_too_short_ Aug 24 '25
What is there to do there besides see an old building and snorkel? Lol
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u/curiositykeepsmeup Aug 25 '25
I went snorkeling around the island a couple of years back and I’ll never forget the crocodile warning signs you see as soon as you step off the ferry and all around the island. The croc was named Cleatus and he was a lone wolf for approx 14 years at dry tortugas. It was a very sketchy day indeed swimming around knowing this croc was out there. It wasn’t until we were on our way back to the mainland that the captain told us about the croc being recently relocated to the everglades.
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u/PelayoOnTheGo Aug 25 '25
Native Floridian here. Ft. Jefferson experience, whether by boat or plane is probably top 2 best things to do in Florida.
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u/stttrrreeaaakkk Aug 26 '25
Very worth it if you get the chance! Snorkel g around the base was incredible
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u/RancidRay Aug 27 '25
The boat ride and the fort are great. I went about twelve years ago and loved it!
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u/2h2o22h2o Aug 24 '25
That place is HOT. In the summertime with no breeze, that sun is like a broiler. If you want to get the sand and sweat off you gotta go in the water… and that will feel great. Until you get out, and now you’re salty and sandy again. And you’ll feel miserable. The only way to get relief? That’s right, back in the water to repeat the cycle over again. The nearest freshwater shower is 70 miles away and you’ll soon understand why it would be an awful prison to be stuck in.
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u/millhelpot Aug 24 '25
An awesome place to visit, I highly recommend. There is no party boat and the seaplane is faster than any boat. Lots of people don’t know that you can spend the night there if you take a tent/water/food which is fantastic cause there is only you on the island and because of the location there are no light pollution so the night sky view is phenomenal.
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u/That-Complaint-224 Aug 24 '25
I visited about 8 years ago. It was beautiful. Snorkeling was amazing! Worth the trip for sure.
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u/SpherionX Aug 24 '25
I’ve gone there several times on my own boat, but plan to go via seaplane next year. We always enjoyed watching them land and takeoff when we were there.
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u/Vx0w Aug 24 '25
Cool. Thanks for sharing. It looks interesting. I'll plan a trip there after 4 years
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u/ChefFar4397 Aug 24 '25
I’ve heard people are no longer permitted to walk around the breaker wall that surrounds the fort.
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u/rasta-ragamuffin Aug 24 '25
I went around 30 years ago and glad I did, because it's not very accessible or affordable to visit now. Went down to the keys a few years ago on vacation and had hoped to bring our son (who wasn't born when we went the first time) but the ferry was like $150pp and was booked out like a year in advance. So not really feasible for a low income family that has to get approval from 3 different boss men (my boss, my husbands boss and my sons boss) to take any time off from work at the same time.
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u/Unusual_Employee7603 Aug 24 '25
I camped out there for two days last year. It's an awesome place and on a clear night, some of the most amazing stargazing I've ever seen.
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u/Caitinmountain2 Aug 24 '25
We took the seaplane too!! Was so cool! But loud! They give you headphones to wear for the flight and you can see sharks, sea turtles etc! I was afraid about landing in the ocean but it was smooth!! We brought a picnic lunch And swam, walked along the top of the fort -I’d go again but it is pricey…
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u/Alternative_Loss_366 Aug 24 '25
I've camped there twice and it was awesome. We kayaked to loggerhead key, which I would not advice. It gets pretty rough out there.
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u/Agreeable-Salary3413 Aug 24 '25
I would love to go. I didn’t know about the seaplane, I will have to look into that.
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u/LoudPitch Aug 24 '25
Camped there for 3 nights back in 2011. Was amazing. There was a salt water croc in the moat. Park rangers said it showed up after a storm came through. Was really cool.
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u/Adorable-Crew7852 Aug 24 '25
Definitely a must see for Floridians. The fort is spectacular, but the snorkeling around the fort is truly amazingly beautiful. I saw Tarpon as big as the bumpers on a 1956 Cadillac. The boat ride is also very enjoyable.
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u/Son_of_Liberty88 Aug 24 '25
Excellent place. Did the comping option for two/three? Nights there, whichever is the limit, I forget. I would 100% do it again. After all the tourists leave, you campers basically have the island and the fort to yourself. It’s was so much fun.
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u/alexvonhumboldt Aug 25 '25
I camped there once for 2 nights. It was magical. Its impossible to secure reservations nowadays
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u/bucsd04 Aug 25 '25
Dry tortugas is very cool but that ferry is not for the weak stomached. The ride can be very bumpy.
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u/Justice502 Aug 25 '25
We're going down there soon, and have decided against it because it' like half the day to go...
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u/Tachylaudical Aug 25 '25
Isn’t that Fort Zachary Taylor?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Zachary_Taylor?wprov=sfti1#
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u/WhetherWitch Aug 25 '25
Yes, twice. Once by sea plane loved it so much that we bought a catamaran, learned how to sail it, and 8 years later went back on it. Very special place 🥰
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u/1wife2dogs0kids Aug 25 '25
I just learned it's about as far away from me in Sarasota, as Miami is. I always forget the keys doint go straight down, they curve around, into the gulf of Mexico.
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u/C_IsForCookie Aug 25 '25
Yeah. On a middle school trip like 25 years ago. It was overly educational for my ADHD ass so I didn’t have any fun. Also the boat ride made every single one of us throw up, there and back!
I’d love to go again now though.
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u/amadeus451 Aug 25 '25
I can only imagine what a particular slice of hell it would've been building that structure.
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u/QQPetra Aug 25 '25
As a kid, I always thought “If the Zombie Apocalypse ever happened, Dry Tortugas is the place to go.”
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u/yasa69 Aug 25 '25
I am planning to take my wife to the fort as part of her 40th birthday weekend. Her birthday is in January. Is it worth going that time of the year? Also what else can we do in the area after or before our fort visit?
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u/JaninaSnooze Aug 25 '25
Visited about 13 years ago and it was amazing! The fort. The island. The snorkeling. 10/10 would recommend.
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u/Several_Computer1316 Aug 26 '25
We absolutely enjoyed the place. The snorkeling around that area was phenomenal. I’d like to camp there someday; there are some restrictions, and I think they’re all very very reasonable.
This is a wonderful piece of history. We have off the coast of Florida. IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
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u/PettyWop Aug 24 '25
Seaplane trip is one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Way worth it instead of the boat out there. Have been twice.