Backpacker's Private Island Experience - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

If you wanna go, go! So for Christmas 2012, we just decided to get a rental car and drive 24+ hours to Florida!

Our main target to visit was Dry Tortugas National Park this time. (Info: http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm) This was my second time visit the keys. The last time I stopped by all the keys and Key West, and missed out on Dry Tortugas. Dry Tortugas National Park is 70 miles west of Key West. It previous was a prison but became Fort Jefferson. One can get there with ferry or a small plane.

We spent 2 night 3 days in Dry Tortugas camping on 12/24, 12/25, leaving 12/26. (The whole trip was a little over $400 for two people!)

We arrived on Dry Tortugas by Ferry (Info: http://www.drytortugas.com/key-west-camping). 

• Must be at the ferry dock by 5:30 AM. Address: Ferry Terminal 100 Grinnell St, Key West, FL. Ferry ride is about 2 hours.
• Parking: City Parking Garage on Grinnell Street. $13/day.
• Cost of Ferry + Camping (12/2012): $174 per person.

The tour was wonderful, there was a guide from the National Park to show us around the fort, and explained about the history of the island. You will learn about how the island got its name and the story of Dr. Mudd who was prisoned here because he saved the injured assassin of President Lincoln. The lunch time is free time and you can snorkel and walk about the fort and leave on the same day.

Because of the holiday, we basically share the entire island with 5 other camping families. It was peaceful and fun! We loved the idea of camping for a few days because we had the whole island all to ourselves after everyone departed. We did bought our own snorkels and wet suits (it was a little chilly in December) so we can do that any time.

Speaking of camping, there is no fresh water on the island, so you need to bring gallon jars of water and your own food, charcoal, toilet paper, no showers (you get the drill). We could make a nice meals with a cooler full of fresh food but we decided to bring freeze dried food food instead due to convenience. Washing dishes was easy, just wash with the sea water.

You can do a lot on the island!!

You can walk around, bird watching, and take pictures.

You can snorkel. 

You can even go fishing and kayaking (pictures of other travelers. You need to bring your own equipment).

Release after catching. Note: You can see shark & Goliath grouper :)

Anyone can be a budget traveler and enjoy "first class" private island experience here!

The sunset of Dry Tortugas is AMAZING!