NationalParkEntry

FL · Southeast

Dry Tortugas National Park entry requirements

Yankee Freedom ferry applies at Dry Tortugas every day of 2026. An entrance fee applies. Check any visit date against the official 2026 rules.

The 2026 season at Dry Tortugas

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

Yankee Freedom ferry applies on every date in 2026.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

  1. Park entrance

    Required

    You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.

    • Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
    • An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
    • Per-person fee only - there are no roads and no vehicles, so there is no vehicle rate. How you pay depends entirely on how you arrive: the ferry ticket already includes it, the seaplane collects it before departing Key West, and private boaters buy a digital pass on Recreation.gov or pay at Garden Key. The park does not accept cash at the boathouse.

  2. Timed entry

    Not applicable

    Dry Tortugas National Park has no timed-entry system.

  3. Vehicle, road, or corridor

    Not applicable

    Dry Tortugas National Park has no vehicle, road, or parking permit system.

  4. Shuttle

    Required all year

    Yankee Freedom ferry applies on every date in 2026.

    • Yankee Freedom ferry

      Dates
      Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
      Hours
      All day
      Fee
      The ferry fare is set by the commercial operator, not NPS, and is not published on nps.gov.
      Opens
      On sale now

      Applies to Key West to Garden Key, about 70 miles (113 km) west

      • The ferry fare is set by the commercial operator, not NPS, and is not published on nps.gov. The $15 entrance fee is bundled into it.
      • You can instead arrive by seaplane, by private vessel, or with a permitted tour guide or charter.
      • Cars cannot reach the park at all.
      • A ferry ticket includes the park entrance fee but not camping fees. The ferry is limited to 10 camping passengers per day, and compressed gas canisters are not allowed onboard.
    • Key West Seaplane Charters: The seaplane does not offer transport for campers.
    Book on drytortugas.com

  5. Your campground or lodging

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • Garden Key camping is first-come, first-served - no reservation, but transport is the real limit. Large groups of 10-20 people DO require an advance reservation with the park. Everyone who arrives is guaranteed a place to camp, even if that means the shared overflow area.

  6. Selected activity

    Not applicable

    Dry Tortugas National Park has no headline activity permit that visitors confuse with entry.

Fees and passes

Per person, on foot or bicycle$15
Valid for7 days

Per-person fee only - there are no roads and no vehicles, so there is no vehicle rate. How you pay depends entirely on how you arrive: the ferry ticket already includes it, the seaplane collects it before departing Key West, and private boaters buy a digital pass on Recreation.gov or pay at Garden Key. The park does not accept cash at the boathouse.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

A pass covers the $15 entrance fee but never the ferry or seaplane fare, which is the real cost and the real bottleneck. It also does not cover camping fees. Golden Age and Golden Access holders get 50% off camping.

Fee-free days

  • Feb 16, 2026
  • May 25, 2026
  • Jun 14, 2026
  • Jul 3, 2026
  • Jul 4, 2026
  • Jul 5, 2026
  • Aug 25, 2026
  • Sep 17, 2026
  • Oct 27, 2026
  • Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

  • Garden Key and the rest of the parkDry Tortugas per-person entrance fee, 7 consecutive days · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

  • Dry Tortugas per-person entrance fee, 7 consecutive daysNot covered by an in-park booking. Ferry tickets include the entrance fee but explicitly do not include camping fees, which are paid separately on Garden Key.
  • Yankee Freedom ferry - the main public way to reach the park, books out months aheadPartly covered by an in-park booking. A ferry ticket includes the park entrance fee but not camping fees. The ferry is limited to 10 camping passengers per day, and compressed gas canisters are not allowed onboard.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Dry Tortugas?
Yes. Dry Tortugas National Park requires Yankee Freedom ferry to enter. It applies to Key West to Garden Key, about 70 miles (113 km) west. You can instead arrive by seaplane, by private vessel, or with a permitted tour guide or charter. You still pay the entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Dry Tortugas?
Yes. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

  • Dry Tortugas per-person entrance feePrivate boaters and private-seaplane arrivals should buy a digital pass on Recreation.gov in advance and print or download it, because there is no cell service or Wi-Fi at the park.
  • Yankee Freedom ferryBooked directly with the ferry operator at drytortugas.com or 1-800-634-0939. NPS publishes no release date or release time and no fare - it warns only that reservations are limited and sell out months in advance.

Official booking and park information

What this does not cover

  • Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
  • Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
  • Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
  • Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
  • Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

  • Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceThe entrance fee for Dry Tortugas National Park is $15.00 per person and is good for 7 consecutive days. Any person 15 years old and under is exempt from paying an entrance fee.
  • Fees & Passes - Dry Tortugas National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Dry Tortugas per-person entrance feePrivate boaters can purchase a pass prior to arrival at Garden Key or at the boathouse upon arrival for all those aged 16 years and older. Note: Cash is not accepted. NOTE: Entrance fees are not required for those simply transiting through the park without stopping.
  • Camping - Dry Tortugas National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Yankee Freedom ferryCamping transportation is limited to private vessel, permitted tour guides, or commercial ferry. Reservations on the Yankee Freedom ferry are limited and sell out months in advance. ... the ferry is limited to 10 camping passengers per day.
  • Directions - Dry Tortugas National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Key West Seaplane ChartersDry Tortugas National Park is a remote island about 70-miles (113 km) west of Key West, Florida. Cars are not able to access the island. The only methods of transportation are by boat or seaplane.
  • Fees & Passes - Dry Tortugas National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Garden Key camping is first-comeCamping fees are paid through Recreation.gov Scan & Pay using the Recreation.gov mobile app. ... Individual Campsites: $15 per night, per site. Group Campsite: $30 per night. Reservations required. Children under 16 years old are free.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Dry Tortugas, not by editorial preference.