After hitting Miami, one of the highlights of our most recent trip was visiting two national parks in Florida! We went to Dry Tortguas National Park as a day trip from Key West, and it was easily our favorite excursion of the entire vacation. Then we also explored part of the Everglades, another amazing national park in Florida. Everglades is a vast park so we were already talking about our next visit via another entrance.
Dry Tortugas
Have you heard of Dry Tortguas National Park before? I hadn’t until last year and only discovered it from a gorgeous pin I noticed on Pinterest. It’s fascinating where travel inspiration comes from! Because of my obsession with national parks, it quickly became part of my travel list, and I decided it would be a perfect excursion during the winter season. The Dry Tortugas, which is a group of 7 islands, were discovered by Ponce De Leon in 1513 and were named because of the concentration of turtles found there and because there’s no freshwater on the islands. Dry Tortguas National Park is located in the Gulf of Mexico about 70 miles west of Key West. You can only get there by either the Yankee Freedom II ferry, by seaplane, or by private boat. We chose to take the ferry and thoroughly enjoyed our 2+ hour boat road to reach the island.
Upon arrival, you’re greeted by the giant and impressive Fort Jefferson, which was built during the Civil War to defend the Gulf from enemies and safeguard trade routes. It also served as a military prison, and the doctor who set Lincoln’s assassin’s leg was imprisoned here. Fun fact: It is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere and is composed of over 16 million bricks! It’s a fun place to explore both the corridors and prison cells within and to enjoy the views while walking on top of the fort.
In addition to its history, Dry Tortugas has a lot of nature to enjoy. You can snorkel out to the coral reef and take in the sights beneath the crystal clear water, including coral heads, urchins, and a variety of fish. There’s also a moat around the fort that’s perfect for taking a stroll, and you can even see coral formations from above. The park is a haven for birdwatchers and beachgoers as well if you’re not into snorkeling. It’s such a stunning park to visit and realize you’re still on US soil!
Everglades
We ended our 2015 by spending New Year’s Eve day on Dry Tortugas. Two days later we visited our first park of 2016, which marks the centennial year of national parks. After all Meagan and I are both trying for 12 trips in 12 months this year! Everglades National Park protects a fragile ecosystem that includes mangroves, hammocks, and lowlands. Its most famous residents are alligators and crocodiles, but you can also see manatees and a ton of species of birds.
The three entrances to the park are Shark Valley, Royal Palm or Gulf Coast. We opted to enter using the Royal Palm Visitor’s Center in the South of the park, but you do have options. Our first activity was a walk on the boardwalk on the Anhinga Trail, a prime spot for wildlife viewing. The weather was sunny and beautiful, and it made for gorgeous reflections on the water.
One of the best ways to see the park is to get out on the water in a boat, canoe or kayak. It’s always such a peaceful experience to paddle through mangroves and keep an eye out for different creatures!
Don’t miss sunset if you’re still in the park! While watching the sunset at one of the trails, we watched a spectacle of birds flapping rhythmically across the water. It was a surreal way to end the day in the park!
Do you have any tips for these two Florida national parks? What national park do you plan to visit this year for the centennial?
