Garden Key Campground
The Quick Take
Garden Key is one of the most extraordinary campgrounds in the entire national park system -- and one of the most demanding. You're camping on a tiny island seventy miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, inside the walls of a massive Civil War-era fort, with nothing but ocean, stars, and sea birds for company. There are only eight sites, no running water, no showers, and composting toilets. You pack everything in and pack everything out, including your trash. The ferry from Key West takes over two hours each way, and if you miss it, you're stuck. But that remoteness is exactly the point. Once the day-trippers leave on the afternoon boat, you have Fort Jefferson, the snorkeling, and some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States essentially to yourself. This is the campground for people who think most camping is too easy.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 8 sites are reservable.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
19 ADA-accessible campsites. Campsites are accessible by wheelchair as well as restrooms. Please note that campsites may be sandy and grassy. No Roads
Rules to Know
- Fires:Space is limited- 3 tents and 6 campers are the maximum allowed per site Do not attach anything to a tree, including camping gear Wood fires are prohibited- Gas camping stoves or charcoal briquettes placed in campsite BBQ unites are the only fires allowed Protect your foodstuffs- store your food in hard-sized containers or hang it from the posts provided.
- Occupancy:Space is limited- 3 tents and 6 campers are the maximum allowed per site Do not attach anything to a tree, including camping gear Wood fires are prohibited- Gas camping stoves or charcoal briquettes placed in campsite BBQ unites are the only fires allowed Protect your foodstuffs- store your food in hard-sized containers or hang it from the posts provided.
Pro Tips
The Yankee Freedom ferry sells out weeks in advance during peak season (November through April), and campers get priority boarding since you need the boat to reach the island. Book your ferry and campsite simultaneously -- having one without the other is useless. Cancellations do pop up, so check back frequently if your dates are sold out.
Bring more water than you think you need -- at least one gallon per person per day, plus extra. There is zero potable water on the island. Also bring hard-sided containers for all food storage; the resident rats are bold, experienced, and will absolutely defeat a soft cooler overnight.
Stay at least two nights if you can. The first evening after the ferry leaves is magical, but you'll spend much of day one setting up camp. A second full day lets you properly explore the fort, snorkel the moat wall and surrounding reef, and watch the sunset without rushing to break camp the next morning.
Photos
NPS Photo / Maria Belen Farias
NPS Photo / Maria Belen Farias
NPS Photo / Maria Belen FariasGetting There
Directions
Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most remote parks in the National Park System. Located approximately 70 miles west of Key West it is accessible only by a daily concession ferry, private boats, charter boats, or seaplane. There is no commercial airplane or car access to the island. Also if traveling to the island you need to make preparations for all needs as there are no facilities other than a small gift shop in the fort.
Get directions