Skip to main content

Florida Friday; Dry Tortugas National Park

Undoubtedly the most scenic of the three National Parks in Florida is Dry Tortugas which I was able to visit in 2013 and 2014.


The Dry Tortugas are the western most seven Keys in the Florida Keys chain of islands.  The Dry Tortugas are about 68 miles west of Key West and are about 2.5-3 hours away by catamaran from Key West Bight.  Dry Tortugas National Park is known for Fort Jefferson located on Garden Key which also happens to be the largest masonry fort built by the United States.

A journey from Key West to Dry Tortugas via catamaran starts at the Key West Bight Terminal on Grinnell Street.  In addition to the Dry Tortugas service there is also a ferry line to Fort Myers.  There are some nice views of Trumbo Point, Mallory Square, Wisteria Island, and Tank Island pulling out of port.










Three to twelve miles west of Key West are the derelict Mule Keys.  The Mule Keys aren't really all that different than the rest of the Florida Keys chain aside from being mostly uninhabited or off limits.  In total there 12 named Mule Keys and Ballast Key is the only one that actually has a home on it.





About six miles west of the Mule Keys the Marquesas Key are separated by Boca Grande Channel.  The Marquesas Keys are far less defined than the Mule Keys and generally have mangrove overgrowth connect much of the islets.  There is a tiny harbor called Mooney Harbor nestled between all the mangrove overgrowth.  The Marquesas Keys were once used for bombing runs out of the Avon Park Bombing Range.





The Dry Tortugas are 36 miles west of the Marquesas Keys.  There is a deep channel between the Marquesas Keys and Dry Tortugas which usually makes for rough sailing.  Fort Jefferson is very apparent from a distance as the structure is rather large and tends to dominate the sight lines.


Although Fort Jefferson is on Garden Key it has largely merged together with nearby Bush Key and Long Key into one island.  Access to Bush Key is off limits due to a bird nesting area.


Construction on Fort Jefferson began in 1846 and never really stopped until masonry forts were rendered obsolete during the Civil War.  Fort Jefferson is surrounded by a large moat which separates it from the open waters.







The lighthouse on top of Fort Jefferson was built in 1877 to replace an earlier structure that dated back to 1824.


The interior of Fort Jefferson is massive with a double deck structure.  My understanding is that the regular enlisted quarters were meant to be on the third level but were never completed.  There is all sorts of ruins of officer housing and munition bunkers on the ground level of the fort.  Dr. Samuel Mudd's prison cell which he was housed in following the Lincoln assassination from 1865 to 1867 is on the first level of the fort.












The second floor of Fort Jefferson has much more narrow brick openings than the first floor and has more narrow corridors.








The third level has unobstructed views of the Dry Tortugas Light on Loggerhead Key as well as high views of the fort structure.  The Garden Key Lighthouse can be approached but is closed off.










Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bridgeport Covered Bridge

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California's longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world.  Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.   The history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge The history of Bridgeport Covered Bridge was featured in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works .  Bridgeport Covered Bridge was constructed during 1862 over the South Fork Yuba River.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge served as part of the Virginia Turnpike Company maintained Henness Pass Roa

Former California State Route 215

  California State Route 215 was a short-lived state highway which existed in the Los Angeles Metropolitain area after the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 215 was aligned from US Route 60 at 5th Street in Pomona north to US Route 66 near Claremont via Garey Avenue.  California State Route 215 came to be after California State Route 71 was bisected in Pomona due to relinquishment of a portion of Garey Avenue due to the opening of a portion of the Corona Freeway (now Chino Valley Freeway) during 1958.  California State Route 215 was deleted by the Legislature during 1965. The history of California State Route 215 The initial segment of what was to become California State Route 215 was added to the State Highway System as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined what would become  Legislative Route Number 19  (LRN 19) as running from Claremont to Riverside.  The segment of LRN 19 between Claremont and Pomona would in

US Route 70 over San Augustin Pass

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range.   Part 1; the history of highway designations over San Augustin Pass San Augustin Pass traditionally has been the easiest from the Rio Grande in Las Cruces east to the Tularosa Basin.  The terrain conditions at San Augustin Pass allowed for an easy crossing in the gap between the Organ Mountains