Both run under a National Park Service concession, but the boats to Cumberland Island on the Georgia coast and to Dry Tortugas off Key West could hardly be more different in scale. Cumberland's ferry takes about 45 minutes and charges an adult $44 for the round trip, with the $15 National Seashore fee paid separately to the NPS. The Yankee Freedom takes about 2 hours 15 minutes each way to cover 70 miles, charges an adult $260, and already includes the $15 park fee.
The schedule is just as simple and much less flexible: a single 8:00 a.m. departure from Key West and a single 3:00 p.m. return, daily. The NPS reckons on roughly 4.5 hours ashore, enough for the fort tour, lunch and a swim off the beach, but there is no later boat if you miss this one.
What you are paying for is mostly distance and logistics. The day includes breakfast, lunch, snorkel equipment and a narrated 45-minute tour of Fort Jefferson; the catamaran has three restrooms, freshwater rinse showers and a galley, because Garden Key has none of those things for day visitors.
One departure at eight, one return at three
Every day of the year
| From Key West Ferry Terminal | From Garden Key dock, Fort Jefferson |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | 15:00 |
Day-trip itinerary published by Yankee Freedom on its day-trip, camping and FAQ pages, read October 15, 2026; the operator states the trip runs all year Yankee Freedom — Day Trips: itinerary · 2026-10-15
What the ticket covers, and the $15 the park gets
At Dry Tortugas the National Park Service charges $15 a head from age 16, and the pass it buys lasts a week. Ferry passengers do not pay it separately: Yankee Freedom includes it in every eligible ticket. That is why each adult fare comes in two versions, $15 apart. If you hold an America the Beautiful pass, a veteran's ID or an Every Kid Outdoors pass, book the "with National Park Pass" fare for up to four adults or seniors per pass and show the pass at check-in; book the standard fare and the operator refunds the fee when you show it that morning.
Breakfast snack, box lunch, snorkel gear and a 45-minute guided tour of the fort are included. Camping fees are not: campers pay the NPS directly through the Recreation.gov Scan & Pay app.
| Adult (17–61) | $ 260 |
| Senior (62+) or student (17+, ID) | $ 250 |
| Active military or spouse | $ 250 |
| Child (4–16) | $ 220 |
| Adult with pass | $ 245 |
| Senior or student with pass | $ 235 |
| Entrance, per person 16+ (in the ferry fare) | $ 15 |
| Entrance, under 16 | Free |
| Campsite, per night | $ 15 |
| Group campsite, per night | $ 30 |
Day-trip prices shown by Yankee Freedom's booking page on October 15, 2026 (read twice that day); NPS entrance and camping fees from the park's Fees & Passes page, updated May 26, 2026 Yankee Freedom — Rates & Reservations · 2026-10-15
From Grinnell Street to the fort's own dock
There is only one public dock at the far end, and from mid-morning to mid-afternoon the ferry occupies it. The Key West end is ordinary city waterfront; the Garden Key end is a national park with nothing for sale, so bring what you need for the day. Florida's other park boat on this site, the Caladesi Island ferry on the Gulf Coast, splits the bill the other way: ferry ticket from the operator, gate fee to the state park.
Key West Ferry Terminal
The Yankee Freedom leaves from the city ferry terminal in the Historic Seaport, at the end of Grinnell Street. Adults must show photo ID at check-in, which opens at 7:00 a.m. for day visitors; boarding starts at 7:30. Reservations are held only until ten minutes before departure, so a late arrival can lose the seat.
Key West has no free parking. The operator points drivers to the city garage at 300 Grinnell Street, across the corner from the terminal, at $40 a day. Campers can stop in front of the terminal to unload gear first, then move the car.
Garden Key dock, Fort Jefferson
The ferry ties up at the main dock on Garden Key, right outside Fort Jefferson, and the NPS keeps that dock clear for it from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are no shops or restaurants on the island, no public restrooms apart from the boat's, and no cell signal; the park itself does not accept cash.
Bush Key next door is closed from February to mid-September for nesting birds, and Loggerhead Key, three miles west, is reached only by private boat, kayak or charter, not on the ferry trip.
Seventy miles west, past the Marquesas
The route leaves the Florida Keys behind entirely. From Key West the catamaran heads west past the Marquesas Keys and Boca Grande, crosses open water and reaches the park boundary about two hours and ten minutes out. Garden Key, home of Fort Jefferson, is one of seven low keys in the park: Garden, Loggerhead, Bush, Long, East, Hospital and Middle.
Before you book a Dry Tortugas day
- Book weeks ahead
Day trips sell out weeks in advance; on October 15 several late-October dates already showed as sold out. Yankee Freedom also runs a stand-by list.
- Carry ID, and the pass
All adults need photo ID at check-in, and seniors, students and military need proof for their discount. A park pass not shown at check-in means paying the entrance fee.
- Camping is primitive
Campers bring everything, water included, can stay up to three nights on the ferry's terms, and must have cleaned gear on the dock by 10:30 a.m. on their departure day. Camping space on the boat opens six months ahead, on the first weekday of each month.
- Snorkel, but no scuba
Masks and fins are free on board; scuba gear is not allowed on the trip. Corrective-lens masks must be rented in Key West the day before.
- Service dogs only
No pets or emotional-support animals travel; trained service dogs do. Drones are not allowed in the park.
- The faster alternative
Key West Seaplane Adventures, the park's other concession, flies out in about 40 minutes, with half-day trips giving 2.5 hours on the island and full-day trips 6.5.
A fort that was never finished, and a ferry under contract
Work on Fort Jefferson went on from 1846 to 1875, and the NPS still ranks it as the country's biggest fort made entirely of masonry. It was meant to command the sea lane linking the Gulf with the Atlantic, yet it stayed unfinished, because adding more brick and guns risked pushing the settling walls down further. Congress made the area Dry Tortugas National Park on October 26, 1992.
Yankee Freedom has carried park visitors since 1999. In November 2023 the National Park Service renewed the concession for ten years from November 1, with daily departures from Key West as a contract requirement. The current boat, the Yankee Freedom III, is a 110-foot aluminum catamaran built in 2012; it is built for 250 passengers, but the park caps the load at 175.
The boat
Dry Tortugas ferry questions, from fees to fishing
Is the national park entrance fee included in the Dry Tortugas ferry ticket?
Yes. Yankee Freedom folds the $15 NPS charge for visitors 16 and older into the fare. Pass holders book the cheaper "with National Park Pass" fare, $245 for an adult, or get the $15 refunded by showing the pass at check-in.
When does the Yankee Freedom sail from Key West, and when is it back?
Check-in is at 7:00 a.m. and the boat sails at 8:00. It leaves Fort Jefferson at 3:00 p.m. (be aboard by 2:45) and arrives back in Key West at about 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.
What does a child's ticket to Fort Jefferson cost?
Children aged 4 to 16 pay $220 for the day trip. The booking page offers no pass version of the child fare.
Does the trip run in winter?
Yes. The operator sails to Fort Jefferson all year. Trips are not cancelled because of rain, but the captain can cancel if the sea is too rough.
Key West parking for the Yankee Freedom: where, and how much?
The operator recommends the city garage at 300 Grinnell Street, across the corner from the ferry terminal at 100 Grinnell Street. It charges $40 a day; Key West has no free parking.
Can I fish from the island?
From the shore, with a current Florida saltwater license bought before boarding. It is banned in the moat and within 300 feet of the moat wall, from boats at the dock, at the helipad and on the North and South beaches.
How do campers pay the campsite fee?
Directly to the NPS through the Recreation.gov Scan & Pay app: $15 per night for an individual site, $30 for the group site. The ferry does not collect it, so set the app up before leaving, as there is no signal on Garden Key.