Dry Tortugas National Park

Almost 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West lies the remote Dry Tortugas National Park. This 100-square mile park is mostly open water with seven small islands. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the park is known the world over as the home of magnificent Fort Jefferson, picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs and marine life, and the vast assortment of bird life that frequents the area.

Weather & conditions

The climate in the Dry Tortugas is subtropical, which basically means that it has warm and tropical weather in the range of 60°F to 90°F. The two main seasons are the winter stormy season from December through March which is windier and sees rougher seas, and the summertime tropical storm season from June through November where there is a higher chance of isolated storms. During the summers it is hot and humid. During the winter the temperature is milder and drier.

What this latitude gives you

From 24.6° north, anything above declination +65.4° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -65.4° never clears the horizon at all.

Astronomical darkness lasts through every night of the year here, including midsummer, which makes this a rare site for a June or July imaging trip.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.