Loggerhead Key

A Dinghy Beach sign standing on a beach with vegetation and a lighthouse behind it

Visit Loggerhead Key

The largest island in the Dry Tortugas, Loggerhead Key is a site of shipwrecks, a significant lighthouse installation, and where the historic Carnegie Laboratory for Marine Ecology once stood. Named for its abundance of loggerhead sea turtles, Loggerhead Key has long been a haven for wildlife.

What to Know

Located 3 miles away from Garden Key, Loggerhead Key is open to the public for day use only.

  • NOTE - There is no public transportation to this island. Access is limited to private vessel or kayak/canoes brought to the park via the ferry. If you bring your own canoe/kayak to the park on the ferry you'll need to make advance arrangements due to limited capacity on the boat.
  • Visitors must stay on marked paths.
  • All buildings and boat docks on Loggerhead Key are closed to the public.
  • Private vessels must check in and file a boat permit on Garden Key before visiting Loggerhead Key or recreating within the park.
  • There is no anchoring allowed within the Research Natural Area, however mooring buoys are provided throughout the park. For more information on boating regulations and mooring buoys, visit the Boat Permits page here.
  • Located a mile southwest of Loggerhead Key is the Windjammer Shipwreck.
 

Things to Do at Loggerhead Key

  • A white boat floating on blue ocean waters with a blue sky in the background
    Boating

    Bring your boat to Garden Key

  • A baby sea turtle swims in the ocean
    Wildlife Viewing

    From birds, to sea turtles and coral reefs, the park is paradise for wildlife viewing.

  • two people swimming in the ocean next to a brick walkway
    Swimming

    With less than 1% of Dry Tortugas National Park being dry ground, the best way to see this is by swimming.

  • A long orange and yellow kayak vessel resting on a wooden dock beside a blue ocean and blue sky
    Paddlesports

    Explore Dry Tortugas with a Kayak / Paddleboard

Last updated: December 30, 2020

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

40001 SR-9336
Homestead, FL 33034

Phone:

305 242-7700

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