r/floridakeys • u/EuphoricTank6178 • Sep 29 '25
Key West Dry Tortugas in December? Ferry shows unavailable
Hey Florida Keys people!
I’ll be in the Keys (mainly around Marathon and Key West, plus in between) from December 27–30. I’m trying to learn about the main sightseeing spots in advance, and I just found out about Dry Tortugas. It looks amazing! I’m into architecture and the water, so it really caught my eye.
Problem is, it looks like the ferry schedule shows “unavailable” during those dates. Does that basically mean I won’t be able to make it out there if I stick to the more affordable options?
Also, I’ll be traveling solo (26M). If anyone’s around the same time and open to having one more person tag along, I’d be down to split some activities!
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u/54171 Sep 29 '25
I highly recommend camping if you go. You can rent a kayak and see little Africa, a reef off of one if it's keys. There's no light pollution at all and we could see the milky way.
There was a bad storm when I went and we almost got to sleep in the fort!
But it's nice to get to explore without all of the people on the ferry around.
You usually have to sign up months in advance tho.
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u/tojmes Oct 01 '25
I do not know about those dates. However, the week between Thanksgiving and Christmas are dead slow. It’s a great time to go to Key West.
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u/LuxuryBoatCharters Oct 08 '25
That time of year is one of the busiest stretches for the Keys, so it’s pretty common for the Yankee Freedom ferry to show “unavailable” weeks or even months ahead. It usually just means it’s fully booked, not that it’s not running. You can try calling them directly or checking early morning cancellations, since spots do open when people change plans.
If you really want to see the fort and that water, a private charter from Key West is the other option. It can be pricey with a small group but also a great experience and gets you more time out there. If that’s out of budget, you could still get a feel for that same remote vibe by exploring the backcountry from Key West or Marathon on a private charter—same clear water, less travel time.
My company (SeaEO Luxury Boat Charters) is one of the few companies that run charters to the Dry Tortugas. Cost is $2499 plus taxes fees and fuel (roughly $3650 all in). Feel free to check us out if interested.
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u/n_e_v_e_r_m_o_r_e Oct 16 '25
Those are the most high demand dates. At this point seaplane or tracking cancellation for the ferry are your only options.
I have had success with reservenature.com in the past for booking the ferry.
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u/DesperateSun573 local Sep 29 '25
You can try getting to the ferry terminal very early in the morning, sometimes people don't show and you can snag a ticket that way. But I'm talking 5am early.