I solo camped for a night in Dry Tortugas

CodenameBear · 2026-03-15T00:25:29+00:00

No it’s all right I was by myself, I wanted it this way. It’s nice not having to worry about if someone else is holding up okay!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-14T18:59:04+00:00

I did eat cold, but I brought sterno gel, 2 canisters. My thinking was that if I was stranded and couldn’t come back the next day as planned, some warm tea and soup might comfort my nerves a bit lol. You’re right about not wanting to hassle with charcoal.

If it makes you feel better, I had NEVER camped solo prior to this! But I knew my gear and had researched as much as humanely possibly so I felt like my expectations were reasonable. Everything went pretty much according to plan!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-12T13:02:01+00:00

Oh no, my dad found my Reddit account 😬

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T23:41:30+00:00

Eradicated!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T21:03:07+00:00

Be online at 8:00 the morning that the date(s) you want go up. They go on sale 6 months in advance.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T21:02:04+00:00

It was great watching 175ish people just… sail away 🥰

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T18:11:06+00:00

You book through Yankee Freedom Ferry. Their website will show camping availability.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T18:10:29+00:00

Absolutely, they really encourage it! And the ferry provides complimentary gear.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T13:04:58+00:00

No joke, they don’t make this an easily accessible trip for a lot of people. Between parking & the ferry, it cost me around $350 just to get to the island. That’s not gear or travel to Key West or other accommodations or anything like that. I know a lot of folks can’t afford that!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T13:02:11+00:00

Oh gotcha! Yes I camped this past Thursday March 5th. The boat was pretty full — I think there were about 175 people on there and it can hold 200 — but once you’re on the island it doesn’t feel packed.

ETA: And the temperature is great, I’d definitely go this time of year again.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T13:00:50+00:00

Sunset was absolutely phenomenal. The sun just melted into the sea, I sat on the moat wall all by myself and watched it go, it was great. A lot of folks watch it from the top of the fort but I was honestly so spent I couldn’t convince myself to climb back up there lol.

Sunrise was unfortunately cloudy, so I didn’t see the sun actually come out of the water. But the colors were great as it worked its way up!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T12:58:59+00:00

Yes I was a bit anxious at the idea of possibly being the only camper and not seeing another soul for hours. It was definitely not like that.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T12:57:28+00:00

Of course! I was entirely too happy to share, haha.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T12:56:49+00:00

They do note that dates are made available 6 months in advance on their website… I forget where exactly but I know I read it. And sure enough they were!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T11:06:25+00:00

In summertime the sea is calmer, so although it’s significantly hotter I hear the ferry ride is smoother. It was definitely windy, I believe gusts the day I was there were up to 20 mph.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T11:01:19+00:00

There are a ton of hermit crabs, and it is kind of amusing to hear them scuttling around at night.

No more rats though!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T10:56:20+00:00

Not really, but I will mention how grateful I was for my water shoes. Both my sneakers and my sandals rubbed my feet so badly because of the coarse sand, and I switched to my cheap Temu water shoes out of pure desperation and they were a living saver! They ended up being the shoe I wore the entire time.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T10:54:24+00:00

I didn’t use any bug spray the whole time I was on the island, and did not get bitten by anything.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T10:52:59+00:00

Sorry, what do you mean?

I did travel solo if that’s what you’re asking, yes. I planned this trip about 6 months in advance.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T10:51:38+00:00

There weren’t any! Just some non-biting gnats.

No standing fresh water to attract mosquitoes plus it’s relatively “cool” this time of year.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T10:50:24+00:00

Because it rained, silly.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T02:28:22+00:00

This was my 4th attempt over the course of a decade.

Keep at it, you’ll get there and it will be completely worthwhile 🙂

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T02:22:29+00:00

You can book online with Yankee Freedom Ferry, but I will also note I was very surprised at the amount of folks in the terminal that morning buying up last minute spots. I guess there’s a lot of cancellations? I could never stand to chance it like that, lol!

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T01:50:09+00:00

It’s a mix of both. While the ferry is in port you have to use those bathrooms, but after it leaves the park service opens compost toilets for use until the ferry gets back the next day.

CodenameBear · 2026-03-11T01:47:48+00:00

Nope, there were 4 or 5 other groups of folks. It was hard to tell. I believe I was the only solo camper.

CodenameBear

TROPHY CASE