National Park Guide: Key West National Wildlife Refuge and Dry Tortugas National Park

Key West National Wildlife Refuge

The Key west National Wildlife Refuge is an amazing destination within the Florida Keys. Visitors can enjoy viewing a wide variety of wildlife and birds. It protects some beautiful and amazing parts of the Florida ecosystem.

The refuge was established by President Theodore Roosevelt, in order to preserve the habitat, as well as important breeding grounds for birds and wildlife. It is one of the earliest refuges in the country, and the first refuge in the Florida Keys. The refuge covers over 200,000 acres, most of which is underwater, but there are 2,000 acres of land. The refuge is composed of 26 islands.

Visitors can see a wide variety of habitats, including salt ponds, beaches and mangrove islands. Within the islands there are 250 species of birds, and is an important spot for sea turtle nesting. Other species include piping plover, bald eagle, great white heron, green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle and more. The refuge also monitors and surveys the species on the islands, including the birds and sea turtles.

The Key West National Wildlife Refuge is part of the National Key Deer Refuge. There are no facilities in the refuge, and it is only accessible by boat. Visitors are limited to certain areas of the refuge, in order to protect the habitat from human impact. Some of the beaches are closed to protect the sea turtle nests. Visitors can enjoy recreation and wildlife viewing on the areas that are open for visitation.

Find more information for visiting Key West.

Dry Tortugas National Park

This national park is another fantastic outdoor destination in the Florida Keys. Dry Tortugas is located 70 miles to the west of Key West. It is a cluster of seven islands, and is a great destination to enjoy the Florida outdoors and nature.

Visitors will learn that the islands are composed of coral reefs and sand. They are also famous for their bird and marine life. The bird and marine life make this a great destination for wildlife watching and bird watching. In addition, visitors can enjoy snorkeling, fishing and more.

There are a variety of guided trips that visitors can enjoy. These guided trips include diving and snorkeling trips, wildlife trips, even sailing charters. Visitors can also take guided tours of Fort Jefferson, or self guided tours. Fort Jefferson is the largest 19th century American coastal fort.

Dry Tortugas National Park is also known for the legends of pirates and sunken gold. The park is filled with historic sites, which the park is trying to preserve and protect. There are shipwrecks and more. One of these sites that had preservation work done, was the Loggerhead Key Lighthouse.

Visitors to the Florida Keys will enjoy visiting the various parks in the region. Each has something fascinating to offer visitors. The Key West National Wildlife Refuge is a great secluded destination for visitors to enjoy wildlife watching and more. Dry Tortugas National Park has some amazing historical sites, as well as beautiful landscapes and wildlife.