A remote undeveloped island featuring pristine beaches, nesting seabirds, shallow turquoise waters, and a scenic shoreline trail within one of America's most isolated national parks.
Children 15 and under: Free
Transportation by ferry, seaplane, or private boat required and charged separately
How to Get There
From Key West (70 mi): Take the Yankee Freedom III ferry, a seaplane charter, or a private boat west across the Gulf of Mexico to Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, then walk to the island via the sandbar when present or access it by small watercraft when conditions permit and the island is open.
Overview
Bush Key sits right beside Garden Key and Fort Jefferson, a small, shifting island of sand and coral rubble. For part of the year a natural sandbar connects it to Garden Key, so you can walk its shoreline surrounded by brilliant blue water and views across the Dry Tortugas.
The island is one of the most important seabird rookeries in the continental United States — thousands of sooty terns and brown noddies nest here each spring and summer, which is exactly why it closes to visitors during nesting season. When it's open, it's a quiet, undeveloped stretch worth the walk over from Garden Key.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for Bush Key, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
