The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge contains 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.

Photo: USFWS 

Dry Tortugas, a collection of seven islands located seventy miles west of Key West, Florida, protects the best beaches in the Key West area; the offshore keys are accessible by ferry. These islands were originally used by Spanish merchants and explorers because of their location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Coast. In the 19th century the United States built a military fortress called Fort Jefferson to protect the successful trade route from the many shipwrecks that occurred due to the large amount of coral reefs surrounding the islands. Later, a lighthouse was built to accompany this task. Dry Tortugas is also the home of a 46-square-mile ecological preserve called the Dry Tortugas Research Natural Area. Combined with the adjacent Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, this is the largest no-take marine reserve in the continental U.S. In 2010, 53,890 visitors to Dry Tortugas contributed $4.7 million to the local economy. All coastal national parklands in Florida, contributed $582 million to communities in the state. Coastal national wildlife refuges in Florida contributed an additional $163 million. Nationwide, coastal national parklands alone provided $3.5 billion to local economies while coastal wildlife refuges provided at least $900 million.

Photo: National Park Service

Stow your everyday life and set sail for Dry Tortugas National Park! Located 70 miles west of Key West, this park is considered one of the most remote in the country. So remote in fact, the only way to get here is by boat or by seaplane. Come for a day or come to camp for the experience of a lifetime!

Dry Tortugas National Park in the Gulf of Mexico, a scant 100 miles north of Cuba, is at a confluence of ocean currents, maritime history, sea life, and birds. The shallow waters and seven small islands of this 100-square-mile park are a haven and nursery for an abundance of life. The park sits at the westernmost reach of the Florida Reef, the third largest reef in the world, and offers some of the most pristine marine environments in the United States.

The centerpiece of Dry Tortugas National Park is magnificent Fort Jefferson (pictured above). At 10 acres in size, this amazing engineering feat is the third-largest seacoast fortification the United States ever constructed. Its massive brown and red masonry walls rise in stark contrast to the calm turquoise seas and white sand it was built to defend. 

Photo: National Park Service