Best time to visit Dry Tortugas National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Dry Tortugas National Park: December–April. Daily highs run about 75–80°F, with about 85% of May's visitors.
Hardest months: September, mostly because of rain.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Dry Tortugas National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 4 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Best | 73° / 69°F | 2.3 in | Busy | – |
| February | Best | 74° / 70°F | 1.2 in | Busy | – |
| March | Best | 75° / 72°F | 1.0 in | Peak | – |
| April | Best | 78° / 75°F | 1.3 in | Peak | – |
| May | Good | 80° / 77°F | 3.3 in | Peak | – |
| June | Fair | 83° / 80°F | 4.0 in | Peak | – |
| July | Fair | 85° / 82°F | 2.7 in | Peak | – |
| August | Fair | 85° / 82°F | 4.2 in | Busy | – |
| September | Poor | 84° / 81°F | 6.2 in | Busy | – |
| October | Fair | 82° / 79°F | 4.6 in | Moderate | – |
| November | Good | 78° / 75°F | 2.7 in | Busy | – |
| December | Best | 75° / 72°F | 2.3 in | Peak | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 73°F | 69°F | 2.4 in |
| February | 73°F | 70°F | 1.2 in |
| March | 75°F | 72°F | 0.9 in |
| April | 78°F | 75°F | 1.2 in |
| May | 80°F | 77°F | 3.2 in |
| June | 83°F | 80°F | 3.8 in |
| July | 85°F | 82°F | 2.6 in |
| August | 85°F | 82°F | 4.2 in |
| September | 84°F | 81°F | 6.1 in |
| October | 82°F | 79°F | 4.4 in |
| November | 78°F | 75°F | 2.6 in |
| December | 75°F | 72°F | 2.3 in |
Garden Key
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 73°F | 69°F | 2.4 in |
| February | 73°F | 70°F | 1.2 in |
| March | 75°F | 72°F | 0.9 in |
| April | 78°F | 75°F | 1.2 in |
| May | 80°F | 77°F | 3.2 in |
| June | 83°F | 80°F | 3.8 in |
| July | 85°F | 82°F | 2.6 in |
| August | 85°F | 82°F | 4.2 in |
| September | 84°F | 81°F | 6.1 in |
| October | 82°F | 79°F | 4.4 in |
| November | 78°F | 75°F | 2.6 in |
| December | 75°F | 72°F | 2.3 in |
Loggerhead Key
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 73°F | 69°F | 2.5 in |
| February | 74°F | 70°F | 1.2 in |
| March | 75°F | 72°F | 0.9 in |
| April | 78°F | 75°F | 1.1 in |
| May | 80°F | 77°F | 3.0 in |
| June | 83°F | 80°F | 3.7 in |
| July | 85°F | 82°F | 2.5 in |
| August | 85°F | 82°F | 4.1 in |
| September | 84°F | 81°F | 6.3 in |
| October | 82°F | 79°F | 4.4 in |
| November | 78°F | 75°F | 2.5 in |
| December | 75°F | 72°F | 2.3 in |
Bush Key
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 73°F | 69°F | 1.9 in |
| February | 74°F | 71°F | 1.3 in |
| March | 76°F | 73°F | 1.3 in |
| April | 78°F | 75°F | 1.6 in |
| May | 81°F | 78°F | 3.7 in |
| June | 83°F | 80°F | 4.6 in |
| July | 85°F | 82°F | 3.2 in |
| August | 85°F | 82°F | 4.3 in |
| September | 84°F | 81°F | 6.1 in |
| October | 82°F | 79°F | 5.3 in |
| November | 78°F | 75°F | 3.1 in |
| December | 76°F | 72°F | 2.3 in |
Dry Tortugas National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a good time to visit Dry Tortugas National Park. Daily highs average 75–80°F and lows 72–77°F. Expect about 1.9 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 93–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a mixed time to visit Dry Tortugas National Park. Daily highs average 83–85°F and lows 80–82°F. Expect about 3.6 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 75–98% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a mixed time to visit Dry Tortugas National Park. Daily highs average 78–84°F and lows 75–81°F. Expect about 4.5 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 59–76% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is among the best times to visit Dry Tortugas National Park. Daily highs average 73–75°F and lows 69–72°F. Expect about 1.9 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 75–86% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours and camping, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
The climate in the Dry Tortugas is subtropical, which basically means that it has warm and tropical weather in the range of 60°F to 90°F. The two main seasons are the winter stormy season from December through March which is windier and sees rougher seas, and the summertime tropical storm season from June through November where there is a higher chance of isolated storms. During the summers it is hot and humid. During the winter the temperature is milder and drier.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 4 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
