Everglades National Park and Everglades Guest Services to unveil the only hotel in Everglades National Park, new restaurant, and redesigned visitor center ​

Public comment period to run from September 22, 2023 to October 23, 2023.
​
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The National Park Service (NPS) invites public comment on 
proposed changes to fees on Boca Chita and Elliott Keys in Biscayne National Park, including the implementation of a docking fee and a flat camping fee. These fees would be utilized to enhance visitor services and better address common issues, such as trash pick-up and disposal, dock repair, resource damage mitigation and facilities repair and maintenance. 
 
Under the park’s proposal, a $45 docking fee would be implemented at both Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key harbors, taking effect January 1, 2024. The second proposed change is the elimination of the current “camping only” fee (camping without docking a boat), leaving a flat camping fee of $35.  
 
“The proposed fees would enable Biscayne National Park to enhance the overall quality of the visitor experience and management of these remote islands,” said Biscayne National Park Acting Superintendent Randalle Burton. “The public’s feedback on this proposal is important to us and will help inform plans to provide the park experience our visitors seek and deserve.” 
  
Boca Chita Docking  
Elliott Key Docking 
Boca Chita Camping 
Elliott Key Camping 

Current Rates 
$0 
$0 
$35/night boat docking and camping  
 
$25/night camping only (no boat docking)  
$35/night boat docking and camping  
 
$25/night camping only (no boat docking)  

Proposed 2024 Rates 
$45 
$45 
$35 camping 
$35 camping 

Eighty percent of docking fee revenue stays at Biscayne National Park to fund projects related to visitor experiences. Recent examples of fee revenue improvements include improved park signage, updated comfort stations and newly replaced picnic tables and grills. The remaining twenty percent of collected fees is allocated for visitor experience improvements at non-fee parks throughout the NPS. 
 
Comments regarding the park’s proposed docking fee may be submitted electronically on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website through October 23 at 11:59pm at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISCNPIslandAmenities
 
Written comments may be mailed to: 
 
National Park Service 
Biscayne National Park 
Attn: Superintendent 
9700 SW 328 Street  
Homestead, FL 33033 
 
www.nps.gov 
 
About Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key. Boca Chita and Elliott Keys offer unique national park experiences.  Accessible only by boat, both locations feature beautiful waterfront views, grassy camping areas, docks, restrooms, picnic tables and grills. Recreational opportunities like these at Biscayne National Park contributed to boosting the local economy with visitors spending $50.9 million on hotels, gas, and restaurants in 2022.  These expenditures supported a total of 659 jobs, $25.8 million in labor income, $43.6 million in value added and $74.1 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Biscayne National Park. 
 
About Biscayne National Park.  Within sight of downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park protects a rare combination of subtropical islands, mangrove shoreline, biodiverse coral reefs, and 10,000 years of human history.  The park is ninety-five percent water and encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys.  Most of the park is only accessible by boat.  Home to a vast array of species, visitors to Biscayne might encounter sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingrays, and the West Indian manatee.  To learn more please visit https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm  For regular updates from the park follow us on https://www.facebook.com/BiscayneNPS and https://www.instagram.com/biscaynenps/ 
 
 

EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. — The National Park Service issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment and awarded a new construction contract for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center project in Everglades National Park. This project includes a new two-story building and major site improvements at the location of the former Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. Everglades City is where Everglades National Park was dedicated on Dec. 6, 1947.  
 
The original Gulf Coast Visitor Center and surrounding infrastructure were destroyed by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Since that time, a temporary visitor contact station has been in place to provide orientation for park visitors. This project will build resiliency, enhance the visitor experience and improve the park’s ability to maintain the facilities.  
 
“We are so pleased to announce the award of this contract and get this project moving,” said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “These improvements will provide a premiere place to showcase the Gulf Coast of Everglades National Park and will ultimately contribute to supporting the local economy of Everglades City.” 
 
The two-story visitor center will be built for resiliency to withstand hurricane-force winds and storm surges. The building will include visitor orientation, retail space, staff offices, and an elevated deck with views of Chokoloskee Bay. The elevated building is designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) silver requirements and Florida building code for coastal high hazard zones.  
 
Other components of the project include elevating the site to reduce flooding from storm events and king tides, replacing existing bulkhead at the marina, expanding and dredging the marina basin, an improved kayak launch, concession building for rentals near the canoe/kayak ramp, floating docks, and a new public entrance road. Enhanced pedestrian walkways, outdoor seating, native landscaping and shoreline stabilization are also part of the plan.  
 
The new visitor center will be named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author and environmental advocate for the establishment of Everglades National Park. The building of the new visitor center was authorized by Congress in 1989 as part of the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989. The construction of a new visitor center, an improved canoe-kayak launch, and improved existing parking areas were identified in the park’s 2015 Final General Management Plan.   
 
The construction activities are anticipated to take a minimum of two years to complete. While closures at the Gulf Coast location are planned during construction, the park will strive to maintain some visitor access when it is safe to do so. The canoe/kayak launch is expected to remain open continuously until April 1, 2024, when it will close for construction.  
 
Onsite concession services including boat tours and rentals will cease Sept. 30 and are expected to resume in the fall of 2024. Due to the complexity of this project, all construction and closure dates may vary due to unforeseen circumstances. 
 
To review the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significance for this project, visit the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) site at parkplanning.nps.gov/gulfcoast.
 
Learn more about Everglades National Park online at nps.gov/ever or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   

​KEY WEST, Fla. — Dry Tortugas National Park will reopen on August 31 after the passage of Hurricane Idalia. Weather permitting, ferry and seaplane tours will also resume. Fort Jefferson, South Beach, and the campground on Garden Key are open.  
 
Loggerhead Key and the North Beach of Garden Key will remain closed until park staff are able to safely assess storm impacts.  
 
Bush Key is closed for sea turtles and nesting birds at this time of year. No landing or anchoring is permitted within 100 feet of the shoreline of Bush Key. 
 
As park staff are still assessing the damage from the high winds, storm surge, and wave action, visitors should wear proper footwear and watch out for hazards. Park staff will have limited abilities for emergency response.
  
The NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response has updates for all National Park Service sites. 
 
Private Boating Reminders 
Private boats recreating or stopping in Dry Tortugas National Park must obtain a boat permit at the Garden Key dock house before recreating within the park.  
 
The finger piers remain closed from Hurricane Ian damage. Vessels are prohibited from using the seaplane beach.   
 
Private vessels may use the main dock when available, but space is limited. The east end of the main dock is reserved for the Yankee Freedom III between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Vessels may use the west end of the dock when available, but dock space is limited to approximately three boats tied to the dock and no more than two boats deep (hip to hip). Total allowable dock usage for one day is two hours (cumulative) per vessel, and no overnight docking is permitted. 
 
The National Park Service has secured funding for repairs to the finger piers and dinghy beach, and repairs are expected to be completed in 2024.   
 
For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  
 
  
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

KEY WEST, Fla. — Dry Tortugas National Park has closed for the safety of visitors and staff in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia. Concession-operated ferry and sea plane services are also temporarily suspended. 
 
Park staff completed hurricane preparations at the park today. Garden Key, Loggerhead Key and all other islands and facilities in the park are closed, including the campground, main dock and visitor courtesy slips on Garden Key. 
 
While the park is closed, park waters remain open and vessels may seek safe harbor in the designated areas within the one nautical mile anchoring zone around Garden Key, including Bird Key Harbor. Mariners should continue to monitor the storm. There will be no visitor services available while the closure is in effect and emergency services will be extremely limited. 
 
All closures will remain in place until the severe weather has passed and the National Park Service determines that employee and visitor facilities are safe. If the storm track changes, the park may issue a new advisory with updated status, including any lifting of closures. Please check “Alerts” on the park website for current information. 
 
The NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response has updates for all National Park Service sites.
 
 
For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
 

Homestead, Fla—The Biscayne Beach Cleanup (BBC) volunteer program at Biscayne National Park has been selected as the national award recipient of the George and Helen Hartzog Innovation Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.  This is the first year that the National Park Service (NPS) has recognized a park volunteer initiative for demonstrating significant innovation or creativity while meeting the needs of the park through volunteerism.
 
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel, BBC managers were unable to recruit volunteers from traditional sources which targeted college students visiting Biscayne during winter and spring breaks.  Debris continued to pile up along park shorelines, which would inhibit sea turtle nesting efforts in the upcoming summer months.  Innovative thinking led to a win/win pivot as BBC program managers shifted recruitment efforts to target the diverse local South Florida community.  The response was monumental and has been identified as a volunteer recruitment model for future years. 
 
The 2021-2022 BBC season saw 275 volunteers collect over 30,000 pounds of current/wind-driven marine debris from sea turtle nesting beaches located on remote park islands.  The total amount of debris collected is more than any other season since the program's inception in 2004.
 
The award was presented as part of a national NPS awards ceremony held on August 23 at the Main Interior Building in Washington, DC.  Accepting the award on behalf of the 275 volunteers who helped to clean park beaches during the 2021-2022 season was volunteer Ana Zangroniz.  Ana has been a vital member of the park's volunteer program since 2014 and frequently leads cleanup events.  Staff representing Biscayne National Park at the ceremony included Elizebeth Strom, volunteer program manager; Morgan Wagner, biological science technician and BBC program c0-lead; and Vanessa McDonough, supervisory wildlife biologist and BBC program co-lead.  Wagner and McDonough manage all aspects of the program, including coordination, safety and hosting the cleanups. 
 
"We are honored to receive this award as it serves as a reminder that volunteers are an integral part of the NPS Mission" said Biscayne National Park Superintendent Penelope DelBene.  "BBC is able to connect local stewards looking to make a difference in meaningful, innovative ways with a resource concern in their own backyard."
 
Local partner groups and community organizations such as Miami Dade College, Florida Internationa University, ZooMiami, and Fishing Spot Conservation have each participated in a day of service with the BBC program. Financial support, including supplies and fuel, is provided by The Alliance for Florida's National Parks, The Coastal Cleanup Corporation, and the Florida National Parks Association. Visiting college students, visitors and locals are all welcome to engage in support of cleanups. 
 
BBC schedules cleanups on weekdays from December through April and accepts prearranged groups of 4-12 individuals over the age of 16.  The work is considered strenuous.  Boat transportation to the cleanup site and all cleanup materials are provided.  For more information or to schedule a day of service for your group for the 2023-2024 season please see volunteer.gov or email Bisc_Beach_Cleanup@nps.gov.  
 
Presentation videos and more information about this year's George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Volunteer Excellence can be found at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/2022-george-and-helen-hartzog-regional-awards-for-outstanding-volunteer-service.htm.  
 
 
About Biscayne National Park: Within sight of downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park protects a rare combination of subtropical islands, mangrove shoreline, biodiverse coral reefs, and 10,000 years of human history.  The park is ninety-five percent water and encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys.  Most of the park is only accessible by boat.  Home to a vast array of species, visitors to Biscayne might encounter sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, stingrays, and the West Indian manatee.  To learn more please visit nps.gov/bisc. For regular updates from the park follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The National Park Service (NPS) announced today the selection of James Crutchfield as park manager of Dry Tortugas National Park. Crutchfield will begin his new assignment on Aug. 13.
 
“James is a dedicated professional, passionate about his role in serving the American people through the mission of the National Park Service,” said Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks Superintendent Pedro Ramos. “His leadership and experience helping with damage assessments after Hurricane Ian make him a perfect choice to continue advancing the extensive recovery work that will benefit our park visitors well into the future.”
 
Crutchfield is joining the Dry Tortugas team from the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center, where he served as the monument section manager since February 2022. Prior to that position, Crutchfield served as the chief of facilities, recreation fee project manager, and park mason across 10 years at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine.  
 
“I am proud to serve as the next park manager helping to protect and preserve the impressive array of natural and cultural resources at Dry Tortugas National Park,” said Crutchfield. “I am excited to continue the park’s great work and look forward to supporting a great team of employees.”
 
Crutchfield has supported many parks during his NPS career through incident command systems, responding to several hurricanes and completing historic preservation on some of the most iconic structures in our nation, such as the White House and numerous American Revolutionary and Civil War battlefield monuments.
 
Prior to joining the NPS, Crutchfield was a masonry instructor for a career academy program, a Veteran of the Florida Army National Guard, and even delivered a motor vessel from Alabama to Madagascar.
 
Crutchfield will be moving from Chattanooga, Tennessee back to his home state of Florida and looks forward to working in an area where he has many personal connections.
 
For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

KEY WEST, Fla. – Dry Tortugas National Park announced the finding of archeological remains of a 19th century quarantine hospital and cemetery on a submerged island near Garden Key. While only one grave has been identified, historical records indicate that dozens of people, mostly U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Jefferson, may have been buried there. The small quarantine hospital was used to treat yellow fever patients at the fort between 1890 and 1900. The cemetery has been identified as the Fort Jefferson Post Cemetery.

In August 2022, park cultural resources staff, assisted by members of the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center, the Southeast Archeological Center, and a University of Miami graduate student conducted a survey that led to the findings. Since that time, they have been researching historical records to learn more about the site and the individual.

According to historical research, dozens of people were interred in the Fort Jefferson Post Cemetery, and while most of them were military members serving or imprisoned at the Fort, several were civilians. One of those civilians, John Greer, was employed as a laborer at the fort and died there on Nov. 5, 1861. While the details surrounding his death are unclear, his grave, located during the survey, was prominently marked with a large slab of greywacke, the same material used to construct the first floor of Fort Jefferson. The slab was carved into the shape of a headstone and inscribed with his name and date of death.

“This intriguing find highlights the potential for untold stories in Dry Tortugas National Park, both above and below the water,” said Josh Marano, maritime archeologist for the south Florida national parks and project director for the survey. “Although much of the history of Fort Jefferson focuses on the fortification itself and some of its infamous prisoners, we are actively working to tell the stories of the enslaved people, women, children and civilian laborers.”

While mostly known for its use as a military prison during the American Civil War, the islands and waters surrounding Fort Jefferson were also used for a naval coaling outpost, lighthouse station, naval hospital, quarantine facility, and more generally for safe harbor and military training.  As the population of Fort Jefferson swelled with military personnel, prisoners, enslaved people, engineers, support staff, laborers, and their families, the risk of deadly communicable diseases, particularly the mosquito-borne yellow fever, drastically increased. Major outbreaks of disease on the island exacted a heavy toll on those staying there, killing dozens throughout the 1860s and 1870s.

Given the increasing population and lack of space on Garden Key, several of the nearby islands were equipped with small structures for use as quarantine hospitals in the 1860s. While the plainly built facilities on the islands were considered minimal at the time, the transfer of sick and dying patients to these small islands, isolated from the congested Fort Jefferson, likely saved hundreds from a similar fate. Although the use of many of the quarantine hospitals on the surrounding islands ceased after Fort Jefferson was abandoned in 1873, the fort’s future use by the U.S. Marine Hospital Service between 1890 and 1900 again required the development of an isolation hospital on one of the keys.

The find also highlights the impacts of climate change on resources in the Dry Tortugas. While the facilities identified in this survey were originally built on dry land, the dynamic conditions caused many of the islands to move over time. Climate change and major storm events have even caused some islands to settle and erode beneath the waves.

Efforts to learn more about Mr. Greer and other individuals interred on the now submerged island are ongoing. The remains of the hospital as well as the surrounding cemetery have been documented as an archeological resource and will be routinely monitored by members of the South Florida National Parks Cultural Resources Program. Visitors are reminded that submerged cultural heritage is protected under federal law. 

May is Preservation Month, and this year’s theme is “People Saving Places.” Additional information regarding the discovery and future research will be shared publicly through the park website, social media and interpretive programs.


For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ​

Closures will last until repairs are completed in 2024
KEY WEST, Fla. – Dry Tortugas National Park announced limited options and closures for private vessels landing on Garden Key. The park typically experiences increased use by boaters fishing during grouper season, which begins in May. The finger piers and main dinghy beach sustained damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 and remain closed until repairs can be made. 

Beginning May 1, the small dinghy beach between the main dock and the seaplane beach will be open from sunrise until 10 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. to sunset. The beach will be closed to all landings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow for safe maneuvering of the ferry and seaplane access. Vessels are prohibited from using the seaplane beach.  
The adjacent Bush Key is also closed for sea turtles and nesting birds at this time of year. No landing or anchoring is permitted within 100 feet of the shoreline of Bush Key.  

Private vessels may use the main dock when available but will be limited by available space. The east end of the main dock is reserved for the Yankee Freedom III between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Vessels may use the west end of the dock when available, but dock space is limited to approximately three boats tied to the dock and no more than two boats deep (hip to hip). Total allowable dock usage for one day is two hours (cumulative) per vessel and no overnight docking is permitted.  

Priority use of the main dock is given in this order: emergencies, government vessels, vessels under contract (such as the Yankee Freedom III), and the public. 

The National Park Service has secured funding for repairs to the finger piers and dinghy beach, but repairs are not expected to be completed until sometime in 2024.  

As a reminder, all private boats recreating or stopping in Dry Tortugas National Park must obtain a boat permit at the Garden Key dock house before recreating within the park. 

Visitors should also be aware of temporary closures to sections of the moat wall for snorkeling and walking while coral relocation work is taking place from April through June.  

For more information about boating in the park, visit the boating page on the park’s website at: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/boating.htm. 
For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

​KEY WEST, Fla. – Dry Tortugas National Park announced a temporary closure to sections of the moat wall at Fort Jefferson during the months of April, May and June. During this time, sections of the moat wall will be under construction while corals are removed and relocated in advance of the planned restoration work to the counterscarp that was damaged by hurricanes. Both North and South Beaches will remain open for wading and sunbathing throughout the project. Although the closed areas will change, part of the moat wall will remain open throughout for snorkeling in the water and walking on the path.   
 
“This project truly models the National Park Service’s mission of caring for both natural and cultural features of a park,” said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “Our goal is to preserve the removed corals and ensure they continue to flourish, while preparing the site for restoration of the historic moat wall.” 
 
Not all corals will be removed from the length of the moat wall. The majority of removed corals will be relocated within the park to Long and Bird Key Reefs. These areas, selected for their similarity to the conditions found on the moat wall, will become their new permanent home. A small percentage of corals will be sent to research facilities to assist with coral disease response and restoration initiatives, in collaboration with Florida’s Reef partners.  
 
Members of the park’s Coral Team, along with support from the National Park Service’s National Maintenance Dive Team (NMDT), will use hand tools as well as mechanical equipment to carefully remove the corals from the sections of the moat wall. Because of the equipment, personnel, and boat activity, the closed area should be viewed as an active construction zone.  
 
For the safety of visitors and NPS personnel, visitors should observe the closures, which will be marked in the water with swim lanes. Swimming and snorkeling are permitted from the beaches up to the closed areas. Snorkelers should not attempt to swim around or beyond the swim lanes.  
 
Updates will be available on the park website, information will be posted in the Dock House and signs will be posted at the beaches. Only one-half of the snorkel trail and/or moat wall is expected to be closed at any one time.  
 
Other temporary closures include the Dinghy Beach and finger piers, which were damaged by Hurricane Ian. Bush Key is also closed seasonally from February through September for bird nesting activity.   
 
For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.