Everglades Camping and Dry Tortugas National Park Reopen after Invest 99L

Homestead, FL: Dry Tortugas National Park will reopen on Tuesday, August 30 at 8 a.m. The ferry and seaplane concessions will resume day trips to the park, weather permitting.

Dry Tortugas closed to recreational activities on August 27 at 6 p.m. for the approach of tropical weather system Invest 99L. When the park is closed for tropical weather events, ships are permitted to transit park waters. Additionally, safe anchorage is permitted in the Garden Key and Bird Key harbors within the one nautical mile zone of Garden Key.

In Everglades National Park, the Flamingo campground and backcountry camping reopened on Monday, August 29. The park and its concession operators remained open throughout the weekend.

Visitors are advised that we have entered the peak of hurricane season in south Florida and should monitor tropical weather updates as they plan their visit. In order to protect government property and visitor facilities spread across a large geographic area, the Everglades and Dry Tortugas Hurricane Plan calls for preparations to begin at 72 hours before predicted landfall and park closures at approximately 24 hours before landfall.

Updates will continue to be available on the parks' websites and social media channels.

Dry Tortugas National Park - www.nps.gov/drto - click on Alerts

Everglades National Park - www.nps.gov/ever - click on Alerts

This and other park news releases are available at www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/newsreleases.htm