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Rising from remote Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas, this 1858 lighthouse has guided mariners through treacherous Florida straits for over 160 years. Built to replace an earlier light on Garden Key, its brick tower still serves as an active aid to navigation maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. The lighthouse is not open to the public for climbing, though visitors can view it from the surrounding beaches of Loggerhead Key. Golden hour and sunrise offer the best photography conditions, with the Gulf of Mexico providing a dramatic backdrop. Nearby, Fort Jefferson — a massive Civil War-era coastal fortress — stands as the centerpiece of Dry Tortugas National Park, reachable by ferry or seaplane from Key West.

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