Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach

This beach is a little off the beaten path but it is worth it to go. There is much more to do here than lounge around. I love laying on the sun but my husband gets itchy so he was able to go explore the old fort. The water is a lovely blue. Rocky though so bring water shoes. There are easily accessible bathrooms and a place to eat and get drinks from. There are lots of pucnic tables set up in the shade too.

It is a cool historic place, but the beach isn’t that great. Much more park-​like then a beach. However there is good shade.

A must go place for sunset, and you know it’s hard to find a beautiful beach for sunset along the east coast, which is more appropriate for sunrise. Breath taking views when it’s sunset time.

Accessible beach with all of the amenities one could need. Lockers, bathrooms, shade, picnic tables, cheap parking, concessions (including beer and alcohol), showers to rinse, rentable chairs and umbrellas…
Just a tip — the beach is rocky in certain areas. Bring water shoes if you have em!

All I can say is Deadeye is a wealth of knowledge and seriously committed to revitalizing and maintaining the park. If you have a chance to chat with him, your experience at the Fort will be awesome!
$ 8.50 for a car of 5 beats all the tourist traps of the island. Definitely with the stop, even if only for an hour. By it seems like a nice place to pack a picnic on the beach.

The viewpoint here for sunsets is top-​notch with turquoise waters, jetties, small bays. However, it may not be the best for laying out on the beach given the rougher, course sand with coral, sticks, and sponges scattered across the sands. The fort itself isn’t that impressive and is more modern than historical. When we visited during their opening hours, the fort was closed off completely so you couldn’t go inside. Apparently the fort has different opening hours or may just be not open to the public.
Picnic tables and ample tree cover make this a great beach to chill out during the day without getting sunburnt. Outstanding natural beauty. Super cheap entrance fee.

Two dollars for each entrance. If you traveled by food it’s quite a walk to the beach. I would advise renting a bike to get to the beach.
Once you’re there it’s not the most perfect beach but it’s the closest beach that’s at Key West. It’s quite quiest too.

Normally I review eateries but since I’m fresh off vacation and feel like writing I’ll share this one. It’s a beautiful spot. Parking is cheap.
The water was beautiful.
The fort is neat — not much to it but still cool.
The only complaint is getting into the water is a painful process — rocks! I suggest you wear shoes or have major callouses on your feet!

This review is strictly for the beach itself. The rest of the park seems great!
Swimming beach is OK. For $ 2.50 you can park your car here all day, and you’re in walking distance from Duval, Mallory Sq, etc.
But if you just want to lay out in the sun, it’s kind of cramped. The sand area isn’t huge… but there are bathrooms and a snack shack nearby, and everything is pleasant and clean. Plenty of woods around if you need some shade, too.
I preferred sunbathing at Smathers beach, but this place was just fine.
I might possibly come here again.

There’s a shack that sells drinks and snacks including cuban pork sandwiches. Nice beaches for the kids to swim. It’s not sandy down here so don’t expect sandcastles but it’s still plenty beautiful. $ 7 for a car of 2 adults for entry. Each additional person is 50 cents. Relaxing place to play in the water and sunbathe. Very close to Duval street and Old Town and all the eateries.

Key West is not known for their beaches. That being said, if you want to go to the beach definitely pay to get into this one. Compared to other activities on the island it’s inexpensive, and the beach is nice — all things considered — and QUIET!
The details:
The park opens at 8 am and closes at sundown. $ 7.00 for a car with 2 people and $ 0.50 /​person after that (there are bike and walk in rates too).
The beach is rocky, but that’s just Key West. The sea weed is minimal and the beach isn’t overly crowded (we visited on December around the holidays). Bring water shoes, or
buy some in their gift shop for about $ 20. They have other souvenir items, snorkel masks, and pool noodles ($ 5) too.
The café has a limited menu and is, of course, expensive. Fine if you are unexpectedly hungry. I would pack a lunch if you can. There are picnic tables in the shade for a nice picnic lunch.
If you bring kids, beware of the depth of the water! It starts out descending slowly then drops about 1 foot abruptly. It’s just hard to see.
Check out the fort before leaving, included in the entrance fee you already paid. Lots of canons and different views. There was information to read for those of us that like that. It closes at 5pm daily.

Best beach in key west! Clean water and not muddy bottom. Good snorkeling and close to Duval. Only down side is the gravely patches but still plenty of sandy spots to go around. Make sure you check out the fort while your there.

Omg this hidden gem is beautiful!!! So glad I was able to snorkel here…
I do recommend driving all the way through, if not it’s a bit of a hike from the gate if not. Upon arrival there is a couple showers to right, some lockers and confessions stand to your left. Once on beach you can rental whatever equipment you need if you didn’t bring any. (Flippers, chairs, snorkel, umbrellas etc).
Fyi no drinking on the beach (that sucks for sure)
This is coral beach so water shoes or slowly careful walking is a must.
This beach offers some great corals better then some you’ll see out off a boat. I believe there is about 4 different spots to view.
A must check out

SANDY BEACH OASIS — IT’S NOT —
Simply stated as all other accurate reviews thus far, this is a coral beach, not sand. You can not walk around without sandals. It is a hard slope down and the coral rock gets larger as you approach the shore line. Once you hit the water, rather than coral rock, it looks like larger rock formations about 8−10″ diameter (on average) out about 20 feet. Actually, I’m disappointed on the condition of the beach. It seems to have gotten steadily worse through the years with the coral and rock.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU GO —
1) Either bring your own sand chairs or rent them. You can NOT make a body shape and pillow out of sand. There is none. You will be laying on rock so just a blanket won’t be the most comfortable
2) The summer heat in the tropics is tough. If you choose to bring your own chairs, I would still rent just an umbrella to cut down on the UV rays.
3) WATER SHOES are a must. Grab a cheap pair form CVS or Walgreens, especially for the kids.
4) If you don’t have water shoes, you may have to float out passed the rocks. I’ve seen some on their backs and others forward. Up to you, but get the shoes or wear sandals you don’t mind wearing in the water. (see pics of rocky beach)
5) It is a per person rate per vehicle. For two people, we payed $ 7 to enter at the gate. There is also different fees for bicyclers etc. Bring cash.
6) There is an additional fee for lounge and umbrella set rental including a $ 5 deposit which they will return to you before you leave.
7) There is minimal to no place to create sandcastles.
8) There are good and bad days to view the beautiful blue sea. Not every day will be pristine waters. Some days may have a large amount of seaweed blown in from a tropical storm; or there may be a sewage type of smell from the seagrass and debris washed inland. You can’t blame any beach for that. That’s all Mother Nature.
THE GOOD STUFF —
1) The most beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico of all the beaches on the island.
2) There are two coral rock formations within easy swimming distance for snorkelers to enjoy fish watching
3) The beautiful blends of aquamarine, turquoise and cerulean blue ocean waters are the best place to be viewed on the island by far.
4) There are picnic grounds in the shady pine areas along the beach for all day family cookouts.
5) Restrooms and a concession stand available
6) Great photo opportunities
7) Bring a noodle or raft and any snorkel gear
LOCALS —
Since this is a state park, there are no local discounts at the gate.

If you like rocky beach and if you are here to BBQ this is the perfect place for you. The benches are really nice with the wAter front view. Unfortunately, this isn’t what I was looking for when we decided to come so I didn’t quiet enjoy it.

I have been visiting Key West since 1986 and this was the first time I ever went to the state park. The park was amazing and well taken care of by the state of Florida. The beaches were pristine and the water clarity was exceptional for snorkeling. If you have a tight budget and you and your family don’t have beach access, I suggest you spend the day here. For a small fee you have access to picnic areas, restrooms, showers to wash the saltwater off and BBQ pits if you want to grill. If you want to impress your spouse or girlfriend, I defeat you take her down for pictures during the sunset hours… breathtaking!

Fort Zach is a little hard on the bare feet-​but it’s a coral beach so of course it it would. However, the water is clear and right from the gate it’s just such an easy jaunt to the beach. We biked it to the gate and onto the beach which was super easy, Key West in general is very bike friendly. From the bike racks to the beach was a quick, comfortable walk in flip flops. The beach looked nice but ouch did my tender feet hurt from the coral underneath the thin layer of sand.
The fort itself was also a nice diversion with a great view of the ocean out there and cannons from the era and a photo shown on how it was fired and loaded.

This is a nice park and beach. However It’s not for everyone. The park has beautiful pines which also mean debris from them is often uncomfortable to walk on. I enjoy the outdoors pros and cons but for many this and rocks are an issue. You need to wear water shoes. The beach is gorgeous but rocky. They have man made areas a few feet out in the water which are nice to snorkel around.
It’s a nice place for a picnic or barbq with benches and grills all over the place. They have fairly clean bathrooms and a café to buy snacks. I didn’t visit the fort so my review is purely on the park and beach. I’m a fan of anything that provides outdoor activities so I truly liked this place!

Beautiful state park! A little piece of nature amongst the bustling city of Key West. It’s only $ 2.50 to enter on foot or by bike which I would highly recommend; it’s a great bike ride, very scenic and safe.
Amenities and concessions are available near the beach. Beach chairs and umbrellas are pretty pricey and you can’t bring alcohol onto the beach but that’s probably the only drawback.
The water is clear and the perfect temperature to cool down after sitting in the sun. The beach was not too busy, lots of places to find a spot for a chair or beach towel.
One downside is the beach is pretty rocky (more sand in the water itself). Water shoes or flip-​flops are highly recommended.
Views of passing ships and low-​flying planes can’t be beat. A great stop in Key West.

*DISCLOSURE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE FORT ITSELF, NOT THE BEACH. I VISITED THE FORT ONLY*
Considering this fort is a National Historic Landmark, I was very excited to visit. It was built in 1845, shortly after Florida became a state and named after U.S. President Zachary Taylor. The main role of Fort Taylor during the Civil War was to serve as headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s East Gulf Coast blockade squadron. Because of its significant role in Florida’s early development, I thought this would be a must-​see. My friend and I hurriedly paid the $ 6 entrance fee and parked. As we started walking, I noticed a lot of food and craft vendors around the property, and some of the women walking around in Civil War attire. I should have known this was an omen of what was to come.
I have been to both Fort Matanzas and the Castillo de San Marcos. Both forts were impressive and featured docents on site talking about the place, giving historical facts, and answering questions. Everything was clearly labeled and there was a historical sign or poster accompanying each artifact. By contrast, Fort Zachary was pretty much abandoned, save for the vendors that gathered on the grounds. It was incredibly commercialized, with the fort serving as some backdrop for the numerous vendors. The charm of the place was gone and it felt like it was a fair, not a historical site.
The place was abandoned, and I am not just talking about it being devoid of visitors, but it was incredibly neglected. No placards, no historical information to read, no tour guides, no signs, no docents, not even any visitors at the fort. Most of the fort was blocked off to people, and some parts of it were that way because of decay, making it unsafe to enter. Save for a few cannons, there were no other historical artifacts around, no glimpse into what their barracks may have looked like, their kitchen, nothing. There really was not much to see, at all. It is sad when the most interesting thing around are the iguanas that call the fort home.
To make matters worse, half of the fort was spray-​painted with this awful matte black paint. I guess they thought they were making it look better but in reality, in my eyes, it is defacing historical property. I did my best to make the fort look decent in my pictures, choosing flattering angles, but in reality, it is depressing. For being such a key historical monument, it seems that no one seems to care enough about restoring it. I guess Fort Jefferson at the Dry Tortugas National Park is meant to steal Fort Zachary’s thunder and make it look like the black sheep of the family (no pun intended, considering the black paint). Do yourself a favor and skip this fort, no matter how tempted you may be to visit it, and instead, head over to Fort Jefferson.

Plage un peu rocailleuse, mais qui reste agréable !