What a hidden gem! This nice park has a great beach where you can snorkel in pretty calm waters. While the water is not crystal clear, it is clear enough to take a snorkel dip. It cost $8 to get in. There was a lot of parking. There is also a restaurant onsite. Picnic tables were in abundance. Bathrooms are good. It seemed like people started leaving about 2:00 p.m. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach. Overall, what a hidden great excursion.

And this is one of them! But bring your water shoes because it is a rocky beach. This is a very pleasant place to take a swim or do some snorkeling. The day I was there the water was too cloudy for snorkeling - possibly due to recent hurricanes. But there are some rocks just off shore that attract fish and would make for some pleasant exploring on a calm day. Lots of picnic tables and shade. Also a good snack bar and a place to rent snorkeling equipment. You can also rent a lounge and umbrella. And, of course, alcoholic beverages are available at the snack bar - this being Key West! Easy bike ride from downtown. Plus there are lockers you can rent so you don’t have to worry about your valuables while you are in the water.

We rented bikes and rode out to Fort Zachary Taylor historic state park. The fort itself is well preserved and informative. They offer tours, but we just did the self guided. Afterwards, we rode our bikes over to the beach, rented a couple chairs and enjoyed a few hours. They have a small shop where you can buy food / beer as well as outdoor showers and bathrooms. The beach area is very rocky with coral so you might want to bring water shoes

We visited the 2nd week of December and the cost was only $5 for both of us. But, we walked there so I'm not sure if they charge extra for parking. While there, we obtained a brochure that informed the fort was the longest serving US Coastal fort serving from 1861 to 1947 and has the largest amount of Civil War armaments in the world. The fort contains almost a dozen signs or interpretive panels describing the fort's history and experiences. There are some steep steps as you walk up or down from the fort's walls, so be careful if there are young children with you. There are also places of uneven walkways so be careful and watch your footing. We explored the forts exhibits and admired the scenic view of the beach and ocean in front. Also, there were plenty of cannons, cannonballs/artillery rounds and many other artifacts depicting fort life to view. Overall, we spent just over an hour there as it was a smaller fort and there was a section that was cordoned off due to repairs.

It was interesting (held onto the rails with both hands) to climb to the top of the old fort. Lots of artillery and ordnance from several eras which was neat to see and read about. However, the Fort is obviously poorly maintained. We didn't see one park ranger or tour guide during our entire rainy visit.

We went to explore the fort and found it interesting. Then we stumbled on it's real gift- a secluded beach, the only secluded beach, from which to watch the sunset. As a bonus, there is a snack bar close by to get refreshments too. This is a must- but plan around a sunset!

A great place to just hang out, watch people or watch boats. Need to bring your own chairs or rent theirs. pack in/out any trash, though they do have a concession stand and bathrooms. Can swim here. Should have brought my snorkeling gear.

This was my first trip to this beach- I’ve visited others in the Keys. This by far was my favorite. If I didn’t want to go in the sand and see the beach, that was an option. If I was interested in fishing- that was an option. If I was just interested in seeing the fort, that was an option. Bathrooms were also clean.

i went to this beach everyday of my trip and i loved the beach. there are trees that support tons of birds. picnic tables and lovely beach. nice little place to get lunch and drinks. susan

Beautiful scenery. Can be very windy with crashing waves so be very careful. Better place to watch the sunset than Mallary Square in my opinion. Be sure and park your bike in one the racks, if you walk it onto the beach area you will be bitched at by someone. Take a tour of the old fort and see some history