Great visit to the Fort Matanzas National Monument! Make sure you arrive early to receive the boat ticket. They have a great nature walk where you will see many types of birds. The ranger on our tour was very friendly and had lots of knowledge about the area biology! After the boat ride to the fort they had a very nice volunteer worker that was doing a nature walk tour which was great we saw many birds including some Roseate spoonbill! I highly recommend anyone visiting the area or any locals who have never been check it out!

The Fort is free and is reached by an equally free ferry provided by park rangers. The whole thing is just over an hour, but a great use if that time. The 500 yard crossing is very attractive and can have a wealth of bird life on view, including ospreys. I loved the atmosphere of the little Fort. Note that it is first come first served. Ferries go on the half hour and if you are not ticketed by 20 past, expect it to be full. There is nothing to do for the hour if you miss the ferry except go to the nearby very exposed beach. There are a visitor centre (more a little bookshop really)and rest rooms though.

The grounds at this park were nice. It is a well maintained facility with clean bathrooms. I only gave it three stars because I missed the main attraction of this park....the fort. If I ever get back here I will update my review. They have six ferries that leave out every hour beginning at 9:30 and I think they may fill up fast. We got there at 3:20 on Saturday afternoon and the last boat was full...bummer. But there is a a nice little hiking trail. Oh, and they have vending machines. If your in the area and can get to the fort it's probably worth a visit.

This is a great fun little side trip if you’re spending the day in the area, even little kids will find some interesting things to see and do. The fort itself is small and they give you about a half an hour or so to check it out, lots of authentic gear there as well. The ferry you have to book in advance, it can fill up quick on the weekends and holidays. It’s a short, maybe five minute ride across the river to the fort. The rangers are enthusiastic, friendly, and filled with knowledge per usual, all in all it was a great way to kill an hour or two. There is a small winding shady walking trail next to the parking lot, which leads out to A1AA1A, where you can cross over to the beach.

The fort is very small and the ferry ride is very short over to the fort. The visitor center is also very small. They have nice restrooms near the parking lot and huge beautiful old oak trees and a picnic area. There is no grounds to explore around the fort. You have about 45 minutes to see the fort and can take the ladder to the top to see the roof but it’s a very narrow opening at the top of the later. Must be able to navigate the tight opening. We had a 5’10” ish 190lb 65 year old grandpa with us and he was barely able to get down the ladder. The rest of the fort is accessible to everyone by stairs. There is a small beach area you can explore but full of oyster beds so are only able to explore the shoreline.

The only way to the fort is by ferry, and if it's full you may have to wait a few hours for the next available one. But it is a free tour, and the park rangers are ready to give an engaging history lesson about the fort. I also loved the view of the beach and the island from the fort. If you find yourself in St. Augustine, I recommend making time to see Fort Matanzas.

This is my third time visiting. I brought my daughters and in-laws for a fun family outing. We saw all kinds of wildlife. People often do not realize that you can go down to the water where the boat docks while you wait. Fun, free, and educational. And afterwards you can drive across the street and check out the beautiful beach.

Pros: *Free entrance *Kid-friendly *Free ferry ride to the watchtower *Excellent, free guided tour(great humor and really helped us to immerse ourselves in the time period) *Not too long! The ferry ride is about 5 minutes. The tour of the watchtower was about 45 min. *Excellent photo ops with cannons *A dolphin was spotted! *Several birds were pointed out(blue hering, osprey, pelican) *Jellyfish were spotted during the ferry ride. *Junior Ranger program earned my kids a fun badge with the fort's name on it. Just ask, and they will provide your kids with a free book/pencil to complete the assignment to earn the badge. It was a fun activity for them to complete on the ferry ride there and back. Cons: Ferry tickets are free, but they are first come, first serve and only available in person(not available online or over the phone). We came yesterday, but all of the times were full. So we came first thing this morning and had our pick. If you come from out of state to see this, make sure you arrive when they open to secure a ticket. You can bring an umbrella if it rains. Thank you to all who provided a wonderful experience for our family!

Best place to visit for free in St. Augustine - but for the quality of the guided tip, we would have paid to go if they asked! Imagine it like a trip to the Castillo de San Marcos, with a free ferry ride to get to Fort Matanzas! It's definitely worth the trip. Great history and an amazing view from on top! Ferry boats leave once an hour (on the half-hour mark) and can be full in advance, so call ahead before arrival to see if that's the case. Tickets must be picked up in person, with no reservations. 100% worth the trip, especially if you enjoy the history of St. Augustine like we do!

This free tour was so informative and so much fun. We arrived at 10:10 and got tickets for the 10:30 tour. You are able to talk down to the water while you wait on the boat. Our national park guides were so lovely. The fort is beautiful and the boat ride to and from were good.

Cute but short stop for a fort. Fort is accessed by a ferry which is free and ran by the National Parks. It was running every 30 minutes when we visited in Oct. We did not go out to the fort due to time constraints but I'm happy we stopped. Small gift shop on site and restrooms are near the parking lot. Lots of outdoor space including picnic tables and some trails to explore, one trail was closed during our visit due to construction. Birds were around and even saw a turtle. Mosquitos are everywhere too, bring bug spray.

Very friendly staff, knowledgeable, and willing to help you , find your way. Show up early to get tickets for the boat ride across. This will ensure that you could go at the time you want. This boat ride is free. The whole park is free. And the tour is free. How amazing is that in today's time. Take your time to have a nice walking trail.

FREE ENTRY. FREE FERRY RIDE. This monument is very cool. You get to go on a ferry ride across the way to the monument. Our guide, Caroline, did an amazing job explaining the history and relevance. We saw dolphins and other wildlife on our way over. Definitely kid friendly. Not wheel chair friendly. Steep stairs and ladders. Definitely climb to the top, up the ladder, and look out. It’s amazing something built in the 1700s is still standing today.

Found this while randomly driving along. Went in at 2pm and was able to go on the 230 ferry. Quick 5 minute boat ride and was at the fort. It is very small but amazing to see and learn the history. The tour guide was extremely energetic and knowledgeable. There is no charge for anything, including parking. Definitely worth stopping in. Was happily surprised at this find.

What a perfect day trip for the entire family. The site was dreamy and well Curated. The park rangers are super Knowledgeable and friendly. The ferry ride was so peaceful… this is how you get to the Fort. The park is super busy so make sure to go early to get your ferry tickets. If you haven’t visited Fort Matanzas National Monument what are you waiting for?

Had a blast - in order to get to the fort you need to get a ticket for the Ferry. Tickets are free! They just reserve your seat. The ferry runs hourly from 8:30-4:30, skipping 12:30 for lunch. (As of April) We went and got an 11:30 ticket, went across. The tour guide gave us a story, and let us roam freely around the Fort. Because we booked the 11:30 and there wasnt another boat trip waiting to board we got a nice extra surprise of our tour being extended on the boat to go further down the channel and do some Dolphin hunting. I saw one, but I dont think anyone else saw him 😔 was a really great tour and an excellent detour from out St Augustine Trip!

Surprise! FREE parking, historical tour, boat ride, and hiking trails! This tour experience is fun for the whole family! The only way to the fort is by boat. There are usually 6 tours a day. The tour schedule is posted by the front entrance of the visitor center or call before between 9-5pm. During the busy seasons, get the free tickets early. The tour guides are park rangers that have a wealth of knowledge to share. Our tour guide Steve taught us about the historical significance of the fort in a story format that held all our group’s attention, and we left excited to explore more of the location. The hiking trails have a numbered scavenger hunt about the ecology and historical locations. There is a picnic area and the bathrooms are very clean.

What a wonderful surprise this was! The Rangers were so informative and the trip over to the fort only took a few minutes. They actually let you explore this fort, even climbing up narrow steps to the roof. It was a very wonderful way to spend a few hours. Highly recommended.

The staff was friendly and tour guide was very enthusiastic! The monument was unique and interesting to explore. Parking is absolutely terrible. The free visit turned into a 105$ parking ticket. The location didn’t specify no parking and should have been marked or made known to visitors.

The grounds are nice, but I made a HUGE mistake. I didn't realize that I should get ferry tickets in advance, or at least be there early enough to get a (free) ferry ticket. When I got there the all ferry rides were full. I did mark this as five stars and DO plan to return with advance tickets in hand, because the park I was able to see was very welcoming and the Ranger was helpful and did not make fun of my faux pas!

So glad we added this small outpost fort to our St. Augustine trip. It added to the story of the Castillo de San Marcos. The guide and boat captain were engaging, humorous, and knowledgeable. We absolutely enjoyed the experience and would recommend it heartily.

I really enjoyed spending time here as this park has a lot of great views either from hiking or from taking the free ferry ride! Make sure to arrive here as early as possible to reserve a ferry ride! The staff is amazing here as they helped so much on knowing more about the park! The ferry ride is definitely a must!

The area was very nice and the staff was friendly too! Parking is FREE in the connected lot and there are bathrooms, a water fountain with bottle refill station, and some vending machines right off of the parking lot. There is also a nature trail you can walk to from the parking lot along with a few beach access spots on the Matanzas river. Walking up to the National Park Building where you get tickets there are signs with info about the ferry departure schedule (which you need to take to the national monument), park hours, and more. They also have historical info about the Fort and surrounding area as well. The signage at the park clearly explains that there are ferry departures 6 times a day (every hour starting at 9:30am). However, the staff explained to me that you need to show up early to get tickets for a specific time because they “sell out” fast (tickets are FREE). He said some days they can be gone by Noon or earlier. He also said that they don’t run ferries on Monday or Tuesday. This was very disappointing to hear because unless you are staying on St. Augustine beach, this park is not a close drive from you. In addition, it makes it very challenging to plan for a trip here when you don’t know what time your ferry will be until you arrive and see what tickets are left. Personally, I think they need to go to an online system or something a bit more environmentally friendly than telling people to drive to the park to get tickets, leave (although you can technically stay and use the nature trail but that only occupies a bit of time), and then drive back to use the ferry at that ticketed time. Really seems counterproductive! Also, not sure why they stop the ferry at 3:30pm if the monument and park technically stay open until 5:30pm. It is not a large monument and really shouldn’t require more than 45-minutes maximum to tour. We toured the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument which is much larger and it only took about an hour. Overall the grounds and people were nice, but the ferry situation and monument hours were disappointing!

A server at a restaurant told us this was not to be missed, so we wandered over. Great National Monument. Our guide on the tour was just great- very animated. Kept the story of the history of the fort very entertaining and he did a great job of recounting the history in a lovely fashion. It also a great place do do some birding on the nature trail. I saw a wild turkey and some osprey!

What a great stop. Age 15 and under are free. $14.95 for those 16+. Lots to do to spend an afternoon walking around. Cannot imagine having to man this fort in August back in the days of use. It was an amazing site to see.

Short quick tour. Boat ride across the river to see and learn about the fort and get some cool pictures. First tour leaves at 9:30am. Fun for something quick to do if your staying near by.

I am grateful for the competent park rangers, captains, and staff, that got us back on shore, keeping us safe from this fast-moving storm. The boat ride is beautiful, the staff knowledgeable about local history, and we will definitely be back to check out the fort!

The entrance is free and also the boat ride. Be aware that Monday and Tuesday the ferry is not running. Very nice area, starting from the parking along with all the facilities around. There are also some trails.

My favorite beach! Fishing is fantastic here. Caught a huge red in October and March. Good place to go to see the sunset!

Last ferry leaves out at 3:30, I'd suggest getting there early to get free passes bc they run out quickly and space is limited. There's a nice nature trail that will take about 30-45 minutes to walk before or after your tour. And btw, no pets are allowed on the tour/ferry.

Great piece of history and a hidden gem. Entrance is free but you need to arrive before 11am or there won't be any tickets available for the ferry ride to get to the fort. Parking is also limited so you will more than likely ride around waiting for a spot or park down A1A and walk to the park. Definitely worth the wait and walk, was a great experience for the kids.