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Ft Taylor - Beach SP, Key West
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Ft Taylor - Beach SP, Key West

View from the beach - Key West
View from the beach
by 7h0rn
Ft Taylor - Beach SP tips and photos posted by real travelers and Key West locals.
• 17 Photos
• 8 Reviews

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Key West Ft Taylor - Beach SP Reviews 1 - 8 of 8  
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Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Waving Goodbye to the Cruise Ship
  • Tip Rating:
    • grandmaR
  • Updated By grandmaR on May 1, 2006
  • Key West Page by grandmaR
    • Waving skeleton sculpture - Key West
    Waving skeleton sculpture
    by grandmaR, 4 more photos
    Fort Taylor was completed in 1866. I've done a whole VT travel page on Fort Taylor The regular website is the Florida Parks page.

    Mail address P.O. Box 6560, Key West, Florida 33041

    - there is a $4 per car fee
    - there are daily tours of the fort at Noon and 2 p.m.

    The fort was turned over to the Navy in 1947 to maintain. It was not available in the 60s when we lived there, as all the old armaments were buried and restoration was not started until 1968.

    On the bank of the moat there are some extremely interesting sculptures (pictured). Don't miss them. The second picture shows the fort from the air in 2005.

    There is not only has the partly restored fort, but also a park/beach area for fishing, swimming, snorkeling, and picnics etc. which is said by some to be the best beach in Key West. There are showers, a snack bar and restrooms.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex
  • Website: http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/317c6/#TL
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Best Civilan Beach in Key West
  • Tip Rating:
    • grandmaR
  • Updated By grandmaR on August 20, 2004
  • Key West Page by grandmaR
    • Fort Taylor Beach - Key West
    Fort Taylor Beach
    by grandmaR
    Behind the yellow barrier is the Ft. Taylor Beach. In front of the barrier is the military base beach. Since Bob is retired military, we can use this beach. It costs a minimal amount (something like $5/car) to go to Ft. Taylor and use the beach, but our beach is free to us, so I haven't actually been to Ft. Taylor Beach.

    The Fort Taylor beach is supposed to be the best in Key West.. The fort itself has great views of the harbor and the sunset. My niece got married there. I have a whole page with pictures of the fort.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex
  • Website: http://www.ohwy.com/fl/z/zachabch.htm
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Forgotten Fort & Best Beach
  • Tip Rating:
    • jelw
  • Updated By jelw on October 25, 2008
  • Key West Page by jelw
    • Moat built to replicate look - Key West
    Moat built to replicate look
    by jelw, 3 more photos
    Ft Zachary Taylor was originally 1/4 mile at sea.
    The Navy dredged and filled the "gap" of water. A moat has since been built around the fort itself to approximate the way it once appeared. This is a historic site in transition. The excavation is still ongoing.

    The Beach at the fort is the loveliest one on Key West IMHO. Clean with gorgeous sweeping views and water begging you to swim. Water here is fresher than that of any other beach in Key West. http://www.laststandblog.org/water_quality/

    The cantina, bathroom facilities and rentals are all located down by the beachfront .

    A full day pass is only a nominal charge. For three of us with car it was about $6 us.

    http://www.dep.state.fl.us

    Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Florida's southernmost state park is popular for recreation, as well as U.S. military history. The fort was one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation's southeastern coastline. Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor played important roles in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. A beautiful beach at the southern end of the park provides opportunities for picnicking, swimming, snorkeling and fishing. Visitors can also enjoy a short nature trail and bicycling within the park. A refreshment stand at the beach offers snacks, cold beverages, beach sundries and souvenirs. Guided tours of the fort are available daily.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex, KEY WEST
  • Website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/forttaylor/
  • Other Contact: http://www.reefrelief.org/progra
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: fort zachary taylor state park
  • Tip Rating:
    • doug48
  • By doug48 on November 15, 2008
  • Key West Page by doug48
    • fort zachary taylor state park - Key West
    fort zachary taylor state park
    by doug48
    fort zachary taylor state park is the southern most state park in the U.S. the fort and park is named after zachary taylor who was the 12th president of the united states. fort taylor was built in 1866. there are guided tours of the fort at 12:00 and 2:00PM every day. most visitors come to fort zachary taylor state park for it's beautiful beach. the park offers swimming, snorkeling, and kayak rentals.

  • Address: southard street
  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex, southwest end ot the island.
  • Website: http://www.floridastateparks.org/forttaylor/
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Beach at Fort Zachary Taylor
    LowBrow
  • By LowBrow on August 21, 2003
  • Key West Page by LowBrow
    • Hmm, crunchy - Key West
    Hmm, crunchy
    by LowBrow
    My recommendation for this place is completely inverted. This isn't a great beach in any respect. The sand is imported from the Bahamas, the ground under the water is hard and crunchy, there's lots of seaweed, the beach is pretty small. But, you must see this in order to know that Key West is NOT a beach destination. Sure, the water is nearly body tempurature, you can snorkle here, and you may see some nude sunbathing, things we all need more of, naturally.

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  • Directions: You definitely shouldn't try to walk to this place. Once you get to Truman Annex off of Southard, it's another mile or so to the beach. Rent a bike, it's a pleasant ride.
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: The beach behind the fort
    7h0rn
  • By 7h0rn on January 12, 2004
  • Key West Page by 7h0rn
    • View from the beach - Key West
    View from the beach
    by 7h0rn
    Really, all the crowds at Higg's Beach can be avoided for $5 and a quick bike (or car) ride over to Fort Zachary Taylor. The fort is worth strolling through for 15-20 minutes and the bike path around the fort is a lot of fun to ride on... but the beach is the best part. It's small and seculded. We hunted for seaglass and found enough to fill a cup - nicely frosted. There's a small amount of reef at the beach that you can easily snorkel out to and enjoy. I only wished we had found it earlier in our trip because I would have skipped the group snorkel and just gone here for a week instead.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: Fort Zachary Taylor is located at the end of Southard Street on Truman Annex in Key West.
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Zachary Taylor Beach: Key West's Best
    noidiotsplease
  • Updated By noidiotsplease on June 3, 2008
  • Key West Page by noidiotsplease
    • Ft Taylor - Beach SP - Key West
    by noidiotsplease
    While Key West is not known for having great beaches the city's best one can be found at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Visitors to the park will find a large Civil War fort to explore, a wooded picnic area and a natural beach area featuring large boulders that are a short swim from the shore.

    FYI: It is a good idea to wear water shoes on this and all of Key West's beaches as the coral banks can be a bit tough on bare feet.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex
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    Ft Taylor - Beach SP: Abandonded Fort
    el_ruso
  • By el_ruso on August 5, 2006
  • Key West Page by el_ruso
    • Ft Taylor - Beach SP - Key West
    by el_ruso, 2 more photos
    This poorly restored fort from XIX century is a waste of time IMO. It is out of the way, and actually quite distant if you try to walk here. The attempt at restoration is really cheesy.

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  • Phone: 305-292-6713
  • Directions: end of Southard Street on Truman Annex
    • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
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