Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.
About under an hour from Jacksonville by car.
Alerts
- ClosureConstruction for Seawall Project
Starting July 27, 2026, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument will begin construction to replace, raise and rehabilitate the park’s failing seawalls. The historic fort will remain accessible throughout the project. Some areas outside of the fort will be closed for safety.
- InformationFee Stations Credit Card Only
Fee Stations are only accepting credit cards for the purchase of entry tickets and passes.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonThe Castillo de San Marcos is considered to be a "walk-in" park. The entrance fee applies to each individual. Tickets are not transferable and cannot be given to other guests. Adults (Age 16 and above) entrance is $15.00 and valid for 7 consecutive days. Children (age 15 and under) are admitted free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult. | $15 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkPass covers entrance fees only at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Pass allows one passholder to print and sign their name and is valid for 12 months through the month of purchase. Pass covers the passholder and three additional adults (16 and over) when entering the Castillo. | $45 | |
The Castillo de San Marcos is considered to be a "walk-in" park. The entrance fee applies to each individual. Tickets are not transferable and cannot be given to other guests. Adults (Age 16 and above) entrance is $15.00 - valid for 7 consecutive days. Children (age 15 and under) are admitted free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult. Only credit and debit cards are accepted for payment.
Hours
| Castillo de San Marcos National Monument | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and October the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
No campgrounds, no webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- Castillo Seawall Project Begins in July ↗2026-07-08
On July 27, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument will begin mobilizing for construction to replace, raise and rehabilitate the park’s failing seawalls and protect the historic fort and the broader St. Augustine…
- Castillo Visitor Parking Lot will Close to Vehicles on July 4 for Florida Freedom Tour ↗2026-06-30
On July 4, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and the city of St. Augustine will close vehicle access to the main visitor parking for the Florida Freedom Tour and Independence Day events.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthOsprey 15× · Bald Eagle 4× · Indian Peafowl 2× · Brown Pelican 1× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1× · Barred Owl 1× · West Indian Manatee 1× · Sandhill Crane 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 81 birds, 4 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Black Vulture · Hen Harrier · Osprey · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican White Ibis · Brown Pelican · Common Loon · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · Little Blue Heron · Reddish Egret · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · Wood Stork · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsBlack Skimmer · European Herring Gull · Great Black-backed Gull · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Ring-billed Gull · Sanderling · Wilson's Plover
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pigeon · Mourning Dove
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Redstart · American Robin · Anhinga · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Blue Jay · Boat-tailed Grackle · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Starling · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Fish Crow · Gray Catbird · Gray Kingbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · House Wren · Loggerhead Shrike · Nanday conure · Northern Cardinal · Northern Gannet · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Orchard Oriole · Prothonotary Warbler · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Song Sparrow · Swainson's Thrush · Swamp Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Whip-poor-will · Wood Thrush
Small mammalsEastern Gray Squirrel
Marine mammalsWest Indian Manatee
Predatorscommon raccoon
Also on the checklistDomestic Cat
Weather & climate
St. Augustine has a semi-tropical climate with over 300 days of sunshine each year. Summers (May-September) are hot, bright, and humid with afternoon thunderstorms common. Temperatures range from the lower 70s to the mid 90s F. Spring (March-mid-May) and Autumn (October-late November) can be pleasant with temperatures ranging from the upper 50s into the 80s F. The Winter months (December-March) are usually dry. Temperatures can be cool ranging from the upper 30s through the 60sF.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Castillo de San Marcos?
Entrance is $15 per person on foot or bike. The Castillo de San Marcos is considered to be a "walk-in" park.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Castillo de San Marcos?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Castillo de San Marcos-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Castillo de San Marcos takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Castillo de San Marcos free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Castillo de San Marcos?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Castillo de San Marcos. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Castillo de San Marcos?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Castillo de San Marcos right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Construction for Seawall Project; Fee Stations Credit Card Only.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Castillo de San Marcos?
598,070 recreation visits in 2025, number 103 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Castillo de San Marcos?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Castillo de San Marcos?
St. Augustine has a semi-tropical climate with over 300 days of sunshine each year.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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