PARK OVERVIEW
Fort Frederica National Monument is located off the coast of south Georgia on St. Simons Island. The park preserves the ruins of Fort Frederica and the town that surrounded it, Frederica. Both were founded by James Oglethorpe as a military base for the protection of Savannah, the largest town in the colony of Georgia when it was first established in 1733. By the early 1900s, the town had completely vanished, and all that remained of the fort was the crumbling walls of the powder magazine and part of the barracks. In 1936, the Fort Frederica National Monument was created, setting into motion the means to stabilize the ruins and excavate the town site. It opened to the public in 1945.
Your first stop at the park should be at the Visitor Center where you can speak to a Ranger about what there is to see and do, pick up a free brochure, and watch a 20-minute film about the history of Fort Frederica. Once done, venture out to the town and fort site on your own or join a Ranger-guided tour. Here you will find the foundations of original homes and the ruins of the fort and barracks. A tour of the grounds covers roughly one mile and should take no more than an hour of your time.
OPERATING HOURS
The grounds of Fort Frederica National Monument are open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. This is a gated park and any cars left after 5 PM will be locked in for the night.
The Visitor Center is typically open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, but at the time of this writing (November 2024) it is only open Wednesdays through Sundays due to a staffing shortage. A Ranger told me this is hopefully only temporary. When the Visitor Center is closed, no Ranger tours are given. This page may not be updated on a regular basis, so be sure to check the official Fort Frederica National Monument Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the latest schedule.
The Bloody Marsh Memorial Site is open daily from 8:30 AM to 4 PM.
All facilities are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
FEES
There is no fee to enter the park.
SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT
Visitor Center
1 hour
Touring Fort Frederica
1 hour
Hiking
1.5 hours
Bloody Marsh Memorial Unit
10 minutes + drive time
The tourist season for the park, and south Georgia in general, is fall through early summer. From July through September it is just too hot, and there are too many bugs to make a visit enjoyable.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on October 25, 2024