Fort Sumter sits in the middle of Charleston Harbor and is only accessible by a concession-operated tour boat. Private boats are not permitted to land at the Fort. The only National Park Service-authorized access to Fort Sumter is via Fort Sumter Tours. You can depart from one of two locations: the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at 340 Concord Street in downtown Charleston or the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum at 40 Patriots Point Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. Restrooms and water are available on the boat. I left from the Fort Sumter Visitor Center. The ride to the fort took approximately 30 minutes.

On the way out to the Fort I passed Castle Pinckney the subject of the 5th post in The Civil War Begins series. I was sitting at the back of the boat, as I faced in the direction the boat is moving Castle Pinckney was on the left.

This is the fourth post in the six-part series- The War Begins- the fifth post is Castle Pinckney.