![]() NOTE: Pensacola Naval Air Station is now closed to the general public due to a shooting that took place on December 6, 2019. The grounds of Naval Live Oaks are open from 8 AM to sunset. The Fort Pickens Visitor Center and the Fort Pickens Discovery Center are open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM daily, except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.įort Pickens (the actual fort) is open for self-guided tours from 8 AM to sunset. Only campers with a lock code can enter after hours. The entrance is gated and locked when the park is closed. For the rest of the year, the grounds are open from 5 AM to 6 PM. The Florida unit of the Gulf Islands National Seashore is comprised of six different sections.įrom March 1st through October 31st, the grounds of the Fort Pickens Area are open from 5 AM to 8 PM. There are also two short nature trails and a few picnic tables. Fort Barrancas, Advanced Redoubt, and the Spanish Water Battery are open on select days of the week. The Fort Barrancas Area is located within Pensacola Naval Air Station and features historical attractions only. Swimming in both Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay is also possible. There is a picnic area with a covered pavilion. Here you will find the park’s only extensive network of hiking trails. Naval Live Oaks is located on the mainland (the Fairpoint Peninsula). It is the least developed area of the park, offering only bay-side swimming, a restroom, and a few picnic tables. The Okaloosa Area is a small beach located near Fort Walton. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer on the Gulf-side beaches. Opal Beach has covered picnic pavilions, restrooms, and outdoor showers on both the Gulf and the Santa Rosa Sound-side of the island. The Santa Rosa Area is an undeveloped stretch of beach situated between Pensacola and Navarre Beaches. The area also hosts the only developed campground, plus there are plenty of places to picnic and approximately fifteen miles of Gulf and Pensacola Bay beaches to enjoy. Fort Pickens has the largest collection of 1800s forts and batteries open to the public of any of the National Parks on the east coast. The Fort Pickens Area offers opportunities for those interested in both recreation and history. At the far east end of the island is a World War II-era battery. This is also the only place in the Florida unit where backcountry camping on the beach is allowed (for those arriving by boat only, walk-in camping is no longer allowed). Perdido Key is mainly a recreational area with a lifeguarded beach and opportunities for kayaking and canoeing in Big Lagoon. Fort Barrancas lies within the Pensacola Naval Air Station and Naval Live Oaks is near Gulf Breeze, Florida. The other two sections are located on the mainland. ![]() Four sections of the park are located on these islands-Johnson Beach on Perdido Key, the forts and beaches of Fort Pickens, and the beaches at the Santa Rosa and Okaloosa areas. Unlike the Mississippi unit where access to all islands in the park requires a boat, here at the Florida unit the two islands, Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Island, are accessible by vehicle thanks to bridges connecting them to the mainland. The Florida unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore consists of six different areas. Complete information on the Mississipi unit is also available. This portion of National Park Planner covers the Florida unit. Because of this, they are essentially two separate parks and are visited by two different sets of vacationers. The two parks are over 100 miles apart by vehicle and 70 miles by boat. While it is not the only National Park spanning multiple states, it is one of the rare parks in which the units are not connected together. ![]() Gulf Islands National Seashore has units located in both Florida and Mississippi. 292 curves right, turn left onto Johnson Beach Road.Family enjoying the day at Gulf Islands National Seashore Stay on Highway 292 until you cross the bridge to Perdido Key, as Hwy. From Pensacola: Take Highway 98 (Bus.) to Barrancas Avenue and continue onto Highway 292. As the road begins to curve to the left away from the beach, turn right onto Johnson Beach Road. Directions From Orange Beach/Gulf Shores: Head east on Highway 182 and cross over into Florida continuing onto Highway 292 (Perdido Key Drive). Roadside Parking: You can park along Johnson Beach Road unless otherwise posted. Beach wheelchairs: Ask the ranger at the entrance station for the beach wheelchair. Johnson Beach: This swim beach hosts two large parking lots, restrooms, outdoor showers, and picnic pavilions. Facilities Perdido Key Discovery Trail: Enjoy bird watching along this accessible boardwalk trail. Overnight parking not permitted year-round. (last entry at 8:00 p.m.) November 1 - February 28: 5:00 a.m. Operating Hours March 1 - October 31: 5:00 a.m.
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