Experiences & Recreation · Family Activities
Fort Pickens Area, Gulf Islands National Seashore
About
The Fort Pickens Area covers the western tip of Santa Rosa Island, past the last condos of Pensacola Beach. It’s part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, run by the National Park Service, and it pairs a brick fort you can explore with miles of undeveloped beach, a campground and a fishing pier.
The fort
Fort Pickens was built between 1829 and 1834 to guard the entrance to Pensacola Bay. It stayed in Union hands through the Civil War, and in November 1861 its guns opened a bombardment of Confederate positions across the bay. From 1886 to 1888 it held the Apache leader Geronimo and other Apache prisoners, and tourists paid for boat rides to see them. Today you can walk the fort on your own or join a ranger program.
Beaches, fishing and camping
- Langdon Beach: restrooms, showers and lifeguards from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Fishing pier: no fishing license is needed on the Fort Pickens pier.
- Campground: 177 sites in five loops, most with water and electric and 40 for tents only. Book up to six months ahead on Recreation.gov.
- Ferry: the Pensacola Bay City Ferry runs seasonally from March to October, Friday through Sunday.
Good to know
- Fees: $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle and $15 per person on foot or bike, good for seven days at the seashore’s Florida fee areas. Payment is card only, and America the Beautiful passes are accepted.
- Getting there: crossing the Bob Sikes Bridge onto the island costs a $1 toll.
- Dogs: allowed on a 6-foot leash, but not on beaches, piers, ferries or inside the fort.
- Closures: the Battery 234 loop road and nearby beach access are closed indefinitely, and the Discovery Center is closed for renovation. The fort itself is open.
Plan the rest of your visit with our guides to things to do in Pensacola Beach and Pensacola and Navarre beaches.