GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

By  Mike Miller September 17, 2025

Gulf Islands National Seashore spans 160 miles along the Gulf. It covers barrier islands, beaches, and waters in Florida and Mississippi.

The Florida section includes Santa Rosa Island, Fort Barrancas, Fort Pickens, Naval Live Oaks, Okaloosa, and Perdido Key. Fort Walton Beach is nearby.

Visitors find white sand beaches, dunes, and historic forts. The park offers hiking, camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing. It protects coastal ecosystems and military sites.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Native Americans built shell middens on the islands thousands of years ago. Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s.

The U.S. built coastal forts in the 1800s to defend against invasions. Fort Pickens, completed in 1834, used 21 million bricks made by enslaved workers.

It held Apache leader Geronimo prisoner in the 1880s. During the Civil War, Union forces kept control of Fort Pickens. Fort Barrancas guarded Pensacola Bay.

President Richard Nixon established the seashore in 1971 to preserve these sites.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 damaged beaches, but recovery efforts restored habitats. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a historic site.

The Florida district includes Fort Pickens near Pensacola Beach, Johnson Beach at Perdido Key, and Naval Live Oaks near Gulf Breeze, among others.

Fort Pickens is at the west end of Santa Rosa Island, accessible by a seven-mile drive from Pensacola Beach.

The park is open daily March 1 - October 31 from 5 AM to 8 PM, and November 1 - February 28 from 5 AM to 6 PM. Visitor centers operate from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Call (850) 934-2600 for updates. Hike trails like the 1.5-mile Discovery Trail at Johnson Beach.

Camp at Fort Pickens sites. Arrive early for parking availability. Check tides for kayaking in Santa Rosa Sound.  

• Over 80% of the seashore is underwater, including shipwrecks for snorkeling.  

• Fort Pickens is one of four Southern forts never held by Confederates in the Civil War. 
  
  
• Four different sea turtle species nest on the beaches from May to October.  

• The park connects to the 1,300-mile Florida Trail, starting at Big Cypress Nation Preserve on the edge of the Everglades.  

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE WEBSITE

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