![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “Back in March, when we closed the beaches in conjunction with local authorities, we also went ahead and closed the campground entirely. “Which will basically bring Loop-A of the Fort Pickens campground up to 50% capacity starting Aug. The park is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health and others to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, along with using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. So whether you’re lucky enough to live here or you’ve found your way here, sure as the sun rises and sets, once you’ve experienced Gulf Islands National Seashore - you’ll treasure it forever too.Following guidance from federal, state and local health experts, Gulf Islands National Seashore is increasing recreational access at the Fort Pickens Campground next week. Or if just relaxing in the warm sunshine, overlooking the water with a good book in hand, from the comfort of your beach chair is more your speed - well, you simply couldn’t ask for a better view. Or, join in a ranger-led nature tour to explore life in the brackish marshes or hidden in the shade of tall pines and gnarled live oaks. Shelling is a favorite pastime in winter as the beach’s emerald waters are calmer and best appreciated at low tide, when you can walk hundreds of yards and see nothing but a sandy, winter-white bottom and sift through thousands of small shells and sand dollars. Recreational activities abound within the Seashore, including kayaking, fishing, nature trails, biking, camping, fort tours, ranger-led programs and more. With its huge brick battlements jutting up from white sand dunes and its labyrinth of arched tunnels, Pickens is a favorite spot within the Seashore for photographers and history buffs alike. The largest of four historic forts in the Pensacola Bay Area, Pickens is managed by the National Park Service and surrounded by acres of undeveloped, wild beach. Strategically-positioned at the very tip of Santa Rosa Island, guarding the bay entrance into Pensacola, the fort provides a unique look into American history and the military significance of Pensacola dating back to the American Revolution. The star attraction of the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Pensacola Beach is Fort Pickens. And every winter, look for hundreds of species of migratory birds as they make a pit stop along Pensacola Beach on their way to South America for the season. The preserved and protected Seashore provides ample nesting and hatching ground for sea turtles and shorebirds, like the loggerhead and rare Kemp’s Ridleys turtles, or the beautiful black skimmers and tiny least terns shorebirds. Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, loggerhead sea turtles and cow-nose rays are commonly spotted swimming along the sandbar in the crystal-clear waters. Osprey, falcons, bald eagles and great blue herons are often nearby or overhead, their nests visible in the treetops. Wildlife encompasses the beach everywhere you look. ![]() That reflective, bright-white sand that we cherish is what also creates our dazzling, emerald-colored water.īut humans aren’t the only ones that treasure our Seashore’s natural gifts. Well, to start, our sugar-white sands are made of naturally-milled quartz brought over millennia to the Gulf Coast from the Appalachian Mountains by rivers and streams. Pensacola Beach is bookended by the Seashore on both sides, with Opal Beach to the east and Fort Pickens to the west. In 2018, Gulf Islands National Seashore on Pensacola Beach was once again named Best Florida Attraction in the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, chosen by the readers of USA Todayand 10Best. In fact, your reflection in the water may be the only person you see while there, particularly during the shoulder season. Gulf Islands National Seashore provides just that. Known for its dazzling green-blue waters and powdery white sands, you’d be hard pressed to find many beaches left in the world where you can walk in unpeopled solace for miles and miles with unobstructed views, just the way nature created it. Yes, there’s a reason why Pensacola Beach’s Gulf Islands National Seashore has long been treasured as an acclaimed national park and awarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. ![]()
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