gulf coast beaches

best beaches along the Florida gulf coast

Cedar Keys Florida – Top Things to See and Do

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cedar key florida gulf beach town

The fun island community of Cedar Key (see our first article here) is to date our favorite Florida Gulf Coast Beach town. It is what a friend termed what “Key Largo” used to be. An artsy, fun place that has some neat restaurants and attractions . . . but remains very accessible. You can find … Read more

Bay St. Louis

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Downtown Old Bay St. Louis

Fun things to see and do in our Second Favorite Small Gulf Coast Town Bay St. Louis recently made USA Today’s list of 10 Top Coastal Small Towns (coming in at number 2) offering “unpretentious and affordable seaside fun without the crowds.” We agree. We first discovered Bay St. Louis and its’ historic Old Town … Read more

Fort Pickens National Park Review

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Camping and Visiting Fort Pickens & Gulf Islands National Seashore Park – Pensacola Beach, Florida

Top 10 things to do at Fort Pickens Gulf Islands Park & Campground?

  • Go beach combing, swimming, and sunbathing on sparsely populated white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Tour the historic Fort Pickens and Island Gun Batteries and learn about the military history of the Fort and of Santa Rosa Island.
  • Hike the several hiking and nature trails in the park.
  • Bird-Watching. Over 280 species of birds have been identified on the gulf barrier islands.
  • Visit the Gulf Islands Discovery Center to explore exhibits on the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.
  • Bike the roads in the park and bike the 6 mile road between the park and the fun things to do in Pensacola Beach.
  • Camping in a tent or RV in one of the full-service campsites or in a group the more rustic backcountry sites. (See our Fort Pickens Campground Review here)
  • Like Fishing? Fort Pickens does have a fishing pier that extends out into Pensacola Bay.
  • If staying in the campground, enjoy numerous attractions in the nearby vacation community of Pensacola Beach and the larger city of Pensacola across the bay from the park. At the end of this article are several links to interesting things to see and do in the area.
  • Watch the famed Blue Angels Flight team from the Fort Pickens Pier

Slide Show Top Fort Pickens Attractions

  • Historic Fort Pickens
    The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers. The Fort along with the island's numerous gun batteries has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.
  • Fort Pickens Campground
    The popular campground at Fort Pickens will accommodate larger RVs as well as smaller units and tents
  • Fort Pickens Gulf Beach
    The uncrowded pristine beaches at Fort Pickens are among Floridas top rated.
  • Fort Pickens Hiking Trails
    Hiking/biking Trail from the Fort to the Campground
  • Biking at Fort Pickens
    Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)
Pensacola Beach Santa Rosa Island
If you like the excitement of ocean resort towns, Pensacola Beach is less than
15 minutes from the Fort Pickens campground

Driving Directions to Fort Pickens Historical Site from Pensacola, Florida

To get to Fort Pickens from Pensacola on the mainland, you have to take the bridge across the bay to Gulf Breeze and then take another bridge to Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island.

Touring Historic Fort Pickens

Historic Fort Pickens
The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers.
The Fort along with the island’s numerous gun batteries
has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.

History buffs, particularly those interested in US military history from the War of 1812 to World War II, will also enjoy the experience of touring the old Fort Pickens and several gun batteries that exist throughout the park. Fort Pickens also has an interesting museum, featuring interactive exhibits on the natural and historic features of the Gulf Islands National Lakeshore.

The restored 1834 Fort and the assortment of many shoreline battery units added to the complex in World War II are one of the major attractions of the park. Go here to learn about the fascinating military history of this fort and its companion Fort Barrancas which is situated across the bay.

Fort Pickens Campground

Located on the remote western end of the island, Fort Pickens Recreation Area & Campground is the largest unit of the Gulf Island National Seashore. It is a great spot for people who enjoy sun and surf, relaxing by the ocean or walking the beach in an uncrowded, natural setting. The Fort Pickens campground is set about a half mile east of the old fort, nestled between the remains of several of the coastal artillery gun batteries that were constructed during World War II. It offers over 200 sites, with about 170 with utilities for RVs.

See our Review & more information on Camping at Fort Pickens here

fort pickens map
Fort Pickens map (from Google Maps)

Alternative Campground. Times when we’ve not been able to get into the park due no sites available, we often have been able to find a spot at Big Lagoon State Park at the western end of Pensacola.

Fort Pickens Park Hiking Trails

There are hiking trails from the campground to the Fort Pickens restoration and museum, from the campground to the sand beaches facing the gulf, to the beaches on Pensacola Bay, between the two major camping areas, to some of the World War II Gun Battery encampments, and to picnic pavilions in the park. And there are several miles of sand beach to hike!

fort pickens hiking trails
hiking from the campground to the old Fort

Fort Pickens Discovery Center

The Fort Pickens museum offers exhibits on the Gulf Islands eco system and the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.

fort pickens discovery center
Gulf Islands Seashore Museum on the grounds of the Fort Pickens encampment

Biking around Fort Pickens

Fort Pickens is a great spot for biking if you are camping at one of the Fort Pickens Campgrounds. The sand hiking trails are generally firm enough to bike on and the extensive network of roads within the park have low speed limits and are lightly traveled. Some of the beach recreation areas are far enough away from the campground that you’d want to either drive or bike to them.

When we stay at the campground, we usually make at least one bike trip into Pensacola Beach to browse around town or get a bite to eat at one of the top Pensacola Beach seafood restaurants

Biking at Fort Pickens
Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)

Fort Pickens & Gulf Island National Seashore Links:

Other Top Attractions in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach

Grayton Beach State Park

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grayton beach sunset

RV Campground Review: Grayton Beach State Park With its sugar sand beach being one of the most pristine and uncluttered along the Gulf Coast, Grayton Beach State Park is a very desirable campground along the Scenic Gulf Coast Highway. It is hard to top its beach for swimming, sunbathing and surf fishing. It also borders … Read more

Grayton Beach Florida

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Grayton Beach Florida

The Best Small Town Beach Community along the Florida Gulf Coast

Number 1 in Grayton Beach attractions is the “Beach” that fronts the village and the adjacent Grayton Beach State park. This beach is regularly voted among Florida’s top beaches. And according to beach aficionado Dr. Beach, who is also Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, Grayton Beach is one of the top 10 beaches in the World! In his annual ranking of Best Beaches World-Wide based upon 50 criteria, Dr. Beach has ranked Grayton Beach tops for 2020.

Along with Apalachicola, the village of Grayton Beach is our favorite small town resort communities along the Florida Gulf Coast Scenic Drive. In contrast to slickly landscaped condo communities in South Florida, created by a myriad of developers, little Grayton Beach has retained it’s character of quaint cottages, some of which are over hundred years old. Aided by a community of artists and artisans, the town retains a unique character and whimsy. As the town’s website says “Grayton Beach is a state of mind. Our town is a funky little beach town full of free-spirited folks with a laid-back attitude. The narrow roads are shaded by southern magnolias, towering pines and moss-draped oaks. The salt air is ever present and so is the fine white sand covering the worn floors of our old beach cottages.”

grayton beach boardwalk
Jo finds a bench to empty the sand from her shoes after a stroll on Grayton Beach’s famous beach.

One of Florida’s Top White Sand Beaches. The beach itself is a treasure, especially for those who have the special beach passes that allow them to drive on the beach itself. And since the town is actually surrounded by Grayton Beach State Park, there’s always plenty of room on the beach. (see Beach Scenes of Grayton Beach beaches here)

Best Grayton Beach Restaurants & Bars

Red Bar Grayton Beach
The funky Red Bar is the lynch pin of Grayton Beach’s tiny downtown.

There are two bars near the beach, The venerable Red Bar (see our review), with its crazy interior decoration motif and signature blackboard menus, and the recently remodeled Chiringo bar down the street. In 2015 we were introduced to the Red Bar, its fantastic Mahi-Mahi basket, signature Bloody Mary, and super-service from the Wait Staff. We also caught some great musical entertainment. The Red is a very popular place and if you can’t get a table right away, rather than wait in line, I’d give its neighbor Chiringo Bar down the street a try. Looks like it would be a fun place. We hope to do a review on our next visit.

Another good dining option is away from the beach itself along Scenic Highway 30: The Grayton Seafood Company (see our review here).

Slide Show – A few of Grayton Beach’s Unique Cottages

Grayton Beach CottageGrayton Beach Cottagegrayton beach cottagesgratyon beach homesgrayton Beach cottage


Their tongue-in-cheek “Grayton Beach: Nice Dogs, Strange People” bumper sticker misleads a little bit because the people are also really friendly. As their website says “Grayton Beach is a state of mind. Our town is a funky little beach town full of free-spirited folks with a laid-back attitude.”

Grayton Beach Visitor and Travel Links:

Visitor Attractions Pensacola Florida

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Tourist and Travel Interests in Historic Pensacola

In the early spring we like to escape the cold Wisconsin winters by traveling to Northern Florida and the Florida Panhandle.

One of our favorite places to spend some time is in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Since we travel by motorhome, we stay at RV parks and prefer state and national parks for their wilderness settings and hiking trails.

On our first visit to the area we stayed at the Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore Park campground on the far western end of Santa Rosa island. The island is a gulf barrier island that is mostly within the Gulf Islands National Seashore but also includes the resort town of Pensacola Beach. The Fort Pickens campground and recreation area is about 6 miles west of the busy resort town and is a quiet and low-key contrast to the resort atmosphere.

Florida State Museum Pensacola Florida
The Spanish architecture of the Florida State Museum is fitting since it is built on the site of the old Spanish fort
historic us post office pensacola
US Customs House & Post Office – 1887 – is now the Escambia County Courthouse. One of many historic government and commercial buildings in the downtown Palafox Historic District.

While Pensacola has many beaches that face Pensacola Bay and has beaches on protected lagoons, only Pensacola Beach and Santa Rosa island have beaches that are actually on the Gulf of Mexico. So when Pensacola residents say they are “going to the beach” they are talking about Santa Rosa island’s lengthy and un-crowded beaches facing the Gulf. Many of these beaches, since they are part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park, are quite secluded because they have no hotels or structures fronting the beaches.

Things to See and Do in Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola, home of America’s first new world settlement (1859), is known for its military and cultural history, its southern cuisine, and its sparkling sugar-sand beaches. We sampled some of the Pensacola’s military history at the National Naval Air Museum, Fort Barrancas, and at Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa island. The Naval Air Museum  (with over 150 planes on exhibit) and the Blue Angels Flying Squadron is by far the most popular Pensacola attraction. We spent several hours there on several return trips and there is  still more to see. The actual restored Fort Pickens (the “fort” itself vs the park with the same name) is also a top Pensacola attraction. In 2020 there will be a ferry service from the mainland to the fort which if you are staying in Pensacola itself will save about 50 miles round trip you would normally take by auto to visit the Fort.

Pensacola Historic District Walks

There are two historic districts in the downtown area. Closest to and technically a part of downtown is the Palafox Historic District. The center-piece of this district is Florida’s State Museum which is built on the site of the former Spanish Fort San Miquel, Pensacola’s first settlement. Palafox street itself contains many historic buildings as well as interesting pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues, many with sidewalk cafes. This area has a New Orleans Bourbon Street feel to it. Nearby downtown is the Seville residential neighborhood, also a historic district, with a number of carefully restored and cared-for homes from the 1800s and some from earlier eras.

Within the Seville neighborhood is the Pensacola Historic Village, a complex of unique museums, with restored pioneer homesteads, structures, and artifacts. There are self-guided and directed tours. During some hours the village is populated by costumed interpreters recreating artisan crafts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

See the Slide Show below of historic homes

  • St. Michaels Benevolent Society pensacola Historic Homes
    One of the many restored historic register homes in the Pensacola Palofax-Seville Park neighborhood.
  • Moreno House Pensacola Florda
    Pensacola's Moreno House 1879
  • shotgun house pensacola
    Hendrix House - 1879 - is an example of a southern style of house popular in the 1800s named for its narrow profile and alignment of one room after another without any hallways.
  • pensacola tuttle house pensacola florida
    Tuttle House - 1850 - is an example of a "double-barrel" shotgun house, two shotgun houses sharing a common wall between them.
  • Lear-rocheblave house pensacola florida
    Lear-Rocheblave House 1890 is one of the community of homes and structures in the Pensacola Historic Village museum that can be toured.

Pensacola Dining

Carmen's Lunch Bar Pensacola
Carmens Restaurant, Pensacola

Within the Pensacola historic districts are a number of interesting pubs and dining places.

Pensacola Golf Courses

Pensacola offers a nice range of golf courses from a modest-priced municipal course to meticulously groomed semi-private courses.

Pensacola Scenic Bluffs

scenic overlook
One of the observation decks along the boardwalk at Pensacola’s Bluff Park

We took a drive along the Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway that was advertised in a brochure we picked up. We expected to see quaint cottages, unique restaurants, secluded picnic areas, and bluff-top vistas of Escambia Bay. These bluffs are reputed to be the highest points along Florida’s entire oceon coastline. The scenic drive begins near the Pensacola Visitor & Welcome center (take 17th avenue to East Cervantes Street – also US 90) and ends 11 miles later when US 90 crosses the Escambia River. Bay Bluffs park has an interesting boardwalk trail with some good views of the bay but after that the drive offers little to be called a scenic drive. Unfortunately for us the actual experience fell short of the promotion.

Camping & RVing in Pensacola

In addition to some private parks and campgrounds, campers and RVers can chose from a Florida State Park Campground and a National Park Campground. Both offer beaches on the gulf, some decent hiking/biking trails, modern campgrounds with electric hookups, canoeing and kayaking  and in the case of Fort Pickens some impressive historical exhibits.

More Pensacola Visitor Attractions

One of your first stops in visiting Pensacola should be at the Pensacola Visitor Center, conveniently located at the mouth of the Bayou Texar and at the base of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Convenient parking, helpful staff, lots of maps and brochures, and hot coffee or chocolate. include map on location.

Gulf Islands Scenic Drive and Scenic Highways 98 & 30A

More impressive was the drive we took down the length of Santa Rosa Island to Destin and then south along Scenic Highway 30A. Our favorite spots along this route are Grayton Beach and Apalachicola.

Scenic Drive Part 1. Pensacola Beach to Grayton Beach

Scenic Drive Part 2. Grayton Beach to Apalachicola

Look for our next gulf drive article covering Apalachicola to Cedar Keys

Happy Trails

Ross