Gulf Islands National Seashore

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

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.
The popular campground at Fort Pickens will accommodate larger RVs as well as smaller units and tents
The uncrowded pristine beaches at Fort Pickens are among Floridas top rated.
Hiking/biking Trail from the Fort to the Campground
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

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.

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

Things to See and Do Pensacola Beach
The park occupies the entire western end of the island and includes several beach access points. Other than the campground and park offices, there is no habitation for about 6 miles until you reach the outskirts of the resort town of Pensacola Beach. There you can find more populated beaches, lots of amusements, places to dine, and exotic beverages.
Best Restaurants Pensacola Beach
Military History: The Forts of Pensacola
Things to see and do in Historic Pensacola Florida
Pensacola Dining and Attractions
Top Golf Courses in Pensacola
Big Lagoon State Park
Triggers Seafood Restaurant
Other Pensacola RV Parks and Campgrounds

RV Campground Review: Davis Bayous Gulf Islands National Seashore Park

Davis Bayou is one of two full service RV campgrounds that are part of the Gulf Islands National Park. The other campground is Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola Beach, Florida. The Fort Pickens Beach that stretches from the old fort east to the village of Pensacola Beach is regularly voted as Florida’s favorite beach so getting a reservation at the Fort Pickens campground can be more difficult than at Davis Bayou – which is one thing we like about Davis Bayou, we can actually get a camp site there! Another thing we like about Davis Bayou is the camp roads and the individual site parking pads are paved. The sites are also nicely spaced from one another and the mature live oaks and pine trees offer most sites at least some shade during parts of the day. All 52 sites offer water and electricity.

The Campendium camping and rv community rated Davis Bayou as one of the Top 10 Mississippi campgrounds.

davis bayous campground map — 52 nicely spaced campsites, all with water and electricity.

davis bayou campground — Sturdy picnic table in excellent condition on a paved pad. First class campsites.

The Park Visitor Center has some exhibits explaining the natural features in the park and suggestions on things to see and do. There is also a fishing pier adjacent to the center for anyone who possess a Mississippi State Saltwater Fishing License. The park also has a boat launch and pier for fishing and boating in the bayous or out in the Gulf itself.

Popular activities of campers are biking, bird watching, boating, fishing, hiking nature trails, and alligator watching. The popular tourist mecca of Biloxi is about 10 miles away with its sand beaches, casinos, restaurants, museums, golfing, and other entertainments.

Nature Hiking Trails – Slide Show

The entrance to Davis Bayou is off of Gulf Highway 90 that runs along the Gulf from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. Unfortunately there is no direct connection to the Florida Gulf Coast Scenic Drive highway without going away from the Gulf through Mobile to connect with Gulf Highway 98 that runs to Pensacola. An attractive alternative that greatly reduces the highway miles is to stay along the Gulf shore and drive out to Dauphin Island where you can take a ferry to Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores and then to Pensacola. Along this route is one of our other favorite campgrounds, Big Lagoon State Park, which borders Perdido Key.

Camping at Fort Pickens National Park

Fort Pickens National Park Review