Tips for camping at Fort Pickens in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
Fort Pickens Campground sits between Pensacola Bay (shown in the background of this photo) and the Gulf of Mexico.
You’re gearing up for a stay at Fort Pickens Campground on Santa Rosa Island in Florida. (Or, maybe it’s just on your bucket list.)
You’re excited to soak up the sun, enjoy the pristine white sand beaches and explore the local flora, fauna and history.
You might also be wondering, is there anything I should know before I get there?
We’re here to tell you from experience, yes.
Yes, there sure is.
Camping at Fort Pickens
First, we’d like to share a few details about what makes Fort Pickens such a great place for a camper van trip or other camping adventure.
The primary reason, of course, is that you get to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Camping at a national seashore? Yes, please.
A national seashore is a federally managed, preserved area along a coast. There are 10 in the United States, each with a mix of public recreational areas and protected wildlife habitats.
Bonus for those heading to Gulf Islands: It’s the biggest national seashore of them all.
Gulf Islands National Seashore stretches for 160 (OMG!) miles along the Mississippi and Florida coasts.
How you enjoy them is up to you.
There are barrier islands, maritime forests, marshes and bayous to explore. The amazing views and stunning soundscape of the Gulf of Mexico.
Old military forts and little beach towns, such as Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach. Even Pensacola Bay.
A boardwalk trail takes you through the sand dunes to the Gulf of Mexico. Stay on the trail to protect the fragile dunes.
Fishing, parasailing, paddle boarding, swimming, birdwatching. You can stay busy or just be a beach bum.
Yet another bonus: Yes, you can walk to beaches on both the Gulf and the Bay from your campsite at Fort Pickens.
We could go on and on about the magic of visiting the Gulf Islands National Seashore, but let’s get back to what we promised.
That is, key things to know before pulling up to the Fort Pickens gates in your camper van or other rig.
What to know before you arrive at Fort Pickens Campground
1. You need a gate code to access the campground after hours
TL;DR
Find the gate code in your confirmation and reservation emails from Recreation.gov — not on the app.
Fort Pickens has 137 campsites, but none of the loops feel overly crowded.
After driving for 1.5 days and then running around Pensacola gathering provisions, we rolled up to Fort Pickens to find a dark gate house and closed gates. We were exhausted and on the verge of hangry.
I thought I had really let down my family by not getting us there sooner, as I’m the trip planner and navigator. I frantically searched our reservation in the Recreation.gov app, but I couldn’t find any details about arriving after hours.
I started wondering what we’d eat and where we’d sleep. We had slept in a Cracker Barrel parking lot the night before. It’s great for one night, but two? Was there even a Cracker Barrel nearby?
Then, I saw it.
Headlights coming down the long, winding road leading to the campground gates. Were we saved?
A man towing a large camping trailer got out of this truck and started punching numbers into one of the keypads I had noticed. I asked him where he had gotten the code. From your email, he said.
Ahhhh, email! I hadn’t checked there, only in the app.
(I didn’t ask him directly for the code because, well, I wouldn’t want him giving out the code to people without a camping reservation. And, how did he even know we had a reservation? That’s not his job.)
So, there it was in the confirmation and reminder emails from Recreation.gov. The gate code. To find it, look or search for “entrance combination lock code” in your reservation emails.
I punched it in, and the gate raised. Relief washed over us as we set out to set up camp.
Meanwhile, that nice fella was still stuck at the outer gate. The keypad wasn’t working.
By the way, if you need time to find the gate code, pull off to the side so you’re not blocking the gate for others. There was no one waiting to get in when we first arrived. But, by the time we were taking our victory drive through the gate, several vehicles were lining up to get in.
Or, be smarter than us and have it ready before you arrive.
2.Shop for provisions, including firewood, before you leave the mainland
TL;DR
For last-minute provisions, the Winn-Dixie on Bayou Boulevard has both groceries and firewood, along with an easy-to-navigate parking lot.
4751 Bayou Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32503
7 am – 10 pm
850-479-9186
Odd Colony Brewing in Pensacola is worth a stop before heading across the water to your campsite at Fort Pickens.
Remember that bit about running around Pensacola gathering provisions? That’s because the campground doesn’t sell any. Not even firewood.
Our first stop in Pensacola was to grab some local beer at Odd Colony Brewing. Pensacola has several craft breweries. We picked this one because they have hazy IPAs, our favorite. Their taproom and merch also looked cute.
We left with some cans and a hoodie for me
Next, we headed to Publix Super Market at East Hill to round out the supplies we had stocked before leaving home.
It was a great stop for quality groceries, but they didn’t have any firewood. However, the air there smelled like a backyard fire, so there must be wood for sale someplace close, right?
We started driving toward Fort Pickens hoping to spot some at a gas station along the way.
Gas station after gas station, and no stacks of firewood outside. Bummer.
I mapped us to another grocery store instead, with fingers crossed. The Winn-Dixie on Bayou Boulevard was out of our way, but it delivered.
Winn-Dixie is your best bet for both groceries and firewood, especially if you have a large rig. It’s in a strip mall with plenty of parking.
Publix, however, is in a neighborhood with a tight and buzzing parking lot. We were able to park on the street, thankfully. There’s no way J-Wo would’ve attempted to drive Beethoven into that lot anyway.
3. Pay the $25 park entry fee
TL;DR
Purchase the Gulf Islands National Seashore park pass online, or buy it onsite when you arrive.
Sand dunes frame the Gulf of Mexico, which is an easy walk from the Fort Pickens campsites.
As part of the National Parks Service, Gulf Islands National Seashore charges an entry fee.
Anyone camping at Fort Pickens needs to pay the fee, as the campground is located within the national seashore.
At the time of this blog posting, the rates are:
$25 for a private vehicle pass, good for 7 days — best for rigs camping at Fort Pickens for 6 nights or less
$20 for a motorcycle pass, good for 7 days
$15 for a cyclist / pedestrian pass, good for 7 days
$45 for an annual pass, good for 12 months — best for rigs camping at Fort Pickens for 7 nights or more
Florida rosemary, also known as scrub rosemary, is a nonedible evergreen shrub that grows at Fort Pickens.
This fee is not included as part of your campsite reservation. However, it can be purchased separately at Recreation.gov.
Be sure to enter the first night of your camping reservation as the starting date for your pass. You’ll also need your license plate number to complete your purchase.
Or, pay the fee onsite once you arrive at Fort Pickens Campground. You can pay at the entry gate, if someone is on the clock. Or, stop another time to pay the fee, which is what we did since we arrived after hours.
You can pay at the gate or the visitor’s center. Keep in mind many parks are going cashless. Which is good since we never seem to have any.
The entry fee, of course, goes toward maintaining the park and paying the wonderful staff.
4. Bring the right gear for your favorite outdoor and seaside activities
TL;DR
Bring everything you need for cycling, hiking, swimming, fishing, beach strolling, birdwatching and other outdoor fun.
Since the dog beach near Fort Pickens is so small, we hit the inland trails to get more steps (and sniffs) in with the pups.
Camping at Fort Pickens means there’s a plethora of outside and seaside activities mere steps from your campsite.
Our Super Cool advice is to arrive with everything you need so you don’t find yourself running into town for this and that. After all, traffic on Santa Rosa Island can get rather congested, especially in the summer.
And, if you’re like us, you want to spend as much time as possible soaking up the pristine seaside setting. Not sitting in traffic or looking for a parking spot at Walmart.
(The closest Walmart Supercenter, in Gulf Breeze on the Fairmount Peninsula, is at least a 35-minute drive from the campground. No, thank you.)
Planning a beach day? Be sure you have sunscreen, hats, towels, chairs, beach shoes, water, snacks and anything else you need. That includes life preservers if you plan to get in the water.
We also recommend a good pair of walking shoes. In addition to the miles of coastline, there are miles of walking trails.
These take you past old military forts, where you can learn a bit of history; through marshlands, where you can birdwatch and learn about the local plants and critters; and beyond.
You can expect to be in the sun the majority of the time you’re out exploring. But, most of the campsites offer at least some shade.
5. Dogs need to be on a leash and at designated dog beaches
TL;DR
Fort Pickens Campground and the nearby trails are dog-friendly. Most beaches are not.
Bonnie and Clyde enjoy the sights and smells from our campsite in loop C.
Being a responsible dog owner when you’re camping at Fort Pickens means keeping your pup on a lead at your campsite or a leash when you’re out for a stroll. And, of course, picking up after them.
Sadly, it also means keeping your dog off the beautiful beaches, at least for the most part.
Pensacola Dog Beach West, shown on the map below, is about a 15-minute drive from the campground. There’s a decent-sized parking lot, and a wooden boardwalk that’s handicap accessible.
However, the portion of the beach designated for dogs is tiny. You can walk the width of it in a manner of minutes. (Signs designate the boundaries of the dog beach.)
Worse, when we visited, part of it was taken up by, gasp, humans who didn’t even have dogs.
Humans playing football with their human kids. Humans lounging in human chairs. Since the dog beach is so small, we think those humans should play and lounge elsewhere. Seriously.
Another option, Pensacola Dog Beach is about a 30-minute drive from the campground. You’ll have to deal with Pensacola Beach traffic to get to this one, which we didn’t.
Petulant (get it?) complaints aside, we’re grateful for these areas where pups can feel the sand between their toes and dip their paws in the Gulf of Mexico.
As pet parents and not human parents, we love taking our furry kiddos with us as many places as we can, especially the beach.
How to make a reservation at Fort Pickens Campground
Camper Van Beethoven at site C8 at Fort Pickens Campground.
You’re prepped for your stay at Fort Pickens. But, do you have a reservation yet?
It’s easy enough to make one online. The hard part might be finding available dates.
Here’s what to do:
Go to the Fort Pickens Campground page on Recreation.gov.
Enter your dates to see what sites are available.
Select your site and check out to secure your reservation — you’ll pay in full.
A few final things:
Fort Pickens is open year-round for camping reservations.
You can book your stay up to 6 months in advance of your arrival date.
There are 137 campsites, both with and without electric. The electric sites also have water hookups.
You can stay for up to 14 consecutive days.
Campsites include fire rings and picnic tables.
Some sites have size restrictions, including for height, so check carefully.
Showers and flush toilets are available, as well as laundry facilities.
You may incur fees to change or cancel your reservation.
A dump station is available.
Of all the outdoor activities at Fort Pickens Campground, watching the sunset from the beach is surely the best.
Bonus round:
Fort Pickens is the northern terminus of the Florida National Scenic Trail. You’ll find the southern terminus after walking about 1,300 miles to the Big Cypress National Preserve.
You can also camp on the Mississippi side of the Gulf Islands National Seashore at Davis Bayou Campground. If you go, let us know how it is on Instagram or by email.
And, if you make it to Fort Pickens and have a Super Cool time, tag us in your Instagram post. We’d love to learn of any tips you have after your visit, because we’ll definitely be going back
Happy travels!
Florida was the 13th state we took Camper Van Beethoven.
Get the perfect beach tumbler
Keep your drinks cool and within easy reach while you’re relaxing at the beach or your campsite. And, look stylish, too.
