Review of Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore: A must visit destination near Destin, Florida!
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| Fort Pickens, Pensacola Beach, Florida |
For my wife and myself’s road trip to the American South during the winter of 2023 (December 2023-February 2024), we made a conscious effort to visit historic forts throughout the South. By the end of December, about 2 weeks into our 8 week long trip, we had already visited Fort Pulaski National Monument and Fort Frederica National Monument.
We were gunning to see more forts whenever the opportunity came up. When mapping out our potential list of places to visit during our trip to Destin (Florida), we made sure to include our next fort, Fort Pickens at the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
One of the primary reasons for us wanting to visit these national monuments or seashores was because we had purchased (again), the America the Beautiful Pass, which allows entrance to all National Park Service (NPS) managed areas including national parks, national monuments, national seashores, etc. We really wanted to visit as many of these NPS areas to get our money’s worth!
Located in Pensacola Beach in Florida, Fort Pickens Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore boasts the aforementioned Fort Pickens, plus many other attractions including emerald beaches with white sands, snorkeling/diving, hiking, boating, biking, and so much more. We knew we only had few hours at the Fort Pickens Area, so we made those hours count!
We left our hotel around 8:30 a.m. heading westbound. Feeling the bright sun behind us as we headed out, we drove on the US-98/Emerald Coast Pkwy. The drive was soothing, with unmistakable smell of the ocean on our left with retail & dining establishments surrounding us on either side.
At just over 50 miles, the drive should take around an hour, but because we were driving on local roads with plenty of traffic lights, the drive actually took close to 90 minutes. On the last day of the year (December 31st), the traffic wasn’t bad.
We got to the entrance/admission booth of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and showed our “America the Beautiful” Pass with my driver’s license for free entry. We were really milking the pass, trying to get our money’s worth!
We liked what we saw: Emerald colored ocean sparkling in the morning sun with some of the whitest sands we’ve seen anywhere. It was truly what we always thought of when thinking about Florida. Well, besides all those world famous theme parks in Orlando, of course.
We drove slowly along Fort Pickens Road, taking in the wonderful sights along the way. We marveled at the beautiful emerald colors of the ocean. Juxtaposed against the white sands made for an incredible drive…
As we approached the end of the road, we stopped at the Fort Pickens Ferry Pier as we wanted to make a pit stop before exploring the sights. Afterwards, we walked out into the pier with expansive views of the Pensacola Bay.
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| Fort Pickens Ferry Pier |
The short boardwalk was inviting, so we walked out there to see the bay a bit closer. The waters were clear, and we could actually see the bottom of the ocean! What a difference from the east coast.
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| Clear waters of the bay |
After few minutes, we headed back towards the imposing fort just few hundred steps away from the pier. Visiting forts is definitely exciting especially when combined with the amazing and beautiful scenery that is Fort Pickens area.
We made it inside the fort, then headed upstairs to get a better view of the bay and the ocean. What a view! The gigantic cannon greeted us at the top of the fort.
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| Nice views atop the fort |
We walked down to properly walk through the fort after several minutes. There’s always something to see and learn about when visiting forts, and this was no exception. We got to see various areas of the fort, and imagined how the soldiers lived day in, day out.
Sometimes I’m just glad I was born in the 20th century and not before. I like my modern conveniences like flushing toilets, hot showers, internet, technology in general, and modern medicine. I couldn’t, in all honesty, want to live without these things we take for granted these days…
Putting aside those mindless wandering of my sometimes strange thoughts, we pushed on, seeing the fort in close detail.
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| Entrance to the fort |
The day was getting hot in Florida, with temperatures already hitting mid 70’s by that time of the day. Of course, the high humidity doesn’t help the situation…
We drank plenty of water, seeking shade whenever we could. It took roughly an hour to see the ferry pier and the fort, and we were ready to see other parts of the Fort Pickens area.
We got back into our car to drive around the rest of the area along Fort Pickens Road, namely the Battery Trueman, Battery Payne, and Battery Van Swearingen. We also passed by the scenic Fort Pickens Fishing Pier.
The loop came back around to the fort, then we had a choice: to exit or to stay. We took the exit out of the fort area to check out some of the most highly rated beaches at the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
We were getting hungry by that time of the day, so we stopped first at the beautiful Langdon Beach. We had packed our leftover sandwiches from Panera Bread the previous night, and it made for a perfect picnic right inside the comfortable confines of our car, with the windows opened.
We breathed in the warm ocean breeze with that unmistakable smell of the seas. We heard the loud cackling of seagulls and other birds while we bit into every delicious inch of that baguette sandwich! Life was good…What’s not to like about eating a delicious meal with awesome views of the ocean in Florida on the last day of the year???
I was just glad and happy we were retired with no schedule to keep, and with no worries at all. Whoever said work brings meaning doesn’t understand life. Life’s meaning, is different for everyone.
Sure, work is good if you enjoy what you do, but we were not those people. Work was a way to a means. We needed a paycheck so we can save/invest so we can retire early and do the things we only dreamed about…
We were doing exactly that. Our years of planning, sacrificing, budgeting, finally paid off. We absolutely cherish these moments when we’re traveling, exploring new places, and just reveling in the moments that matter, like right then and there: Biting into a tasty sandwich with the ocean view and seagulls calling each other…
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| Langdon Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore |
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| Never get enough of these beautiful beaches… |
After finishing our sandwiches, we walked out towards the covered picnic area to get a better view. We were itching to get a closer look at the beach to experience one of the best ones in all of Florida. We approved! It was stunning…
With our stomachs full, we carried on, seeking out more beaches to explore along Gulf Islands National Seashore. Our next stop: Park West.
We liked the fact that the park has a convenient parking lot, so we pulled over. What a stunner! Another fantastic beach among fantastic beaches!
We spent several minutes walking the beach. We never get enough of nice beaches. It was like that when we visited Jones Beach/Robert Moses Beach on Long Island or Kailua or Waikiki Beach on the islands of Hawaii. There’s just something magical about seeing the ocean, full of mystery and wonder. I simply feel better when I’m near the ocean. Is it just me?
In conclusion:
We only got to spend 2 nights at Destin Florida, but we made these days count. We explored the wonderful Henderson Beach State Park, Harborwalk Village, and the Fort Pickens Area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Every one of these places will forever be etched into our psyches as they are all incredibly unique and most importantly, beautiful. It’s one of the best reasons why we travel: to see new places to stimulate our minds.
Florida was one of our favorite states for exploring, and this trip to the Florida Panhandle adds to that. We found the city incredibly well maintained with plenty of major attractions. It is a great beach resort town but with a bit of history thrown in!
We highly recommend visiting the Fort Pickens area when visiting Destin area. At just around 90 minutes away from heart of Destin, it feels like worlds away…
Thank you for reading and keep up with us on our continuing adventures through the American South!
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
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