Short nature trails at several of the National Seashore units let you sample coastal habitats. Fort Massachusetts Hiking at Gulf Islands National Seashore Nature Trails Built after the War of 1812 in response to the British attack on New Orleans, it remained in service through 1903. In Mississippi, West Ship Island is topped with the westernmost of these coastal defenses, Fort Massachusetts. The military decommissioned Fort Pickens in 1949. In 1886 the Apache chief Geronimo was imprisoned at the fort as a tourist attraction.įor World War I defenses, concrete gun batteries were added at strategic points along Santa Rosa Island and atop the existing brick fortress itself. Confederate leaders retreated and burned the city.įort Pickens continued in use through World War II, sometimes as a military prison. On November 22, 1861, these troops shot more than 5,000 cannonballs from Fort Pickens into Pensacola. ![]() When it seemed America would slip into war, President Abraham Lincoln sent Federal troops to occupy Fort Pickens. Construction of Fort Pickens began in 1829 under supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers. Of the forts now protected and interpreted at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island has the most storied history. Most of it lies at the bottom of in Pensacola Bay. Only boaters and divers can see what’s left of its bricks and a 1942 battery. It succumbed to erosion by wind and waves over more than a century, so there is nothing left to interpret of Fort McRee. ![]() The Advanced Redoubt at Fort Barrancas Fort McReeįort McRee on Perdido Key dated back to 1834, with 128 cannons trained on the entrance to Pensacola Bay. The Advanced Redoubt of Fort Barrancas was built between 18 to protect both Fort Barrancas and the Pensacola Naval Yard but was never used. The two are connected by the Trench Trail, a 1.1 mile round trip on a natural surface walk in the woods. ![]() In addition to the Florida units listed below, there is Okaloosa on Okaloosa Island along Choctawhatchee Bay, the Santa Rosa Area (which includes Opal Beach) on Santa Rosa Island, and Fort Barrancas inside Naval Air Station Pensacola.įort Barrancas Part of the Third System of coastal defenses built in the 1840s by the Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Barrancas is the showy centerpiece of a National Park unit inside Naval Air Station Pensacola.Īlthough it is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, it is at the core of Naval Air Station Pensacola and you must go through a checkpoint at the West Gate on Blue Angel Parkway to visit Fort Barrancas and its Advanced Redoubt. Ship Island can be visited by using an official tour boat out of Gulfport. Most of the barrier islands of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi can only be reached by private boaters and paddlers, providing unique wilderness camping experiences. Of these, West Ship Island and Horn Island are the most popular destinations. In Mississippi, there is one coastal unit – Davis Bayou – and six barrier islands within the National Park. Gulf Islands National Seashore encompasses six separate units in Florida. Continue east on US 98 another 1.9 miles past the exit to Pensacola Beach to the main entrance for the headquarters building. Directions to Headquarters: From Pensacola, follow US 98 east over the Pensacola Bay Bridge to Gulf Breeze. Use the map at the top of the page to find specific destinations within the National Seashore.
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