Gulf Islands National Seashore

The Gulf Islands National Seashore includes many areas of historical interest. In Florida, Don Tristan de Luna founded the first attempt at a Spanish settlement in the mainland U.S. on Santa Rosa Island; this later became the city of Pensacola. Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, and the ruins of Fort McRee are all part of the National Seashore, and all were important during the Civil War. The Naval Live Oaks Reservation on the mainland is a relic of the era of wooden ships. This forest of curvy live oaks was purchased in 1828 by the U.S. government during the Adams administration, in order to ensure a continuous supply of the wood for the navy who preferred the hard, curved wood for ship hulls. In the 1970s, the U.S. government reasserted its right to the forest in court after Florida attempted to sell the land to private citizens. This led to the authorization of the Gulf Islands National Seashore on January 8, 1971, in order to protect the forest and all the government-owned islands nearby for future generations. The Mississippi islands were added to the park later, in 1978, in order to protect the pristine natural habitats there from development.

With the exception of the Naval Live Oaks Preservation in Florida and Davis Bayou in Mississippi, which are on the mainland, the Gulf Islands National Seashore is located on barrier islands. These islands are famous for their natural, bright white sand, which is composed of quartz and washes down from the Appalachian Mountains. Sand dunes form naturally near the coast, and further inland, scraggly pine tree forests make a living among the sandy soil.

Of the seven species of sea turtles, four nest at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Human development on the islands scared away many of the sea turtles, but conservation efforts have increased the number of nests in the park almost tenfold. There are twenty endangered species that live in the park. The most well-known is the Perdido Key beach mouse, a tiny mouse that lives in the sand dunes, and which was the cause of arguments and lawsuits between developers, residents, environmentalists, and the park service. Today, the lack of condominiums on Perdido Key can be attributed to the beach mouse.

The islands host a unique dune habitat; wind and waves blow sand into large piles, which are held in place by the root systems of beach grass and sea oats. Before this relationship between grass and dunes was understood, the plants were treated as a weed and were removed, leaving the dunes vulnerable to hurricanes. Hurricanes Erin and Opal in 1995 destroyed most of the dune habitat on the islands in Florida, but replanting efforts of sea oats and grass have slowly started to bring the dunes back. It's now illegal to remove plant life from the sand dunes.

The Seashore is sunny and warm most of the year. June through September are the most humid months and afternoon thunderstorms are common. The Seashore has been hit by numerous hurricanes throughout the years. Hurricane season is June through November.

• Park website

• The Perdido Key Area is off Florida Route 292, southwest from Pensacola on Perdido Key; turn east on Johnson Beach Road.
• Naval Live Oaks is on US 98 east of Gulf Breeze, Florida.
• The Okaloosa Day Use Area is on US 98 east of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
• To reach Fort Barrancas and the Advanced Redoubt on board Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida, use the Blue Angel Parkway (Florida Route 173).
• The Fort Pickens Area is west of Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island. The Fort Pickens Road extends all the way to the west end of the island for accessibility to the Fort, and to the re-built fishing pier. The speed limit varies from 15 mph in places (to protect endangered birds nesting by the roadside) to 35 mph.
• The Santa Rosa Area is east of Pensacola Beach. The J. Earle Bowden Way (State Road 399) provides access. Opal Beach is in this area, and contains a lifeguarded beach, restrooms, a ranger station, and clusters of picnic pavilions on the Gulf side and the Sound side. Two pavilion clusters are available for rental.

• The Davis Bayou Area is on U.S. 90, east of downtown Ocean Springs, MS. Use Exit 50 or 57 south from I-10.
• Islands. The islands are not accessible by automobile. Visitors to the Seashore's barrier islands can enjoy island camping on all the islands but West Ship Island. Other activities include beachcombing, birdwatching, swimming, and fishing. NPS list of boat operators.
  • Horn Island, Petit Bois Island, and East Ship Island are open year-round to private boaters.
  • West Ship Island is open to private boaters from sunrise to sunset.
  • The two miles of the western tip of Cat Island are within the Seashore boundary and are open to private boaters.
  • A Pan Isles passenger ferry, Gulfport Yacht Harbor, Phone: +1-866-466-7386, . Takes visitors out to West Ship Island March through October.

• Naval Live Oaks has nine hiking trails including the Andrew Jackson Trail which, like numerous other trails in Northwest Florida, claims to be a trail that Andrew Jackson used during his military campaign here.
• Florida Trail. Also runs between Santa Rosa Island and Big Cypress National Preserve. 

• Naval Live Oaks - A paved 2.5-mile section of the 40-mile bike loop that runs alongside US Highway 98.
• Fort Pickens - The Fort Pickens Road, extends from the entrance gate to the west end of the island - a 14-mile round-trip. There is a well-marked bike trail on both sides of the road, extending about 4 miles in from the entrance of the park.
• Perdido Key - A 5-mile route runs from the entrance gate to the end of the Perdido Key Road.
• Davis Bayou Area - Mississippi's 15.5-mile round-trip Live Oaks Bicycle Route connects to the town of Ocean Springs at the Old Louisville and Nashville Train Depot. Green and white bike-route signs on the right side of the city streets mark the route. Maps are available at the Gulf Islands Visitor Contact Station and the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce.

There are no hotels inside the national park, but you can easily find rooms or condo rentals in nearby communities, at Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Gulf Breeze, and Perdido Key in Florida, and at Biloxi and Ocean Springs in Mississippi.

Primitive camping is allowed at the east end of the Perdido Key park. Primitive campers must sign up at the visitors station at the front of the park, and must travel at least a half mile past the end of the park's paved road.

• Naval Live Oaks Campground. 
• Fort Pickens Campground, Fort Pickens Rd. Campground loop "A" is open to hikers and bikers, $10 a night payable at the campground registration station. Potable water, cold showers, bathrooms, picnic table, cook grill and fire ring. 
• Davis Bayou Group Campground, Ocean Springs, MS, ☏ +1 228-875-3962. It is available to groups of 10 or more people, with a maximum limit of 40. $16