Fort Pickens Beach

Located in the city of Gulf Breeze, Fort Pickens Beach is a part of the 20-mile-long and wide Pensacola Beach situated at the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Fort Pickens is a historical United States pentagonal military fort that is managed by Gulf Islands National Seashore. Fort Pickens features a very large campground with over 100 sites and a 1,000-mile-long trail named Florida National Scenic Trail making it an awesome destination for camping and hiking respectively. In addition to, tourists visit Fort Pickens Beach to fish, hike, and watch exhibits on the environment, wildlife, and the history of the Fort Pickens area in the Fort Pickens Discovery Center.  

Fort Pickens Beach is well-equipped with many amenities including lifeguards during summer, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, a snack bar, and a fishing pier. 

There are many fun activities at Fort Pickens Beach including swimming, hiking, fishing, camping, biking, and beach walking. Please note that there is an entrance fee to enter the Fort Pickens area. 

To access Fort Pickens Beach, drive down to 41 Fort Pickens Road where you will find the beach’s paid parking lot that is a few yards from the beach.

If you are looking for nearby attractions, there are many options within a 40-minute drive of Fort Pickens Beach. Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is a fun family-friendly tourist attraction site with a miniature golf course, roller coaster rides, laser tags, go-karts, bumper boats, and an arcade. The marine park Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park features swimming with dolphins, touch tanks, – and sharks, rays, and dolphin shows. If you like fishing, Okaloosa Fishing Pier is a 1,262-feet long fishing pier that is known for birdwatching, diving, and watching dolphins, sea turtles, herons, pelicans, sea urchins, crabs, and salmons. Another great attraction near Fort Pickens Beach is the Pensacola Museum of Art that is home to works of many 20^th and 21^st century artists including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dali, and Kathe Kollwitz.

If you get hungry, you can drive 10 minutes to many restaurants near Fort Pickens Beach. Al's Beach Club and Burger Bar is an open-aired family beachfront restaurant featuring classic American burgers, homemade custard milkshakes, DJs, and weekly firework shows – it is a seasonal restaurant that remains open between March 1^st and October 31^st. Floyd's Shrimp House is a local waterfront restaurant that serves the award-winning coconut shrimp, raw and baked oysters. Another good restaurant near Fort Pickens Beach is Rockin Tacos that offers authentic Mexican dishes including fried avocados, Baja fish tacos, and Mexican burgers with house-infused margaritas and tequila cocktails.

If you are looking for a hotel near Fort Pickens Beach, there are many hotels within a 12-minute drive. The 4-Star Margaritaville Beach Hotel features a pool, tiki bar, poolside bar, gym, restaurant, and seasonal live entertainment shows. Four Points by Sheraton Destin - Fort Walton Beach is a 3-Star hotel – it offers numerous amenities including a pool, bar, restaurant, and fitness center with gym. If you are looking for budget-friendly hotels near Fort Pickens Beach, the 3-Star Hilton Garden Inn Fort Walton Beach offers a pool, poolside bar, and lazy river, and fire pits – Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach has several amenities including a fitness center, bar, game arcade, and pools with waterfalls.