Gulf Islands National Seashore
Florida, Mississippi
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
7.6 h fully dark
Hikes
Strenuous
🔴
Crowds
very high
Open today
Open
Entrance
$25
Battery 234 Loop Road Closure
The Battery 234 Loop Road and Battery Cooper within the GUIS, Fort Pickens Management Area will be closed to all for vehicle, bicyclists, and foot (pedestrian) traffic until further notice for safety purposes until the park can correct the leaning and structurally unstable historic Tower 234 that poses danger to visitors and staff. The beach access points for pedestrians from the Gulf (south) side will also be closed. The pipe gates at the entrance and exit points will be locked with accompanied signage.
Official NPS alert →Road workers on Park Road in Davis Bayou
Phase II of the Davis Bayou Bicycle and Pedestrian Path is in process. Visitors may encounter minor traffic delays and flaggers on Eagle Point and Park Road.
Official NPS alert →Accessing Fort Barrancas
Fort Barrancas is open 9 am–4 pm Wednesday through Sunday. To access Fort Barrancas, visitors will need to enter the Naval Air station Pensacola through the west gate.
Official NPS alert →No Dogs on Beach
Dogs and pets are not allowed on any of the beaches in Gulf Islands National Seashore. Visit the pet rules page for information.
Official NPS alert →Millions of visitors are drawn to the Gulf of America for Gulf Islands National Seashore's emerald coast waters, magnificent white beaches, fertile marshes and historical landscapes. Come explore with us today!
Activities
Topics
Entrance fees
$25.00 — Entrance - Private Vehicle
$20.00 — Entrance - Motorcycle
$15.00 — Entrance - Per Person
Hours & seasons
The Davis Bayou Area is located south of U. S. Hwy. 90 east of downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi and offers many recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking, biking, birdwatching, picnicking, kayaking and ranger-led programs. There are no swimming beaches in the Davis Bayou Area. Visitor Center hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday - Sunday.
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 850-934-2600
✉ guis_information@nps.govConditions
Quietest months (fewer crowds): Jan, Dec
Typical crowds: very high
Weather now: ☁️ Overcast, 84°F
☁️ 85°/83°
🌦️ 85°/78°
☁️ 98°/81°
Typical monthly recreation visits · NPS avg 2023–2025 — orange months are the quietest by crowds.
Quietest months
Relative crowds by month — lighter is quieter; ringed months are the calmest by crowds.
Jan
50%
Feb
68%
Mar
78%
Apr
73%
May
94%
Jun
98%
Jul
100%
Aug
86%
Sep
70%
Oct
69%
Nov
52%
Dec
47%
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Things to do
Watch the Sunrise/Sunset at Gulf Islands
Paddling in Gulf Islands
Visit the Gulf Islands Park Store
Get Your Passport Stamped at Gulf Islands
Ride your Bike at Gulf Islands · 5 mi
🔴 Florida National Scenic Trail · 36 mi · To complete the entire section of the Florida National Scenic Trail within Big Cypress National Preserve takes several days. Day-hikers and visitors not looking to complete the entire section of trail, can turn it into an out and back hike. There is also a loop (marked with blue trailblazers) that can be completed. The loop is approximately 12 miles round trip.<br /> <br /> Completing the section of the trail within Gulf Islands National Seashore will take a minimum of several hours if not multiple days, but may also be turned into an out and back hike with several parking lots and other stops along the way. The only campground available within the seashore is located at Fort Pickens, about 1 mile into the hike.
View the Night Sky at Gulf Islands
Birdwatching at Gulf Islands
Campgrounds
Davis Bayou Campground ↗ · 52 sites · hookups · dump station
Davis Bayou Group Campground
Fort Pickens Campground ↗ · 200 sites · hookups · dump station
Fort Pickens Group Campground
Naval Live Oaks Youth Group Camping · 1 sites
Visitor centers
Fort Barrancas Visitor Center
Fort Pickens Visitor Center
William M. Colmer Visitor Center
Accessibility
1 accessible campground(s)
230 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Parking
Battery Worth Parking Lot · 80 accessible spacesaccessible
Davis Bayou Boat Launch · 10 accessible spacesaccessible
Davis Bayou Visitor Center · 60 accessible spacesaccessible
Fort Pickens Campground Office Parking · 20 accessible spacesaccessible
Fort Pickens Parking Lot · 30 accessible spacesaccessible
Johnson Beach Parking Lot Main · 200 accessible spacesaccessible
Langdon Beach · 60 accessible spaces
Naval Live Oaks Area Sound Side · 60 accessible spacesaccessible
Naval Live Oaks Bayside · 20 accessible spaces
Okaloosa Area Parking lot · 25 accessible spacesaccessible
Opal Beach Parking
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Gulf Islands National Seashore — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
Trail difficulty
Difficulty mix across this park's trails.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
People & stories
Figures tied to Gulf Islands National Seashore — each spans a cross-park journey.
Braxton Bragg
— Civil War, Chickamauga And Chattanooga National Military Park, MilitaryJ. Earle Bowden
— Pensacola, Florida, Park EstablishmentJonathan Walker
— Civil War, Abolitionist, SlaverySir Edward Pakenham
— War Of 1812, British Subjects, Royal ArmyWilliam H. Chase
— Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, Third System FortPassport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 Fort Barrancas Visitor Center
🎫 Fort Barrancas Visitor Center
🎫 Fort Pickens Visitor Center
🎫 Fort Pickens Visitor Center
🎫 Gulf Islands National Seashore Park Store
🎫 William M. Colmer Visitor Center
Places to see
Advanced Redoubt
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour Stop 1: The Glacis
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour Stop 2: The Traverses
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour Stop 3: The Dry Ditch
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour Stop 4: Wall Pitting
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour Stop 5: The Drawbridge
audio
Advanced Redoubt Tour: Stop 6
audio
Andrew Jackson Trail
audio
Apache Prisoners
audio
Artillery Ballet
audio
Battery 234
audio
Battery Cooper
audioAudio & media
🎧
🎬
🖼
Learn more
2014 annual report on sea turtle monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
During the Civil War, several regiments of the USCT served within the park boundaries. We have few details of the men who served at the forts in our museum collection. But one object in the collection, a muster roll from 1864, has valuable information: names!
During the Civil War, men of African descent fought to preserve the nation they helped create and extend freedom to enslaved people. Black infantrymen in the 25th United States Colored Troops (USCT) carried freedom's banner into northwest Florida. From Pensacola Bay, the 25th helped save the Union, end slavery, and prepare for a new future.
Few employees have left as visible a mark on National Park Service (NPS) exhibits as John A. Segeren. His work has been enjoyed by generations of park visitors who never knew his name but appreciated his intricate wood carvings and playful animal figures displayed in parks throughout the system. A master woodcarver described by former President Lyndon B. Johnson as "a legacy to this country," Segeren carved out his own place in NPS history.
North America’s smallest falcon species. Learn more on our quick facts page.
Two-year summary of findings from amphibian monitoring in Naval Live Oaks Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Pensacola, Florida. Treefrogs and other amphibians are monitored at two sites near freshwater ponds using PVC pipes and plywood coverboards. Amphibian community composition and changes in the relative abundance of common species are tracked over time as indicators of park ecological health.
The first major federal highway in Florida.
Andrew Jackson may not have been present in Pensacola often, but his presence is an important part of this city’s legacy. Jackson was assigned to Pensacola three times, once in 1812, then in 1818, and lastly in 1821 and each time his actions were in favor of American freedoms, authority, and sovereignty. Though not every decision Jackson made while in Pensacola was well received, each experience impacted his future and the future of this country.
How Gulf Islands National Seashore connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
Park
Activity
Topic
State
Campground
VisitorCenter
PassportStamp
ParkingLot
Trail
ThingToDo
Alert
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