Description: $6 weekly pass
This national park protects the barrier islands along the Mississippi, Alabama and Northwest Florida Gulf Coasts. I am only familiar with the Florida portion.
If you want a piece of the beach all to yourself, get a bike and ride west into the GINS. The bike will let you stop where you want, while a car will get stuck in the sand.
There are several concrete batteries buried in the dunes that were constructed for WWII. Some still have their big guns. Now the underground munitions storage rooms are used as changing rooms by the locals. The maps available on the web will help you find them: Gulf Island National Seashore.
Swimming, fishing, boating, hiking and camping are popular activities in the park. The beachcombing is better here than other parts of Santa Rosa Island because the waves deposit more here and fewer people want to pay the fee. Enjoy the peace this provides…
Ft. Pickens is on the westernmost point of Santa Rosa Island. Going east, the GINS takes a break around Pensacola Beach, then resumes for a bit until you reach Navarre Beach. Eastward from Navarre Beach the land is under the jurisdiction of Eglin Air Force base. There is reputed to be some missile silos here, but I have seen nothing of them. There is also supposed to be a nude beach, but I did not look for it. It must be advertised on the web somewhere.
for mor info you can also contact the base at
1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
850-934-2600
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