Fort Pickens is located just west of Pensacola Beach on the far western end of the island. This site is maintained by the National Park Service. The park has recently reopened and has full access to vehicles: until 2009, the park was closed to cars due to hurricane damage from 2004. The Fort itself is the most popular destination. It was originally built to defend Pensacola Harbor from invaders, but during the Civil War, it was manned by Union troops, who used it to attack the nearby Confederate-manned Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee. The fort also has some notoriety for being a prison for the captured Native American Geronimo. In addition to the fort, there are relatively uncrowded beaches here, camping, and a few nature trails. However, keep a wary eye out for bird nesting sites, which are illegal to disturb. They are well-signed by the park rangers, and the birds that dive-bomb you when you get too close are also an effective warning signal.
The Island Cross, located on the south side of Fort Pickens Road, is probably the strangest site to see here. Built in 1959 by the Knights of Columbus to honor the quadricentennial of the discovery of Pensacola, the 10-foot concrete cross and the sand dune on which it stands have been batted repeatedly by hurricanes, all without even the slightest scratch! Perhaps it's the will of God?
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pensacola Beach
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Pensacola Beach - updated Apr 2024
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Pensacola Beach Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
