Ft. Pickens portion of the Florida Trail

Not far from the Ft. Pickens Visitors Information Center inside the fort there is a small white building that folks frequently overlook. Next time you are there, check it out more closely and you will notice a path where the northern terminus of the Florida Trail begins.

This small section was mentioned in Gulf Islands National Seashore: The Treasure of the Gulf Coast as the path of a railroad which ran from Langdon Beach to the Fort with supplies.

Now it is just a path for people to enjoy hiking through the wetlands, across the canals and on toward the beautiful white sands of the the beach.

Fort Pickens

I realized this morning that in all the photographs I've shown you of the newly reopened Ft. Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, I haven't shown you a single one of the fort itself! Completed in 1834, the fort has withstood countless hurricanes.


The fort was the site of the first major battle of the Civil War on Florida soil. It was known as the Battle of Santa Rosa Island.


Designed by French engineer, Simon Bernard, over 21 million bricks were used to build Ft. Pickens.

Despite the damage from hurricanes, there is still much to explore at Ft. Pickens.

There are daily tours of Ft. Pickens at 2:00 p.m. and a beautiful section of the Florida Scenic Trail begins within the fort itself and travels east over marshes and canals.

Lantana grabs a foothold in a crack of the old fort wall.

It costs $8.00 per vehicle to entry the Ft. Pickens Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore and it is good for a period of one week. U.S. citizens who are 62 years of age or older may purchase a lifetime Senior Pass for $10.00 which is good for all national parks!