Tent campers at Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

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See the Camping web page for an interactive location map.

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SEASONS AND HOURS

The Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida is open year-round.

The Fort Pickens Area entrance gate is locked at 8 PM each night from March 1st through October 31st, and at 6 PM the rest of the year. If you have a campground reservation and plan to arrive after this time, make sure you have a gate code and know your campsite number. Call the campground office at (850) 934-2622 between 9 AM and 3:30 PM to get the code. If you forget to do this, there is an emergency number posted at the entrance station that you can call. Your reservation must be verified before you will be given the code.

If you arrive without a reservation, you will not be able to enter the campground after the gate is locked.

Storms and extreme high tides can flood the park road or cause it to be completely covered in sand. If warning allows, the campground will be evacuated. Unfortunately, some weather events happen without warning, and people have been stuck at the campground for days.

Fort Pickens Campground Map

NUMBER OF SITES

Fort Pickens Campground has 180 campsites spread out over five separate loops. Eight campsites are set aside for disabled visitors.

Handicap accessible campsite in Loop B of Fort Pickens Campground in Pensacola, Florida

TYPE OF CAMPING

Both tent campers and those in RVs are welcome at the Fort Pickens Campground. There is also a separate Group Campground for tent campers.

When making a reservation, you must specify which type of camping equipment you have, and only this type of equipment will be allowed at the campsite. To make things clear, the National Park Service provides the following equipment definitions:

• RV: Class A, B or C​, self-propelled motorhome that may have slide outs and extra storage.
• Trailer: Camper trailer is pulled by a hitch behind a pickup truck, SUV, or minivan.
• 5th Wheel: Large trailer that requires a fifth wheel hitch to tow
• Pick-up camper: Pickup truck on which a structure fitted for camping is mounted
• Pop-up: Towed recreational vehicle that can be collapsed for easy storage and transport
• Camper Van: Self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation measure no more than 18-24 feet
• Tent: Collapsible shelter of fabric (such as nylon or canvas) stretched and sustained by poles in the ground and used for camping outdoors

Each campsite can accommodate 1 RV and 1 vehicle or 2 tents and 2 vehicles. Maximum vehicle length for each campsite is given on the reservation website, Recreation.gov. The combined length of all vehicles or vehicle / trailer combinations cannot exceed this length. The driveways are not wide enough to park two vehicles or a vehicle and trailer side by side.

LOOP A

Loop A is separate from the rest of the Fort Pickens Campground and even has its own entrance. There are 43 campsites, and all have electricity and water hook-ups. Most, but not all, of the driveways are long enough to hold a large RV and a vehicle. When I surveyed Loop A during a recent visit, I only saw one tent camper; everyone else was in an RV.

Loop A offers the most shade of any loop in the campground, though that does not mean all campsites have shade. Trees at Loop A tend to be the much shorter Live Oaks instead of the very tall pines with high canopies that do little to keep the sun from hitting the ground below, typical of the rest of the campground.

Due to tree branches overhanging the road, vehicles cannot be more than 12 feet tall to enter Loop A.

Loop A of the Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Live Oaks provide shade at Loop A of Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Partially shaded campsite in Loop A of the Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Sites exposed to the sun at Loop A of Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

LOOP B

Loop B is the smallest of the loops with only thirteen campsites, and it is open to tent campers only. There is no electricity at this loop. There is shade at sites 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, and partial shade at site 12. Avoid site 8, for not only is it out in the open, it is situated in sand.

Tent campers in Loop B of Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Campsite B6 at Fort Pickens Campground in Pensacola, Florida

LOOP C

Loop C has large driveways to accommodate RVs. All 60 campsites have electricity and water hook-ups. The potential drawback to this section of the campground is that the trees are mainly tall pines that provide little to no shade. Of all loops, Loop C definitely has the least shade.

Loop C of the Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore

RVs at C Loop of Fort Pickens Campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore

LOOP D

Spaces in Loop D are fairly small and allow only tents, vans, pick-up campers, or small pop-ups. Though two vehicles are allowed per camp site, there is no way to park two cars, and you may need to use one of the overflow parking lots. Most campsites are out in the open, for there are very few shade trees. There is no electricity at this loop. Generators no louder than 60 decibels are allowed from 8 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 7 PM.

Typical non-shaded site in Loop D of Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

One of the rare shaded sites in Loop D at Fort Pickens Campground in Pensacola, Florida

LOOP E

Most, but not all, of the driveways at Loop E can accommodate large RVs or two cars. Shade is sparse, as nearly all trees in the loop are tall pines. Sites 1 and 17 have shade, and sites 3, 4, 22, and 24 have partial shade, but that’s about it. All 66 campsites have electricity and water hook-ups. Three sites are set aside for tents only, otherwise campsites are open to all types of campers.

Non-shaded sites in Loop E of Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Campsites E3 and E4 at Gulf Islands National Seashore’s Fort Pickens Campground

TERRAIN

Campsites at Fort Pickens tend to be large, particularly those on the inside of the loop, so you can easily fit multiple tents. Supposedly there is a limit of two tents per site, but I saw sites with three and four and nobody seemed to care. This was during Spring Break when the place was hectic, so perhaps park Rangers had more important things to worry about. I’ve seen this at many campgrounds, and I get the feeling that the overall philosophy is that if campers aren’t causing problems, why risk stirring up trouble and getting shot.

The overall campground is relatively flat, and campsites have a surface that is a combination of sandy soil and grass. A few campsites are on nothing but sand. The ground is soft, and you can pound a tent stake into it without hitting rocks.

Typical grass and sand surfaces of campsites at Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Grassy campsite in Loop E of Fort Pickens Campground at Gulf Islands National Seashore

There is no brush or other vegetation on the ground, and thus no privacy between any of the campsites. The most private sites are those on the outside of the loops, for there are no campsites behind them. However, these back up to vegetation, which means more mosquitoes and other bugs.

Campsite on the outside of Loop D at Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Furthermore, there is very little shade at the Fort Pickens Campground. Loops B and D, which cater mostly to tent campers, have some shade trees, but the other loops have mainly tall pine trees. During the summer I highly recommend a canopy to sit under or to put your tent under—both if possible. An even better recommendation is to avoid tent camping in Florida during the summer. An air conditioned RV is the only way to go.

Typical shadeless campsites at the Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Since most campsites are pretty much the same, I don’t suggest putting much thought into picking one. Your main concerns should be whether you want electricity and water or want to be near the restroom.

AMENITIES

All sites in Loops A, C, and E have electric and water hook-ups. When making online reservations it is possible to see which have 50 Amp and which have 30 Amp hook-ups. All have plugs for standard electronics.

A Loop campsite with electricity and water hookups at Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore

There are three bathrooms with modern plumbing in the main section of Fort Pickens Campground (Loops B, C, D, and E) and one in Loop A. The buildings have restrooms on one side and four or five hot-water showers on the other. Each shower is housed in its own room, meaning campers get their own private showers. There are no sinks, so you still have to use the regular bathrooms to shave, wash, and brush your teeth.

Not all showers are equal. Those in the bathroom at Loop E have standard shower heads with good water pressure. Unless they have been updated since my last visit, those in the bathroom at Loop B/D (next to campsite B8) have nozzles like those on an outdoor rinse-off shower at the beach. Don’t even bother checking out how bad they are, because they suck. The nozzles produce a stream of water no different than somebody taking a pee on you, and the water doesn’t come out of the nozzle any harder. The Loop A and C showers also have the rinse-off shower nozzles. Those in Loop A do have great pressure. I did not check the water pressure at Loop C, but if you find they are the same as in the B/D Loop, head over to the showers at Loop E. Bottom line is that if you open a shower door and don’t see what looks like a shower head you would have at home, move on to the next shower. 

The bathroom building at Loop E has a dishwashing station. The bathroom buildings at Loops A and C have a laundry room.

A dump station for RVs is located in Loop A.

All campsites have a picnic table and a fire ring / grill.

No firewood or groceries are sold at the park. Please bring everything you need with you.

RESERVATIONS

Reservations are required to camp at the Fort Pickens Campground. Bookings and payment for the campsites are no longer done at the park. Campers can make reservations up to six months in advance online at www.Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777. When using the online system you can get information about each campsite, including driveway length, electricity type, amenities, etc. If you arrive at the campground without a reservation, you must use your phone to make one.

Campsites with electricity are very popular, especially Loop A. For example, on December 17th I took a look at a 10-day period in mid-February and there were only a few sites left on scattered days at Loop A. In contrast, only one site for one day was booked in Loop B, and only a couple sites were booked in Loop D, both non-electric loops. Campsites in Loops C and E are not as popular as A due to the lack of shade, but well over half of them were booked. If you try to make a reservation and the entire campground is booked solid, check back every chance you get because people cancel all the time and the sites immediately go back up for sale. I’ve gotten a campsite two hours after I couldn’t get one the first time I tried to make a reservation.

There is no need to check in at the campground office when you arrive. Head directly to your campsite. Campground hosts make their rounds frequently and will check you in when they see you. Have a copy of your reservation, either printed or on your phone.

Fort Pickens Campground office, Gulf Islands National Seashore

FEES AND PAYMENTS

For the latest fees, check the National Park Service’s Eating and Sleeping web page for Gulf Islands National Seashore. Fees are also given on Recreation.gov. Keep in mind that camping fees do not included park entrance fees.

CAMPGROUND RULES

• Each campsite is allowed one RV or two tents and up to eight people.
• Check in time is 1 PM, though you can check in earlier if your site is already empty. Check-out time is 11 AM.
• Each site is allowed two vehicles (including an RV). These must be parked in the parking space, not on the grass or along the road. If the second vehicle does not fit, it must be parked in one of the three overflow parking lots.
• Campfires must be contained in the fire rings. Only dead wood that is already on the ground may be collected.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times and cannot be left unattended. Pets are not allowed on the beaches.
• Quite time is from 10 PM to 6 AM.
• Generators are only allowed in Loop D from 8 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 7 PM. They may not be louder than 60 decibels.
• From March 1st through Labor Day, campers are allowed to camp for only 14 total days, and never more than 14 days in a row at any time of the year. In the off season, campers must leave for two days before coming back for another 14 days. Overall, there is a 42-day limit per year.
• Golf carts are not allowed in the campground except by disabled visitors traveling to the restrooms.
• Hammocks are not allowed.

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