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Gulf islands national seashore12/21/2023 ![]() ![]() Fort Pickens is an incredible 11-mile drive down the island on Pickens Road with the blue waters of the Gulf and Pensacola Bay on each side of the highway. Today, you can visit three of these forts - Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens in Pensacola and Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island in Mississippi.įort Barrancas is located on Naval Air Station Pensacola, and the U.S. Later, these forts were taken over by the Confederate army during the Civil War, where they saw some fierce battles. These massive stone structures with 4-foot-thick and 20-foot-tall walls were virtually impenetrable and armed to the hilt with canons aimed toward the Gulf. Gulf Coast, the federal government began erecting what are known as Third System Forts. Following the War of 1812, in which British forces attempted to reclaim the U.S. The barrier islands that protect the mainland were also used to protect the country from foreign invasion. In the marshes and wetlands, monarch butterflies burst into color using the islands as a landing strip of their 3,000-mile migration and alligators roam in the marsh waters. And of the six known species of sea turtles, six return each year to nest on the island’s sunny shores, including the loggerhead, green, Kemp’s, leatherback, and hawk bill. The islands’ beaches play host to many species of animals like the ghost crab that camouflages itself into the sand and hermit crabs that scurry about carrying their homes on their back. Inland in the woodlands and marshes, the sound of Killdeer shrieking “kill deer” can be heard from the brush while bald eagles and osprey soar high overhead. On the beaches, Black Skimmers and Brown Pelicans sail only inches above the ocean surf, searching for their next meal while Snowy and Piping Plover scurry along the water’s edge. Gulf Islands National Seashore is a bird watcher’s paradise with over 300 species of birds found here. The islands help protect the mainland from erosion caused by the Gulf’s ferocious hurricanes and tropical storms while at the same time providing you with incredible adventure.Īlong the islands, the park service has established a series of 12 sites for you to explore: In Mississippi: Add to that a good dose of history and lots of outdoor recreational activities and you have the perfect vacation getaway.Įstablished by Congress in 1971 and managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the Gulf Islands National Seashore is a 160-mile stretch of Gulf Coast barrier islands from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to Cat Island, Mississippi. Artist and conservationist Robert Wyland once said, “The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.” And that’s what draws millions of visitors each year to the Gulf Islands National Seashore - the crashing turquoise ocean, the most beautiful white beaches you will find anywhere, incredible flora and fauna, and fertile marshes.
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