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Fort Pickens Road, Santa Rosa Island, Florida
Photo: Jsweida · CC BY-SA 3.0

Drives Florida Pensacola, the Emerald Coast and the Panhandle

Fort Pickens Road

Santa Rosa Island, Florida · Pensacola Beach → Fort Pickens

Sweeping8.6 mi20 min0 ft climbHigh point ≈ 0 ftOne way
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The drive

Fort Pickens Road runs west from Pensacola Beach through Gulf Islands National Seashore to the brick fort at the island's tip. It is a low road between white dunes, with the Gulf on one side and Pensacola Bay on the other. The drive is 8.6 miles.

The road dead-ends at the fort, so you come back the same way. Fort Pickens is a Civil War-era fort with a park store inside.

Sand and overwash close the road in storms and high surf.

Along the way

  1. Pensacola Beach
  2. Fort Pickens
Elevation
0 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 0 ft
Pensacola BeachFort Pickens
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
Pensacola BeachFort Pickens
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • There is an entrance fee: $25 a vehicle for seven days, or an interagency pass.
  • The entrance station is open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. March through October and 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. November through February.
  • Reaching Pensacola Beach crosses the Bob Sikes Bridge, which has a southbound toll.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Gulf Islands National Seashore: Conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long is Fort Pickens Road?

Fort Pickens Road from Pensacola Beach to the fort is 8.6 miles and takes about 20 minutes.

Is there a fee for Fort Pickens Road?

Yes. The national seashore charges $25 a vehicle, good for one to seven days; interagency passes are accepted.

Does Fort Pickens Road close?

Yes. Storms and high surf close it. Check the park's conditions page.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Fort Pickens Road, from Pensacola Beach to Fort Pickens