The Fort Pickens Area is the western seven miles of Santa Rosa Island, near Pensacola Beach. This area was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005), but portions have reopened to hikers, bikers, and boaters from 8:00 am to sunset. If you go, be safe and drink plenty of water. You may take a self guided tour of Fort Pickens.

If you walk in from the entrance gate please stay in the corridor. It will take approximately 4 hours to walk in and back; if you bike in it will take approximately 3 hours for a round trip. Bikers need to be aware that they will have to push their bikes through 2 miles of sand.

Historic Fort Pickens, the fishing pier, and the beaches are open. "Loop A" of the campground has reopened to tent camping. The rest of the campground remains closed.  Bathrooms and water fountains are available in the fort area and at Battery Worth.

Fort Pickens is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay, Florida, and its navy yard. The fort was begun in 1829, completed in 1834, and used until the 1940s. Built in the age of wooden warships and cannons firing round balls, the fort underwent changes in response to advances in weapon technology following the Civil War.

Ten concrete gun batteries, including one in the middle of the historic fort, were built from the 1890s through the 1940s, each a response to a particular threat. Atomic bombs, guided missiles, and long-range bombers made such forts obsolete by the end of World War II and the Army abandoned the forts. Following extensive repairs by the National Park Service, the fort was reopened in 1976.