Fort Pickens Campground
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Write a Review 1400 Fort Pickens Rd. Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 850-934-2622 Reservations: 877-444-6777 Official WebsiteGPS: 30.318, -87.2557
Overview of Fort Pickens Campground
Park entrance fee is not included in campsite fee. Most sites have height, length, and slide restrictions, please consult the recreation.gov listing for details of each site. Some campsites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 42 ft. max in length.
Last Price Paid: $40
Reported by Joe on 9/24/2024
Longest RV Reported: 39 feet (Class A)
Reported by davidlgood on 1/4/2018
Number of Sites 220
Pad Type asphalt
Reservations yes
Elevation 0 ft / 0 m
Max Stay 14
Max Length 32 ft
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Fort Pickens Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 850-934-2622
a60dan asked on 3/29/2024
Dog’s aren’t allowed on either beach.
Ours can’t be left alone and we usually switch off with one person waiting ...
Duner733 asked on 12/30/2022
I see they have a dump station. Is there any mobile service that will come in and service the tanks for a fee? We w...
LDoone asked on 8/4/2022
$40 for a site PLUS $25 entrance fee means a 1 night site rental of $65, or did I misunderstand the website?
Zoocosmo asked on 12/26/2021
Are they allowing 41' 5th wheels to be dropped at camp sites? We stayed there last year with our 41' and the same sit...
Erin asked on 12/9/2021
Are there any road closures (Highway 399 or Fort Pickens road for example) that are currently closed? I'm seeing some...
Reviews of Fort Pickens Campground 76 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 41 Users
Last reported 4/20/2024
Confirmed by 29 Users
Last reported 9/24/2024
Confirmed by 6 Users
Last reported 4/20/2024
“Peaceful sound of the waves all night long.”
Reviewed 2/28/2019
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 9 |
| Site Number: | E12 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
I have a few things to add to all the previous reviews and that is if you go into Pensacola to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum be prepared to pass through a full military checkpoint. You'll have to produce a state issued identification (i.e. drivers license) and they do scan it to see if your have any felony arrests or outstan... more
I have a few things to add to all the previous reviews and that is if you go into Pensacola to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum be prepared to pass through a full military checkpoint. You'll have to produce a state issued identification (i.e. drivers license) and they do scan it to see if your have any felony arrests or outstanding warrants for security issues.
Just an FYI, you have to enter the Naval Air Station from the west side, Google and most GPSs will have you enter from the east side if getting directions from Fort Pickens. It's a shorter route, but you have to possess a military ID for that gate.
If you are interested in civil war forts take time to visit Fort Barrancas right across the street. It's not as large as Fort Pickens but still just as interesting to explore.
Also for you lighthouse fans there is the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum nearby on the base. For a small fee you can climb to the top of the tallest lighthouse on the Gulf of Mexico.
P.S. - Don't miss enjoying a meal at Peg Leg Pete's.
We visited this campground from 02/18/19 until 02/2719.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Very Good AND Very Bad”
Reviewed 12/30/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | Site 1 - Loop E |
| RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoTV5owMTfw&t=20s This is our 2nd stay in as many years and I have to say some aspects are 1-Star and other aspects are 5-Stars. Upon arrival for our 10 day stay we were informed that our site was flooded (they had had a lot of rain the previous weeks), but there were others available to choose from. ... more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoTV5owMTfw&t=20s
This is our 2nd stay in as many years and I have to say some aspects are 1-Star and other aspects are 5-Stars. Upon arrival for our 10 day stay we were informed that our site was flooded (they had had a lot of rain the previous weeks), but there were others available to choose from. I asked for a list so we could pick out a site and he said he didn't have a list, but the sites were marked reserved or open. We drove through the campground (did not see any marked reserved) and picked out several to choose from and when we drove back to the office he said the 3 we picked out were reserved. So much for clearly marked sites. This time he gave us a list of several sites that WERE available so we drove back to the campground (a couple of miles) and none of those sites would accommodate our trailer, low hanging tree limbs would have hit our 28' trailer. We went back AGAIN to the office and after some back and forth we got a DRY site we could stay at for 4 days because it was booked after that, but they assured us we would get a site for the remainder of our reservation.
It rained for the following 2 days after we got there and 40% of the campground was underwater, our site stayed dry, fortunately (see 3 pictures of flooding) There was no issue with finding another site because the day before we were to move the government shut down and everybody was kicked out of the campground.
No dogs allowed on the beach but there is a dog-friendly beach nearby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExFN6ZhzSo
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Verizon 4G
wanderlust would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great campground near beaches an Ft Pickens”
Reviewed 12/5/2018
| Nightly rate: | $19 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | A020 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
The rate I posted is the senior lifetime pass holder date. The regular rate is doulble that. The site had 50amp hookup and water. There is also an on-site dump station station in the campground for confidence. The bathrooms were clean. There are also a series of private showers which were relatively clean. The walls were stained from t... more
The rate I posted is the senior lifetime pass holder date. The regular rate is doulble that. The site had 50amp hookup and water. There is also an on-site dump station station in the campground for confidence. The bathrooms were clean. There are also a series of private showers which were relatively clean. The walls were stained from the iron content in the water. I was also pleasantly surprised with the onsite laundry room. There are only 2 washers and dryers, but great as an option. This site backed up to the nature area and was pretty private. There was a good space between this site and the adjacent site compared to some of the others sites. There are shaded sites, but the vertical clearance is tight if you have a big rig. I felt mor comfortable being away fro, the trees to avoid getting hit with a limb in a windstorm.
The beach is a short walk across the road and very clean. I was here in December, so the beach was pretty deserted. I am not sure how busy it would be I’m peak season.
The loacarion is pretty remote. Plan your activities carefully. The drive out here takes about 35-40 minutes due to the 25mph speed limit. A trip fo r supplies is a commitment.
The Navy Air Museum is also close by and I would rwceommmd planing a visit.
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AT&T 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful beaches! ”
Reviewed 11/28/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 12 |
| RV Length: | 13' |
Overall Rating
Loved this campground. Our site was on Loop C. Not too much privacy on the sites but you should be at the beach anyway. Beautiful soft white sand! We had the beach to ourselves in November. You might want to ask about which sites flood with heavy rain. We had 24hrs of rain and there were some sites that looked like people had to move... more
Loved this campground. Our site was on Loop C. Not too much privacy on the sites but you should be at the beach anyway. Beautiful soft white sand! We had the beach to ourselves in November.
You might want to ask about which sites flood with heavy rain. We had 24hrs of rain and there were some sites that looked like people had to move.
Notes:
•Beach about 1/2 mile walk over a boardwalk
•From campground to beach to fort and back to campground on the Florida trail was a nice 3 mile loop.
•Campground checkin station had big tire beach wheelchair. Double check though that it’s available for your visit.
•Pegleg Pete’s had good food. The gumbo was almost as good as my Moms! 😉
•The Tom Thumb convenamce store next to Pete’s had Talenti and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream!!
•The Naval Air Museum is free and worth a trip over.
Site quality is only 3 stars because our site was dirty and I had to ask host to clean.
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Verizon 4G
Tiny Red Caravan would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Gorgeous Location!”
Reviewed 11/8/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| RV Length: | 29' |
Overall Rating
Walking distance to beautiful white sand beach
Tent camped in loop D for 2 nights , those sites are closer together and a little farther from beach access .
And camped in loop A for 1 night which was awesome large sites woods behind some ,trees for shade short walk to beach.
Clean modern bathrooms with shower.
SporadicNomadicTribe would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome time!”
Reviewed 4/23/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | C15 |
Overall Rating
We (my wife and I) had an awesome time at Fort Pickens Campground. Our site had no shade; however, it was perfect for the low 70’s and windy weather. Would definitely prefer a shadier site if in the mid 80’s and up. Short drive to Langdon Beach which is on park property. Pavilion with plenty of tables and bathrooms. Unfortunately, ... more
We (my wife and I) had an awesome time at Fort Pickens Campground. Our site had no shade; however, it was perfect for the low 70’s and windy weather. Would definitely prefer a shadier site if in the mid 80’s and up. Short drive to Langdon Beach which is on park property. Pavilion with plenty of tables and bathrooms. Unfortunately, no shower or hoses to hose down sand off feet and legs. But short walk to beach from parking lot. Not crowded during the week, but Saturday more folks but nowhere near the numbers of most “public access “ beaches. Bathroom/bathhouses are very clean. Actually had private shower rooms. Some sites had older picnic tables, others newer picnic tables. Sites along outer perimeter appear to have more shade. Quiet for the most part. Would prefer bigger site to allow for parking vehicle on site. But close “overflow” parking. We have already booked another stay in September.
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Verizon 4G
JME65 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Little pricey- but beautiful beaches”
Reviewed 2/13/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | E38 |
| RV Length: | 38' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
I though the price did not reflect the campground. No sewer, just electrical and water. The restrooms and showers were a bit dated. But the beach makes up for all of that. We stayed in loop E which is right across the street from a beach access point. Gorgeous!! The fort and museum were really neat to explore - car ride away. The si... more
I though the price did not reflect the campground. No sewer, just electrical and water. The restrooms and showers were a bit dated. But the beach makes up for all of that. We stayed in loop E which is right across the street from a beach access point. Gorgeous!!
The fort and museum were really neat to explore - car ride away. The sites were quite short. We only have a 31’ class C motorhome and it was a tight squeeze in our spot. Some motor homes were sticking out of their sites with red scarves tied to their mirrors! Navigating the campground roads was a bit tricky - I could t imagine trying to get a class A through there- but there were many!
We came during a three day stretch of rain and the roads were covered with water. Pretty nerve racking driving through all the water. We thought about turning around - the water was so deep. Many campsites were flooded! Careful during the rain- call ahead and check your site.
The Home on our Backs would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful location - Big Rigs Beware!!”
Reviewed 1/4/2018
| Nightly rate: | $40 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | A-10 |
| RV Length: | 39' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
The park is located in a beautiful location, with the sound on the north and the gulf on the south. Enough white beach for everyone!! Better yet, due to it being many miles down the road (with no through traffic) you're not going to have the public visitors that you might have at beaches further east (so it seems more private, as far a... more
The park is located in a beautiful location, with the sound on the north and the gulf on the south. Enough white beach for everyone!! Better yet, due to it being many miles down the road (with no through traffic) you're not going to have the public visitors that you might have at beaches further east (so it seems more private, as far as the beach goes).
Fort Pickens is a nice place to visit, but I would suggest visiting the interactive museum on-site before exploring the fort itself (they have a great educational video about the fort, which adds to your experience walking around exploring the grounds).
As some have mentioned, there are a few negatives to this campground. First -- THE TREES!!! If you're in a full-height motorhome or large 5th wheel, you're almost guaranteed to hear the brushing and scraping of tree limbs on the MAIN LOOP ROADS as you find your camping spot. I find this almost to be unforgivable for any park, considering it's a campground for RVs, yet they do not keep the trees in-check for height clearance.
Another HUGE problem is that the sites are NOT accurately measured. For example, we made reservations in one of the last remaining spots... and it was listed as a 40' spot. When we arrived, the front of our 40' Class A motorhome spilled out into the road. We immediately pulled out, looked online, and went to one of the "first come-first served" sites in the A loop while we waited the next morning for the registration office to open (This was on January 1, and while the park staff had the day off there was absolutely NO indication that the offices were closed... in fact, signs were still up asking people to register at the front door, and an "OPEN" sign was clearly on and visible. A large number of people were backed up, waiting in the registration parking area thinking that maybe the ranger was in the restroom, or out for a short patrol. Eventually, people would give up and go to their assigned sites anyway... and their spots were quickly taken by new people who waited and waited in the freezing temperatures until they, too, gave up and went to their spots).
When I checked-in the next day I told the Ranger on duty about my "change" of sites, explaining that the reserved site was too short. She looked it up, said that it was a 40' spot... but she quickly told me not to worry about it and let us stay in the spot we snagged temporarily the previous evening.
Two days later I spotted one of the Camp Hosts outside "measuring" sites with a tape measure. I had a brief conversation with him and he informed me he was measuring the sites, as they weren't accurately listed. WOW. It's nice to see that they're taking action to clarify things rather than just ignoring things. That right there demonstrates some positive action on behalf of the staff and hosts.
Speaking of the Rangers/Staff/Hosts -- absolutely amazing people. Very friendly, in good spirits, and super nice (even during freezing weather, while they were dealing with people who got their rigs stuck in the sand, which they weren't supposed to be on, and freezing/bursting hoses, pipes, etc.) The staff was dealing with a LOT of issues (mostly due to people just not understanding how to camp in freezing temperatures, or not following directions/rules like keeping OFF the grass or sand)... but they did it with a great attitude. Again -- GREAT staff all around.
Power (30/50) was good... water pressure was adequate... and all the sites, that I saw, were concrete and required minimal leveling.
Many of the sites have overhanging trees -- and those might not be listed on the reservation website, so I think it would be wise for anyone making a reservation to check with the Ranger station at the time of the reservation to make SURE the site is long enough, and that the height will be good as well.
Speaking of the length of the sites -- until they get accurate measurements of the sites and post them to the reservation system, as a general rule you need to SUBTRACT 6-10 feet from their listed length. It seems that they consider a 30' site suitable for a 40' rig, currently -- as they assume that there will be a 10' overhang behind your back tires. For us, this wasn't the case. So be warned that you need to add 6-10 feet when trying to find a site for your rig. There are also concrete parking 'stops' at the end of each pad... so you need to know where your rear jacks will land before putting them down. If, like us, the rear jacks are directly behind your back tire line it means you will NOT be able to back up all the way to the parking stop (unless you like your jacks resting halfway on the parking stop, potentially bending the foot pads).
The location of the campground is either great, or just okay, depending on what you're looking for in a campground. If you're looking for peaceful, quiet, and away from things just a little... this is a nice place. If you're the type that prefers to walk to restaurants or shopping centers, you're not going to like the location (although the drive into town is beautiful... as it's all dunes and beach and water views).
Peg Leg Pete's is the first restaurant that you'll encounter past the condos as you leave the park towards town... and it is VERY good. Filet steak was good... and I'm sure a lot of people go there for the oysters (we don't eat them)... but the grouper was awesome. Both as a main, included in the grouper chowder, and also in the grouper nuggets (which are what we wish standard fish-n-chips tasted like -- they were super good!).
So -- with those few issues now known to us, I would say that we would love to return (in warmer weather) for the beautiful beaches... but we'd likely only venture to Loop A, since we're not interested in the top of our rig getting scraped and damaged by overhanging branches in the other loops.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
davidlgood would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pretty Surroundings”
Reviewed 12/28/2017
| Days stayed: | 2 |
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| Site Number: | 24 |
Overall Rating
We really stayed at this campground for access to the fort. We camped in December however the campground was pretty full. The rangers were great at letting us switch our site once we got there and realized how little privacy we had. We stayed in 24 I think under some trees. We were new to camping and heard nuts falling on our camper al... more
We really stayed at this campground for access to the fort. We camped in December however the campground was pretty full. The rangers were great at letting us switch our site once we got there and realized how little privacy we had. We stayed in 24 I think under some trees. We were new to camping and heard nuts falling on our camper all night long during the rainy night. They have great little walking trails behind the campground and the fort was amazing to see. The beach is also across the street and they have a dog park a ways down. There are all sizes of RVs here and we were surprised some could fit. We had a 24 foot pull behind and our site was one of the shorter (height wise) spaces. The bathrooms were fine however the showers weren't great. They had hot water but the spigot was low and really tight to the wall. Honestly if felt like a prison set up. But we were thankful for showers. This campground is pretty removed. We did however stop at Peg Leg Pete's on the long stretch of road before the fort for lunch and it was delicious! We loved the surroundings but not our favorite campground as far as privacy and access to other things.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great campground, historic fort to explore, excellent beach”
Reviewed 5/19/2017
| Nightly rate: | $26 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | B11 (Loop B) |
| RV Length: | 20' (Pop Up Camper) |
Overall Rating
Stayed 4/30/17 & 5/1/17. We arrived just before a storm and were glad to have reservations as the campgrounds were full. Loop B seemed more suited for tent campers & smaller trailers; the parking pads were short. We walked the loops (but not Loop A), and it seemed all pads were back-in. We had a level site, and although there were ... more
Stayed 4/30/17 & 5/1/17. We arrived just before a storm and were glad to have reservations as the campgrounds were full. Loop B seemed more suited for tent campers & smaller trailers; the parking pads were short. We walked the loops (but not Loop A), and it seemed all pads were back-in. We had a level site, and although there were some sandy areas within the grass, it was hard and wasn't an issue. There wasn't much privacy; even though there were many campers, it wasn't bad - there was more jet/aircraft noise from the Naval Air Station across the bay.
Bathrooms & shower rooms were nice with soap, hand dryers & ceiling fans. The handicapped bathroom stall even had it's own sink, soap & hand dryer. Large individual shower rooms had body dryers!
Camp hosts were friendly and informative. We were told Ft. Pickens Road is new and isn't subject to flooding anymore. The camp host told us the old road had gone along the beach and that's why it flooded. However, on one trip to town after the storm, they were plowing sand off the road.
Camp host also told us the camp store was closed since the park didn't renew their contract.
We saw a variety of birds, and many people were bicycling. The fort was awesome to explore, which you can do on your own. There are boardwalks to the beach for Loop A and another for Loops B-E, but we preferred the short drive down the road to Langdon beach. It has a bathroom building with a large deck w/picnic tables and outdoor showers. Surf was fun to swim in, and the beach was mainly deserted and clean.
We can't wait to go back!
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AT&T 4G
WhatsNext_OutWest would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 7 of 8
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 30 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- dry camping
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- fishing
- picnic area
- recreation trail
- swimming beach
- water access
Site Amenities
- big rig
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- dump station
- general store
- laundry
- recycle
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- trash
- water available
Discount Clubs
- Senior Discounts
Pets
- pets
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