Explore Pensacola Beach

Isle de St. Rose

Celebrate Pensacola 450th logoCelebrating 450 Years

In 2009, the Pensacola Bay Area is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the founding of the first European settlement in the United States. The first out-of-town visitor to Isle de St. Rose was Don Tristan de Luna. In the summer of 1559, he sailed up the Gulf from Mexico, his 11 ships loaded with gear and food for survival.

Many do not know that Pensacola predates St. Augustine (1565) and Jamestown, VA (1607). Several months after the settlement was established in 1559, a hurricane destroyed the supplies, and within three years, de Luna and his group were forced to abandon camp.

The cross on Pensacola Beach commemorates the first Christian mass held in the United States when the first Spaniards arrived.

Fort Pickens

The Fort was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, so take the self-guided tour and peel back the layers of history. You'll see the plaster-lined rooms that were intended as officers' quarters, and later used to house Apache prisoners. The most famous resident, Geronimo, lived in identical rooms along the south wall, which have since collapsed.

Fort Pickens Road and Park Updates

While the road to Fort Pickens has been closed to auto traffic since 2004, wildlife has flourished. The recent re-opening of the road now gives visitors new opportunity to rediscover the wild side of Santa Rosa Island.

Free ranger-led tours sometimes offer glimpses of area wildlife including armadillos, rabbits and red foxes, as well as a wide variety of birds. Other tours include full-moon walks, snorkeling, sea turtle education programs, stargazing, bicycle rides and candle-lit tours of Fort Pickens, a massive, brick fortress. Built in the 1830s, Fort Pickens was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War and later imprisoned Apache leader Geronimo. Visitors can explore brick tunnels and see cannons that once fired across the water.

The Fort Pickens Campground is also now open for primitive camping.

Before you go, you should know:

  • The Fort Pickens Area will be open daily from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. The Fort Pickens Visitor Center will be open from 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and free fort tours are scheduled at 2 p.m. daily.
  • The road has opened at a time of heavy shorebird nesting activity and many nests are already in place near the road. In order to protect these birds, the roadway between the entrance and the Ranger Station is posted and will be enforced at 15 miles-per-hour. After this year's nesting season, the posted speed limit will be 35 miles-per-hour.
  • Initially, utilities (electric, water and dump stations) will not be available in the campground. Campground Loops A, C and E (158 sites) will be open on a first come-first served basis. Restrooms will be closed but portable toilets will be available at each loop. At Loop A, the use of generators will not be allowed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Camping fee will be $10 per night and campers must register at the Fort Pickens Ranger Station between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Visitors should be prepared in advance to bring their own water for drinking, washing, and cooking. Remember: "One gallon of drinking water per person per day."
  • The Campground Store will not be open this season, however, limited supplies and grocery items will soon be available at the Firehouse Snack Bar which is located near the fishing pier.
  • Since telephone lines are not currently hard-wired, the ability to use credit/debit cards to pay entrance/camping fees may be intermittent. When the Firehouse Snack Bar reopens they will not have the capability of using credit/debit cards. Please plan accordingly.
  • Because the main campground has been closed since 2004, visitors need to be aware of and watch for wildlife, including snakes, in visitor areas.