Best Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida beaches 🌞 Things to do 🌞 + swimming and VIEWS! 🌞 Florida travel blog

Hi there!

 

So Gulf Islands National Seashore is one of the many spots where you can get gulf coast beach access in Florida.

If you are going to be driving in the Florida Panhandle to Pensacola or Destin, then you can make a stop at Gulf Islands National Seashore!

 

 

Although not an official national park in Florida, similar to a “national lakeshore,” a “national seashore” is a type of a national park.

This makes Gulf Islands National Seashore a national park site in Florida, managed by the National Park Service.

 

 

 

By going to the Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches in Florida, you can also see low-lying coastal dunes!

 

 

And it is just to SEE the dunes!

You don’t want to walk across the sand dunes in Gulf Islands National Seashore in an effort to preserve them.

 

 

Dune grass is said to be fragile and an important part of the coastal ecosystem so take care not to step on any no matter where you are!

 

 

Now first, the quick list of the official Florida gulf coast beaches in Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Then, a little bit about going to these Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches.

 

 

Best beaches in Gulf Islands National Seashore

 

Whether it’s for swimming, picnic, or VIEWS, you will want to go to one of these 3 beach areas for Florida gulf coast beaches in Gulf Islands National Seashore!

 

1. Opal Beach (Santa Rosa beach)

 

 

2. Langdon Beach (Fort Pickens beach)

 

 

3. Johnson Beach (Perdido Key beach)

 

 

Gulf Islands National Seashore areas in Florida

There are many different areas to the national seashore in Florida around Pensacola, Navarre Beach, and Destin, in completely separate areas that aren’t connected.

The 3 areas with gulf coast access are the Santa Rosa area, the Fort Pickens area, and the Perdido Key area.

 

 

There are other “areas” in Gulf Islands National Seashore around these areas if you’re looking for experiences other than the gulf coast beaches too.

 

 

There are also Gulf Islands National Seashore areas in Mississippi too!

But here, we will focus on the amazing views that can be found by going to the Florida gulf coast beaches!

 

 

More gulf coast beaches in the Florida Panhandle

Whether it’s for swimming, picnic, or VIEWS, here are some of the best beaches in the Florida Panhandle:

• Gulf Islands National Seashore
• Grayton Beach State Park (Former #1 beach in America)
• Henderson Beach State Park
• Perdido Key State Park
• St Andrews State Park

 

More of the Florida Panhandle and beyond

• Driving from Pensacola to Tallahassee with nature stops
• Driving from Pensacola to Orlando with nature stops

 

 

More below about going to the Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches!

 

 

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Can you swim at Gulf Islands National Seashore?

Yes, it’s possible to go swimming at Gulf Islands National Seashore! 

That is, if you can don’t think the water temperature is too cold for swimming!

In the winter, spring, and fall, the highest water temperature you will encounter will probably be in the low 60s… mid 60s if you’re lucky! 🥶

For many people, this is too cold for swimming.

But there will almost always be a few people swimming along Florida’s gulf coast even in these temperatures!

I was at Gulf Islands National Seashore beach and there were people who had just come out of the water when the air temperature was in the 40s!!! 🥶🥶🥶

As one of them said… when you’re in the water it’s not so bad, but it’s coming out of the water that you’ll feel it!

Well, I’m pretty sure I would feel it IN the water too. 😜

 

 

Beach facilities in Gulf Islands National Seashore

 

So the way it goes in these gulf coast beach “areas” of Gulf Islands National Seashore is that there is one main beach.

And then there are a few other beach access spots you’ll find as you are driving through Gulf Islands National Seashore.

 

 

So you don’t need to go to the official named beach in order to get beach access.

But if you do go to the official beaches, you will get the beach facilities that you won’t find in the random beach access spots you come across as you’re driving.

Most notably beach facilities means that there is a bathroom.

 

 

There are also basic outdoor beach showers so you can rinse off sand.

 

 

 

Day use picnic areas in Gulf Islands National Seashore

 

The main beaches of each of the official Gulf Islands National Seashore areas are also the main day use areas of each of the areas.

And as day use areas of Gulf Islands National Seashore, there are also many picnic tables so you can eat with views just a short walk from the parking lot!

 

 

Stop by a Publix grocery store on your way to Gulf Islands National Seashore, and have a picnic along the coast at Gulf Islands National Seashore!

Depending on which route you take to get to Gulf Islands National Seashore, there is a Publix in Navarre FL (map), Gulf Breeze FL (map), and Pensacola (map).

 

 

Gulf Islands National Seashore lifeguards

As per the National Park Service about swimming in Gulf Islands National Seashore:

During the summer season (mid-May through August) lifeguards may be on duty.

 

Outside of summer months, you can still go swimming in Gulf Islands National Seashore if there is no lifeguard.

The beach is still open… at your own risk!

 

 

 

The boring safety message for swimming in Gulf Islands National Seashore!

 

The ocean is powerful!

Rip currents exist! Know before you go!

 

 

Take care out there!

Look for the beach flag warnings… and take extra caution based on the color of those beach flags!

 

 

As you approach the national park entry station for Gulf Islands National Seashore, you can look for the beach flag.

 

 

 

Cost to visit Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches

 

There is a national park entry fee for each of the main Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches.

This means that it is not free to go to the main Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches. (There is a BUT coming! 👇)

So the cost to visit the main Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches is $25 per car. See current fees.

This will get you a 7-day pass for Gulf Islands National Seashore, and it will be good for all areas of the national seashore park. (There is no one-day Gulf Islands pass.)

If you have an annual national park pass, then you can use that at Gulf Islands National Seashore.

 

 

For the Fort Pickens beach (Langdon Beach) and the Perdido Key beach (Johnson Beach), the national park entry station is located where you enter the Fort Pickens area and the Perdido Key areas.

This means that in order to see any part of the gulf coast in the Fort Pickens area and Perdido Key area, you will need to pay the national park entry fee.

BUT… For the Santa Rosa beach (Opal Beach), the national park entry station is located directly at the Opal Beach parking lot.

This means that you can drive through the Santa Rosa area of Gulf Islands National Seashore without encountering a national park entry station, if you do not go to Opal Beach.

Being able to drive through the Santa Rosa area means that you will also be able to access the other unofficial beach access spots (aka beaches without beach facilities) without the national park entry fee.

So if don’t already have an annual national park pass (and you don’t plan on visiting 3 national parks within the next year! – see about what makes a national park pass worth it), and you don’t want to pay the Gulf Islands national park entry fee, then you want to go to Santa Rosa! You can use Opal Beach for google maps to get you to the area.

 

 

Beachcombing and shelling

I wasn’t looking for shells, but I did stumble across some broken shells and small shells while walking along the shoreline of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

So for shelling in Florida, you might try beachcombing when you are at Gulf Islands National Seashore!

 

 

As per the National Park Service about beachcombing and shelling in Gulf Islands National Seashore:

You may collect sea shells from the national seashore that do not have living creatures in them.

 

 

And that’s a bit about Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida!

 

Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches:

• Santa Rosa beach
• Fort Pickens beach
• Perdido Key beach

 

Also see: What to pack for Florida beach vacation

 

In addition to national seashores, there are also national lakeshores in the US, also managed by the National Park Service:

• National lakeshores with amazing views
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

 

HAPPY OCEAN VIEWING OR SWIMMING AT GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE!