Gulf Islands National Seashore will close the Fort Pickens Area to all incoming public use due to predicted winds and high surf, effective Tuesday, Feb. 23.
A mandatory evacuation of the Fort Pickens campground will occur Tuesday, with all campers expected to leave the area by noon. The Fort Pickens area will remain closed to all incoming traffic and use until further notice.
When announcing this closure, Superintendent Dan Brown stated, “With this weather and the associated wind and high surf, sections of the Fort Pickens Road near the Gulf are expected to over wash and become impassable due to water and sand on the road. The seashore is working with the Federal Highway Administration to re-route the section of Fort Pickens Road which is most frequently impacted by weather events. This section of road will be realigned in 2016 and moved north of the dunes in an effort to protect the road and eliminate these routine and recurring closures. In order to ensure the safety of visitors and staff, the Fort Pickens Road will remain closed until the park can clear the road for safe passage of vehicles.â€
Park staff will assess conditions on Thursday, Feb. 25. When the road reopens, the campground will be open to walk-in campers until the reservation system comes on-line again. Visitors may call the Fort Pickens Road hotline to get daily updates 850-934-2656, check our Facebook page www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, or check our website alerts at: www.nps.gov/guis.
Fort Barrancas and other park areas will remain open, so that visitors may enjoy an alternate site while Fort Pickens is closed.