• Beach walkway to white sandy beach and bluegreen waters

    Gulf Islands

    National Seashore FL,MS

There are park alerts in effect.
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  • Partial Closure on Horn Island

    Small portion of Horn Island, Mississippi, closed to entry due to discovery of asbestos and possible other bio hazards. Click on more for map and press release. More »

  • Park Closures

    Restrooms, and Visitor Center closures due to the impact of Seqestration. More »

History & Culture

A distant view of the east side of Fort Massachusetts on a partly cloudy day.

Fort Massachusetts located on West Ship Island. 

nps photo

Fort Barrancas Fort Pickens

Advanced Redoubt Batteries

Fort Massachusetts Fort McRee

The forts of Gulf Islands National Seashore span almost 150 years, from the Spanish colonial Bateria De San Antonio (1797) to the World War Two-era Battery 234. This reflects the historic value of the anchorages at Pensacola Bay, Florida and Ship Island, Mississippi. Most striking among these are the American Third System forts: Fort Pickens, Fort Massachusetts, Fort Barrancas, and the Advanced Redoubt, all of which saw action during the Civil War.

The National Park Service will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. Special events and programs will be presented at Gulf Islands National Seashore and other National Park sites.

Did You Know?

The long roots of the sea oats help hold the dunes together.

The stunning sugar white beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore are composed of fine quartz eroded from granite in the Appalachian Mountains.  The sand is carried seaward by rivers and creeks and deposited by currents along the shore.