Temporary Road and Facility Closures

Alerts

 

Map of closure area

NPS

Temporary Road/Parking Closures:

• The Battery 234 Loop Road and Battery Cooper within the Fort Pickens Management Area will be closed to all vehicle, bicyclists, and foot (pedestrian) traffic until further notice for safety purposes until the park can correct the leaning and structurally unstable historic Tower 234 that poses danger to visitors and staff. The beach access points for pedestrians from the Gulf (south) side will also be closed. The pipe gates at the entrance and exit points to the area will be locked with accompanied signage (see attached prototype).
  
  Historic Tower 234 near Battery Cooper in the Fort Pickens Area was built in 1943 along with Battery 234 to direct the firing of the guns placed on the battery. The tower, constructed of steel, supports a two-story compromised and now unstable concrete observation booth weighing over 113,000 pounds. A 2018 inspection found the structural integrity of the tower to be questionable, prompting the park to close until 2020 when a portion of the tower from the concrete base was removed and relocated adjacent to the base, as well as a 200-foot perimeter fence was erected to mitigate risk. See the following link from 2020 when access to the area was last restored www.nps.gov/guis/learn/news/loop-road-reopens.htm

  In the ensuing 6 years the tower’s concrete base has become increasingly dilapidated and fallen into disrepair causing a significant and unacceptable risk to public/visitor and staff safety. Consequently, an area closure is intended to be implemented for safety purposes.
  
  There is an unfunded project to remove the concrete base and adjacent tower complex. Once funding is secured to fully dismantle and remove the concrete base, tower apparatus, and debris from the site the area will be re-opened, however the timeframe for this to happen is currently indefinite.

Temporary Facility Closures:

• Fort Pickens Visitor Center (Discovery Center) (Green and white building) is closed for construction and exhibit renovations. The historic Fort Pickens is still open.
• The Opal Beach Pavilion C restrooms are permanently closed for repairs.
• The park is remodeling the interior of the campground restroom structure at loop B/D. All other restrooms will remain open for campers with reservations during this time.