Fort Pickens Tour: Stop 9

Fort Pickens Counterscarp and Dry Ditch

Quick Facts

Location:

Fort Pickens, Florida

Amenities

2 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead

Counterscarp, Scarp, and Dry Ditch

You are standing in front of an outer wall called a counterscarp. The counterscarp supports a man-made hill called a glacis.

Like a shield, the counterscarp protected Fort Pickens’ main wall, called the scarp.In the 1800s, the counterscarp and scarp measured about 40 feet tall. Wrapping around Fort Pickens, a dry ditch separated these towering walls.

Attackers who reached the dry ditch would be caught in a deadly crossfire. By the summer of 1915, Army engineers filled the dry ditch to better protect the area from hurricanes. They also spread compost and planted grass to hold and fix the sand and to reduce the glare from the sun.