The Fort Pickens Area is the western seven miles of Santa Rosa Island, near Pensacola Beach. This area was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005).

Fort Pickens area is open from 7 a.m. unitl 10 p.m. except for registered campers and visitors with Night Owl passes (available for sale at the entrance station). The road is subject to flooding during major rain events or from storm surge which may cause closure of the Ft. Pickens area on short notice. The speed limit will be posted at 15 mph to protect nesting birds.

Historic Fort Pickens and Visitor Center is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fort tours are at 2:00 p.m. daily. Langdon Beach lifeguards are on duty 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Portable toilets are in the parking lot.

The campground store is closed for the season but food services and limited camping supplies will be available at the Firehouse across from the fishing pier.

The campground is open for primitive camping.

Fort Pickens is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay, Florida, and its navy yard. The fort was begun in 1829, completed in 1834, and used until the 1940s. Built in the age of wooden warships and cannons firing round balls, the fort underwent changes in response to advances in weapon technology following the Civil War.

Ten concrete gun batteries, including one in the middle of the historic fort, were built from the 1890s through the 1940s, each a response to a particular threat. Atomic bombs, guided missiles, and long-range bombers made such forts obsolete by the end of World War II and the Army abandoned the forts. Following extensive repairs by the National Park Service, the fort was reopened in 1976.