Gulf Islands National Seashore reopens after Isaias; Battery 234 closure still listed
The National Park Service says all areas of Gulf Islands National Seashore are open after Hurricane Isaias, but the park's closures page still lists several sites as closed.
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Is all of Gulf Islands National Seashore open?
The National Park Service (NPS) said on Oct. 26, 2026, that all areas of Gulf Islands National Seashore are open after Hurricane Isaias, according to a park news release. The park’s temporary closures page, also last updated Oct. 26, 2026, still lists closures at several sites, so visitors should check it before they go.
Which closures are still listed
The park’s conditions page lists the following items as of Oct. 26, 2026:
| Site | Status on the page | Reason given on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Battery 234 Loop Road and Battery Cooper, Fort Pickens | Closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians until further notice; the beach access points from the Gulf side are also closed | Historic Tower 234 is leaning and structurally unstable |
| Fort Pickens Visitor Center (Discovery Center) | Closed | Construction and exhibit renovations |
| Battery Worth pavilion | Permanently closed | Repairs |
| Opal Beach Pavilion C restrooms | Permanently closed | Repairs |
| Perdido Key Rosamond Johnson Beach restrooms | Being remodeled, starting with the east restrooms; the west restrooms stay open until the east ones are finished | Remodel |
The page says the historic Fort Pickens is still open.
What the park has not said
The news release does not say which areas were closed because of Isaias or when those closures began. The conditions page does not give an end date for the Battery 234 closure and says there is an unfunded project to remove the tower complex before the area can reopen. The page also does not explain why the Battery 234 closure is still listed after the reopening announcement.
The park’s mailing address is 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, Fla., and its phone number is 850-934-2600, according to the conditions page. Call before you go to Fort Pickens.
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Questions and answers
- Is Gulf Islands National Seashore open after Hurricane Isaias?
- The National Park Service said on Oct. 26, 2026, that all areas of the park are open after Hurricane Isaias, according to a park news release. The park's conditions page, also last updated Oct. 26, 2026, still lists Battery 234 Loop Road and Battery Cooper at Fort Pickens as closed until further notice, so check that page before visiting.
- What is closed at Fort Pickens in Gulf Islands National Seashore?
- As of Oct. 26, 2026, the park's conditions page lists the Battery 234 Loop Road and Battery Cooper area as closed until further notice because Historic Tower 234 is leaning and structurally unstable. The page also lists the Fort Pickens Visitor Center (Discovery Center) as closed for construction and exhibit renovations, and says the historic Fort Pickens is still open.
