Hidden Truth/Hidden Truth.iso/data/genufo/fort_pickens-navarre_beach_loo

Text File | 1996-05-05 | 8KB | 160 lines

FORT PICKENS-NAVARRE BEACH LOOP:

Note: To download a rough map of the bike trip described in this file, check
out the Outdoors Software Library in the Outdoors area of Destination
Florida. The map for this text file is called Bike Trip - Ft Pickens.

One of the more interesting bicycle rides in Florida and certainly one with
the most spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico is on Santa Rosa Island in
the extreme northwest corner of the state.

This 56-mile route easily can be handled in a day with enough time left for
exploring historic Fort Pickens and the sights along the Gulf beaches.

To reach the starting point on Pensacola Beach, take the Pensacola Bay Bridge
out of Pensacola to U.S. Highway 98 East in Gulf Breeze.  Get in the
right-hand lane for the road to Fort Pickens and Pensacola Beach.  Cross the
Sikes Bridge over Santa Rosa Sound (there's a small toll), and you'll be on
County Road 399.  There's a large public parking lot at the corner of C.R.
399 and Fort Pickens Road where you can leave your car.

The first leg of the route will take you to Fort Pickens.  When you leave the
parking lot, the Gulf will be on your left and Sabine Bay on your right.
There's a bike path shortly after you begin your ride.  Though traffic isn't
usually heavy, you might want to try the path.  It extends for about 2.5
miles to the start of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.  The park's
entrance fee for bicycles is $1.

About eight miles into the ride there is a campground store, open from March
to December.

The Visitor Information Center for Fort Pickens is less than three miles
later.  Give yourself at least an hour to tour the fort.  Built from 1829 to
1834 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with slave labor, the fort
originally was designed to fortify Pensacola Harbor as the site of the
principal Navy depot on the Gulf.  It's built of massed earth and masonry,
and 21.5 million bricks were used.  Most were purchased locally and brought
to the island by barge.

The fort protected Pensacola Harbor during the Civil War and served as a
prison for the Apache Indian chief Geronimo and 14 of his men from 1886 to
1888.

There is an impressive series of concrete batteries around the fort, and you
can visit them on your bike.  One of these was built during World War II
after the sweeping victories by the Germans.  Though the United States had
not entered the war, the War Department chose to prepare a master plan for
coastal defenses.  The plan included two new 6-inch gun batteries.

The fort is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and guided tours are
conducted Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at 11
a.m. and 2 p.m.  A museum at the fort is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and
offers interesting exhibits on natural and cultural history.  A program also
is offered daily at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

A short distance from the fort is a 200-site campground, some sites with
electrical hookups.  Swimming in the Gulf is permitted, and there are
lifeguards on duty.  Outdoor showers also are available.  The rangers at the
fort can recommend good scuba diving area.

On your return trip to the parking lot you'll visit the Dune Nature Trail, a
good place to stop for a short hike. The dunes protect all these low-lying
barrier islands that stretch for 150 miles from West Ship Island in
Mississippi to the far end of Santa Rosa Island.

The beaches along here and in the Panhandle are the most magnificent in the
state.  The white sand stretches for miles, and the clear blue waters of the
Gulf make these wide beaches an ideal place to spend a few hours, a few days
or a few weeks.

Don't spend the entire 56 miles of this route on your bicycle; park long
enough to admire the great scenery.

When you return to the parking lot, you'll have completed 20 miles of the
route.  There are good eating places nearby and stores offering cold drinks
and snacks.  Now you'll head in the opposite direction, covering about seven
miles before re-entering the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

After about four miles, there's a public beach with restrooms, showers and a
snack bar.  This is an ideal place for swimming.

From there you have another three miles before you reach Navarre Beach.
There's a long stretch here of beach cottages, apartment buildings and
various commercial developments.  "Jaws II" was filmed here.

It's about four more miles to the end of the road.  There's a small grocery
store and restrooms.

On the return journey, there are a few detours suggested that will take you
off the main road.  While traffic is rarely heavy, these detours will give
you a little change of scenery and a look at some residential areas of Santa
Rosa Island.

Shortly before the ride's end you'll have a bicycle path for about 2.5 miles.
It parallels the main road, but it gets rough before the finish.  You might
want to return to Via de Luna for the last mile.

Santa Rosa Island is a long and very narrow strip of land.  There are no
trees and very little vegetation, so be prepared for a landscape that
consists almost entirely of sand.  The beaches are snow-white and they throw
off a terrific glare.  Wear sunglasses; the sun shines here about 300 days of
the year.

For those coming here from other parts of Florida, Interstate 10 is the
quickest route to Pensacola.  From there the route to the beaches is
well-marked.

This is a route that offers spectacular views of the Gulf, a chance to tour
one of the oldest forts in the United States and wide, white beaches.  Any
tour of Florida would be incomplete without this one.

Fort Pickens-Navarre Beach Loop:

1.  Turn left out of parking lot at corner of Via de Luna (C.R. 399) and Fort
Pickens Road and go 9.5 miles to Visitor Information Center at Fort Pickens.
2.  Turn left on returning to route after touring fort and go one-half mile
to one-way sign.
3.  Turn right at one-way sign and go seven-tenths of a mile to original
route (C.R. 399).
4.  Turn right on original route and go six-tenths of a mile to Dune Nature
Trail.
5.  Turn right on Dune Nature Trail and go four-tenths of a mile to Langdon
Beach.
6.  Turn right on original route and go 7.6 miles to parking lot.
7.  Turn right out of parking lot onto Via de Luna and go seven-tenths of a
mile to Avenida 10.
8.  Turn right on Avenida 10 and go one-tenth of a mile to Ariola.
9.  Turn left on Ariola and go 2.1 miles to Avenida 23.
10. Turn left on Avenida 23 and go one-tenth of a mile to Via de Luna.
11. Turn right onVia de Luna and go 4 miles to Gulf Islands National
Seashore.
12. Enter Gulf Islands National Seashore and go 4.8 miles to public beach.
13. Return to C.R. 399 from public beach and go 2.7 miles to Navarre Beach.
14. Continue to Via de Luna for 3.7 miles to stop sign and enter parking lot.
15. Return to Via de Luna from parking lot and turn left.  Go 1.2 miles to
Arkansas Street, just past Tom Thumb-Citgo store.
16. Turn right on Arkansas Street and go one-tenth of a mile to White Sands
Boulevard (first road on left).
17. Turn left on White Sands Boulevard and go 2 miles to South Carolina
Street.
18. Turn left on South Carolina Street and go one-tenth of a mile to Gulf
Boulevard.
19. Turn right on Gulf Boulevard and go 10.8 miles to Avenida de Manana,
first road on right after Navarre private road.
10. Turn right on Avenida de Manana and go three-tenths of a mile to Michael
Keenan Memorial Bicycle Path alongside Via de Luna.
21. Turn right on Bicycle path and go 2.4 miles to Via de Luna.
22. Turn right on Via de Luna and go eight-tenths of a mile back to parking
lot and end of route.

Source: Florida Back Roads; A Guide to Free-wheeling Adventure, by Bob Howard
Copyright 1991, Sentinel Communications Company.

For more information on this book or to order a copy contact The Orlando
Sentinel Public Services at 407-420-5521 or 1-800-347-6868 ext. 5521. The
Public Services desk is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00- 5:00 p.m. eastern.


Transmitted:  94-08-02 17:16:51 EDT