Gulf Islands National Seashore maintains two developed campgrounds, one in Mississippi and one in Florida. Each campground offers water, grill/fire rings, restrooms, and picnic tables. Each campsite offers different experiences and has specific size limitations. Visitors wishing to learn more should visit our camping page or make a reservation.
To ensure you choose the perfect site for your camping adventure, we highly recommend all reserve a campsite well in advance by visiting www.recreation.gov or calling 1-877-444-6777.
Know Before You Arrive
Check-In & Out
Check-in is by 2 p.m. Check out by 11 a.m.
After-hours arrival should check-in immediately the next day and enter the gate code received with electronic reservation confirmation to enter the park entrance gate.
Camper, trailer, and vehicle registration are required to check-in.
Fort Pickens Road is subject to flooding. For road conditions and flood forecast visit www.nps.gov/guis or follow the park's Facebook page.
Campground & Campsite Restrictions
No more than two vehicles may be parked at each site at a time (car/trailer, car/RV, and car/car). Additional vehicles must park in the overflow parking area. Do not park vehicles in unoccupied sites or on the grass.
All roadways, off-roadways, beaches, trails, and boardwalks within the boundaries of the National Seashore are closed to the use of golf carts, segways, and UTV/ATV-type vehicles. Exception for Americans with Disability Act (ADA) mobility impairments for access to campground facilities only.
Campgrounds are closed to non-camper use and non-camper vehicle traffic from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m
Fires may be built-in permanent grills (charcoal only) or fire rings at designated sites.
Portable grills may be used at designated campsites. Dead wood that has already fallen to the ground may be collected for use as campfire fuel.
Smoking of all sources including but not limited to e-cigarettes, hookahs, or vape pens is prohibited in all government buildings, including but not limited to the bathhouses, restrooms, forts, and batteries.
All food and coolers should be stored inside vehicles away from wildlife.
The release of grey water (e.g., the water discharged from showers, baths, hand basins, or washing machines that contain soaps, shampoos, or soap products, including biodegradable soap) is prohibited in the park. Additionally, the washing of vehicles, boats, kayaks, or similar items using soap or soap products is prohibited.
Pets must be attended to at all times this includes inside campers and tents. Pets owners are prohibited from tying leashed pets to objects or property. Excess noise from pets is not permitted.
Campers are not allowed to hang food bags, trash, string lights, clotheslines, hammocks, or other equipment from the trees, vegetation, or park electrical equipment.
Portable air conditioning units used for tents or outside are not allowed.
Specific campsite restrictions:
Campground B-loop campsites sites are restricted to tents only, on-ground, soft-sided. No campsite power or water hook-ups, centralized water available. Generators are not permitted in this loop. Campsites are limited to a maximum of 8 people and no more than 2 soft-sided tents.
Campground C-loop sites are restricted to tents, pop-ups, trailers, and RVs. Campsites feature power or water hook-ups. Generators are not permitted.
Campground D-loop sites are restricted to tents, pop-ups, pickup campers, and small trailers, cars, trucks, or vans. No campsite power or water hook-ups, centralized water available. Campsites are limited to a maximum of 8 people and no more than 2 tents, or 1 tent and one vehicle for sleeping, or 2 vehicles used for sleeping.
Campground E-loop sites are open to tents, pop-ups, trailers, and RVs. Campsites feature power and water hookups.
Campers may stay no more than 42 days annually; the maximum time permitted for camping in the campground is fourteen (14) consecutive days. At the end of fourteen (14) days, campers must completely remove themselves and their property from the National Seashore for a minimum of 2 days (48 hours) before returning for another overnight visit.
Group Tent Camping
Group campgrounds are for tents only. The minimum occupancy is 10 people and the maximum is 40 people. Pets are allowed.
Group tent camping is allowed for those who have purchased a valid group tent camping permit for the Fort Pickens Group tent site, the Davis Bayou Group tent site, and the Naval Live Oaks Youth Group tent site.
Group camping is limited to a minimum of 10 persons and a maximum of 40 persons at each site.
Naval Live Oaks is only rented to youth groups. Email guis_special_use_permits@nps.gov to reserve.
