News Release

New Restroom Facility Installation Begins Monday

A new restroom structure is set to be installed at the Fort Pickens Group Campsite

Date: November 22, 2019
Contact: Brent Everitt, 850-934-2600

Gulf Breeze, Fla. – The very popular group campsite at the Fort Pickens Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore is set for a major upgrade next week. Starting Monday, contractors will replace the outdated restroom facility at the group campsite with a new facility to better serve campers. The work is expected to be contained within the group camping area and should not impact normal park operations for visitors.

The new facility will match similar structures added throughout the park over the last five years and will feature men’s and women’s restrooms and shower facilities. The current structure only has two stalls and no shower facilities. The new building has been constructed offsite and will be assembled at the group campsite on the footprint of the old building. Work on the group campsite restroom is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Like the similar restroom facility replacements over the past few years, the new group campsite has been funded by camping fees. “Upgrading outdated facilities to improve the visitor experience is a top priority of the park,” said Superintendent Dan Brown. “This new facility, and other projects like it, are perfect examples of how park fees are reinvested into the park for the benefit the visitor.” At Gulf Islands, 76.5 percent of fees are retained by the park and are devoted to maintaining facilities that directly serve visitors. Learn more about how fee dollars are at work at the park by visiting: https://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/yourfeesatwork.htm

About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/guis, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice and Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice.

-NPS-