Fort Pickens

This fort was active from the early 1800s until 1947.

There was a 1 1/2 mile hike/bike path to the fort from the campground.

The first day we rode over to learn about the fort.The fort is in the shape of a pentagon and has had various additions and retirements over the years.

One of the 5 sides was actually lost in an explosion when a store of gunpowder was accidentally lit. Brick fragments were found across the sound on the mainland!

 Architecturally, the double arches were interesting. In order to build a solid fort on not-so-solid sand, arches were built into the ground to distribute the weight of the structure so that one small part could not sink into the sand and compromise the integrity of a larger portion. In the above picture, they have dug out the lower portion of the arch, which was traditionally underground.

The second day, the kids went to play hide and seek at the fort.

 

The 3rd day, we made it into the museum. They have done a great job with the small space - exploring architecture, military, ecology, etc and reaching a wide range of ages with displays that appeal to all the senses.

We learned a lot about the island, its history and its role in our current ecosystem. 

 And, of course, we had the junior ranger book to guide us through it all.

 While this cannon is huge, it wasn't the largest one here when the fort was active!

On our ride back to camp one day, we saw this huge turtle in the estuary area right off the path.