This area was named Opal Beach after the eye of Hurricane Opal, a Category 4 storm, came ashore here, flattening the sand dunes. (Photo Bonnie Gross) The Opal Beach section of Gulf Islands National SeashoreĪ big chunk of Florida’s section of Gulf Islands National Seashore is located on Santa Rosa Island west of Navarre Beach. On a windy October day, Highway 399 through the Opal Beach section of Gulf Islands National Seashore looked like the road was lined with snow drifts. Complicating matters is that admission is a stiff $25 per car, so vacation planners want to make sure they’re making the most of it. With all that geography to sift through, I found it hard to figure out what to see and do here on a recent Panhandle trip. It has park land in two states – Florida and Mississippi (but skips right over Alabama.) It includes several hard-to-reach islands. Gulf Islands National Seashore, which occupies the barrier island at the far western end of the Florida Panhandle, is an expansive place. Also see our Tropical Weather Updates roundup for updates and links. Use links provided in this article to determine current status for your destination. Central and Northeast Florida have largely returned to normal with some exceptions. Inland flooding remains a problem in the Peace, Myakka and St John’s River basins. The most affected areas are in Southwest Florida, from below the Venice area south to Everglades City. From the editors: Florida is recovering from Hurricane Ian. Learn more at, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The park will announce changes as appropriate, but current conditions do not allow the park to remain open.”įor more information, please follow the park’s social media accounts and website.Ībout 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. “Our priority is to ensure the safest environment possible for park visitors and staff. “Due to potentially deteriorating conditions forecasted by the National Weather Service Office, high surf, and the likelihood for significant flooding on the park roadways, the park will close the Florida Areas until further notice,” said Superintendent Darrell Echols. 26. All reservations for Fort Pickens Campground will be canceled until further notice. Working closely with the NWS, the park will continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates as necessary.Ĭampers currently in the campground will need to evacuate by noon Monday, Sept. The Mississippi Area, Naval Live Oaks Area, and Highway 399 will remain open at this time. 25, in preparation for Tropical Storm Ian.Ĭlosed areas include the Fort Pickens Area, Perdido Key Area (Johnson Beach), Opal Beach, and Okaloosa Area. –Gulf Islands National Seashore will close the Florida Areas of the park to all visitors beginning at 8 p.m. Gulf Islands National Seashore Closes in Preparation for Tropical Storm Ian
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |