Gulf Islands National Seashore

History, nature, hiking and beaches.

You’ll find it all at the Naval Live Oaks Area, located on U. S. 98 east of Gulf Breeze, open daily in October from 8 a.m. to sunset. The Visitor Center, opened from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. features a bookstore, exhibits, and showings of a closed-caption 12-minute orientation film plus nature and history videos.

New exhibits at the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center in Gulf Is­lands National Seashore provide a wide range of accessibility features, including telephone handsets for au­dio description, a tactile model of an oak tree, a railing system that connects all the exhibits together, and tactile models of natural history objects including acorns, oak leaves, and a large gopher tortoise.

There are over 7.5 miles of trails including the .8 mile Breckenridge Nature Trail behind the visitor center. A covered picnic pavilion is available on a first come, first served basis and additional picnic tables are located nearby. Enjoy your lunch while enjoying the sparkling waters of Santa Rosa Sound!

The Santa Rosa Sound shoreline is a wonderful option for people with small children who want to avoid the rough surf at the beach. Restrooms and outdoor showers are available.

A group camping area is on the north side of Naval Live Oaks. It is available for organized youth groups. This is a great campsite complete with a covered picnic pavilion, restrooms, and outdoor showers.

For more information, visit the Naval Live Oaks site.