Florida · National Seashore trail

Pine Scrub Loop

in Florida

This 0.5 mile trail will take you down to the Pensacola Bay, where you may sit and look out on the water before turning around and continuing the loop. The trail both starts on the Andrew Jackson Trail, and is found adjacent to the North Bay (Group Camp) Trail. Duration: 15-30 minutes

States: Florida
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: New Orleans, LA · 178 mi · ~5 hr drive
Centroid coords: 30.3684°, -87.1372°

About Gulf Islands National Seashore

National Seashore

This trail is inside Gulf Islands National Seashore, a national seashore managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/pine-scrub-loop.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Pine Scrub Loop and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.