[Fishhunter123]

I went to go do the coastal cleanup to pick up trash at ft Pickens and fish a little.
I went and talked to one of the rangers to get the trash bags and she said that ft Pickens road is going to be closed perminatly in a few months. When I was driving on the road the water on the gulf side was 2-3 yards away. The ranger also said that when the road closes,there will be a ferry to take you there. Did anyone else hear about this?

 

[thealabamaman]

Yea I heard there will be a ferry. Just can't believe their going to close road down

 

[wld1985]

So in other words,there tired of fixing the road? Why cant it be 4x4 only then? If so then just sign a wavier..

 

[DragonSlayer]

Man what a waste...

 

[Hopin4aboat]

They just spent tons of money on a nice new gate and building now it's gonna be useless sounds about like something gov run LOL

 

[a]

ya lets all take the slow boat to harassment central. Passports required to board? Betcha they'll want to search you cooler too!

 

[jakec]

man i wish they would let 4x4s drive down there.

 

[J0nesi]

this is why the gov is f-ing stupid. all the sand that they clear from the roads and parking lots they should have dumped at the place where the water is so close to the road. they do not think at all. this is B.S. guess i wont be renewing my annual pass and getting the night owl this year.

im going out there today im going to ask why??

and they better not make us pay to get in and pay for the ferry system. but you know they will. because everyone's got there hand out.

 

[Telum Pisces]

They have been talking about this ever since Ivan. It's sad. I grew up camping and loving it out at Ft. Pickens. I guess my children will not do the same. It's a shame.

 

[shootnstarz]

Using this logic they should close the one going to Navarre too !!!!

Rick

 

[J0nesi]

thinking about it why cant they just do a gravel/oyster shell section of the road. just fill it if it washes out and flatten it with a roller. there are plenty of options but they build a ferry system. to me it would be cheaper to maintain a road than a ferry system. i bet they lose alot of money because people will not want to ride out there on a boat. then you get all the tourist you have no idea this will happen and show up at the gate only to see that they got to ride a ferry to get out there. again who ever is running this operation is not thinking.

kinda sounds like my boss.......this is what we should do but let not do that and do this other thing that doesnt make sense.

 

[terry mac]

I m thinking the terns and pluvers , lobbied Peta and EPA to shut the road down.. do you think we can troll of the back off the ferry.:whistling:

 

[Boat-Dude]

Man this pisses me off. I am really gonna miss the folks I fished with out there.

 

[kendive]

Using this logic they should close the one going to Navarre too !!!!

Rick

Yep there ya go...

If they close the road where is the Astronomy Club gonna meet?

 

[jhamilton226]

Think there was a thread about this on here a few months ago...pretty sure it looks to me like they want to divert some of the beach tourism and traffic into downtown Pensacola with the ferry leading to Ft. Pickens launching from the downtown docks...its a bad idea but the big money interests in Pensacola are probably lobbying for the project, us poor fisherman and locals can't win against the all mighty dollar...glad I've got a boat!

 

[J0nesi]

Wait till i get deep pockets........

 

[Play'N Hooky Too]

I'm going to miss being able to drive out there to fish and being able to play "space invaders" with the ghost crabs on the road at night, but it is suppose to be a nature preserve and it is kind of hard to have that when there is a paved highway that occupies about 10% of the area going right through the middle of it . Not to mention the logistics, cost and logic of trying to maintain a paved road on what is essentially a big sand bar is not really that sound.

Having 4 wheelers running all over it is not going to fit with this intended purpose either.

 

[johnsonbeachbum]

That Ranger has no idea what they are talking about.
At this point there are no funds to build the other ferry docking facilities needed for a ferry.
A ferry that also has no funds available to purchase at this time.
If both were funded today, your looking at a year or more before it is operational.

As long as the road is intact it will remain open to public use.
If and when a storm causes substantial road damage that is determined to be too expensive to repair, then the road will be closed to the public.

The use of any "loose" materials such as shells or gravel, etc. will never be allowed to be used for a roadway. Reason being that any of that stuff will spread all over due to a storm and "ruin" the surrounding habitat.

The road most likely to close and stay closed is the one going to Navarre Beach.

 

[706Z]

I will not miss the road at all.I was out there reccently and every time its the same s%#t,wait for ten cars and motor homes to ask a hundred questions while you wait in line,then when you finelly get to the window you cant just show ID and pass and go,you have to give the OLD(as in ancient)park ranger your lic. and pass because there bi focals arent good for more than 12 inches from there face causeing more delay!Screw the road!I got a boat!And screw the ferry to,they tryed it before,Epic fail!!Letting the park service get there hands on are beachs,TOTAL LOSER!!!

 

[vafish4me]

The same problem exists in the outer banks. Miles and miles of beach closures to protect a nesting bird that's not even native to the Outer Banks. Park service has their hands in this as well as peta. GRRR