Sand-colored ghost crabs come out of their holes in the cool of the evening and dart across the beach between the dunes and the water. Walk the beach at sunset and look for the burrow holes, then watch the crabs run. It costs nothing and the kids set the pace.
Before you go
- Go around sunset, when the crabs leave their burrows
- Look for round holes in the sand between the dunes and the water line
- May through October, use a red flashlight or no light at all, for the sea turtles
- Watch and let them go. Stay off the dunes
What we checked, and when
Read off the venue's own page on 2026-11-08.
The beach is free to walk. Pensacola Beach charges for parking in some lots.
Sea turtles nest here May through October. Use a red light or none.
The Fort Pickens end of the island closes at night (6 PM November to February), so stay on the Pensacola Beach side.
Inside Gulf Islands National Seashore only empty seashells may be taken home.
Where this came from
- UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension: ghost crabs “are active in the cooler parts of the day—morning, sunset, and evenings”; the photo shows “A ghost crab burrow on the face of a Pensacola Beach dune.”
- Escambia County, 06/01/2026: “When visiting the beach after dark, keep cell phones and flashlights off.” “Instead, use a red flashlight or no light at all.”
- National Park Service, Gulf Islands: “They prefer to burrow close to the swash zone in moist sand but will move to burrows behind the dunes in the winter.”
- National Park Service, Fort Pickens Area: “November 1 - February 28: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.”