from those cars. As passengers ride on the ferry, they will have a 

unique vantage point of the coastline and the water that they would 

otherwise not be able to enjoy, enclosed within the confines of their 

automobiles as they traverse the roads. “Pensacola has something 

that many communities do not because the Gulf Island National 

Seashore has such a great expanse of coastline, and it’s incredible 

to be able to experience the area from the water, seeing dolphins 

at play and looking back at the beaches. The ferry system will give 

people an opportunity to experience that,” says Superintendent of 

Gulf Island National Seashore Dan Brown. 

“The ferry service will not only provide an alternate means of 

transportation to the beach and National Seashore, it will also 

traverse Pensacola Bay, providing an excursion opportunity to 

see and learn about our coastal environment from National Park 

Service personnel,” adds Mayor of Pensacola Ashton Hayward. 

“The ferry provides a missing piece of our transportation and 

tourism infrastructure that connects our beaches with historic 

downtown Pensacola, and we are very excited to partner with the 

County and National Park Service to provide this opportunity to 

our citizens and visitors.”

Certainly visitors and citizens are excited, as well, as the ferry 

will make their time at the beach infinitely more enjoyable. Rather 

than spending hours on end fighting their way onto the beach and 

circling endlessly in search of parking, they will be able to relax and 

enjoy the ride—and that’ll definitely make going out for a day at the 

beach more of the proverbial “day at the beach.”

To learn more about Gulf Island National Seashore Pensacola Bay Ferry 

System, contact the City of Pensacola at (850) 435-1603 or visit www.

cityofpensacola.com.

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