5 Florida Panhandle Lighthouses to visit
The Florida panhandle is home to 5 of the 30 Florida lighthouses. If you are looking to visit Florida lighthouses the panhandle is a great place to start since you can climb multiple of these lighthouses and they are accessible via land. Continue reading to learn more about these lighthouses and see which one you would like to visit first.
Florida Panhandle Lighthouses
There are 5 lighthouses along the coast of the Florida Panhandle which are listed below.
- Pensacola Lighthouse
- Cape San Blas Lighthouse
- Cape St. George Lighthouse
- Crooked River Lighthouse
- St. Marks Lighthouse
Which of the Florida Panhandle Lighthouses can be climbed?
Four of the five lighthouses in the Florida panhandle are open to the public to climb and are listed below.
- Pensacola
- Cape San Blas
- Cape St. George
- Crooked River
Which Florida Panhandle Lighthouses are only accessible by boat or ferry?
None! One advantage of visiting the Florida lighthouses in the panhandle is that all 5 lighthouses are accessible via land. If you are looking to visit multiple lighthouses in one trip, Crooked River, Cape St. George, and Cape San Blas are located within 1 hour of each other.
1. Pensacola Lighthouse
Climb the 177 steps to the top of this 151-feet tall lighthouse. The Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is open daily from 9 AM to 4 PM. The cost to visit is $9.50 for adults and $6.50 for anyone 12 and under, 65 or older, and military personnel. The lighthouse is located in Pensacola Bay, Florida on the naval air station base. All visitors 18 years or older must have proper photo ID and can enter through the West Gate on Blue Angel Parkway only.
If you are planning to visit, I recommend checking the Pensacola Lighthouse website for more information.
2. Cape San Blas Lighthouse
The Cape San Blas lighthouse is in Port St. Joe, Florida. There is limited information available online about climbing the lighthouse, but from the information available it is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM. A fee may be required for climbing. Additionally, a small gift shop is located on the lighthouse grounds to purchase souvenirs.
3. Cape St. George Lighthouse
Cape St. George Light Museum and Gift Shop is open daily except for Thursdays. The hours vary slightly depending on the time of year. From March 1st to October 31st from 10 AM to 5 PM, except Sundays it is open from 12 PM to 5 PM. From November 1st to February 28th operating hours are 12 PM to 5 PM. It is closed on Thursdays year-round. The fee to climb the 92 steps to the top of this 77-feet tall lighthouse is $5. There is no charge for the museum and gift shop if you do not want to climb the lighthouse.
More information can be found here.
4. Crooked River Lighthouse
The Crooked River Lighthouse is 103-feet tall and also known as Carrabelle Light and is located in Carrabelle, Florida. The lighthouse is open Wednesday through Monday 11 AM to 5 PM (closed Tuesdays). The museum and park grounds can be visited for free. The lighthouse is $5 to climb for adults 13 years or older. A reduced fee of $3 for children 6 to 12 years. The lighthouse also occasionally has special events.
Check out this website for more details.
5. St. Marks Lighthouse
St. Marks Lighthouse is 88-feet tall and located in St. Marks, Florida. The lighthouse is within St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge which opens daily at 6 AM and there is a $5 fee per vehicle. The visitor center is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
The keeper’s quarter of the lighthouse is open occasionally for special events. However, the lighthouse tower is not open for climbing. More information on St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge can be found here.
Summary of Florida Panhandle Lighthouses
The Florida Panhandle Lighthouses are relatively easy to visit if you are in that area since the majority of the lighthouses are located within a 2-hour drive of each other. Unfortunately, I have not explored a lot of the Florida panhandle and have not had a chance to visit any of these lighthouses yet. Have you visited any of these lighthouses? If so, comment below and tell me which one I should visit first!
Looking for other Florida Panhandle adventures?
Check out my post on Florida Caverns State Park!
The information above was accurate at the time of publishing to the best of the author’s knowledge. Information will be verified and updated periodically. If you are planning to visit any of the Florida Lighthouses, I recommend verifying the most current information with the Florida Lighthouse association or Friends of Florida Lighthouses websites.
