The entrance road was raised, gate and new fencing were installed in the summer 2023. Electricity for the gate was installed early 2024.

Historically, vehicles would have to drive through 2+ feet of water at the bottom of the entrance drive during peak wet season.  Ben Fleming (USFWS maintenance/facilities mechanic) did a great job leveling that entrance off and making it much easier to access.   

It used to be a manual gate at the bottom of the entrance drive, where not only would one have to drive through 2+ feet of water, but you’d have to get out of your vehicle and open the gate standing in 2+ feet of water. 

Erin Myers and Mark Danaher (Both from USFWS) worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to obtain a permit for raising the entrance drive, and then navigated the bureaucratic contracting process to implement  a contract for extending the entrance and fencing uphill, installing electricity, and installing an automatic gate.  All this was done to make the entrance to Pistol Pond easier for the USFWS and the public to access when it eventually gets opened up for public fishing. See the images to the right for before and after the project.