Famous for its pitcher plant bogs, Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park protects over 4,200 acres along Florida’s border with Alabama.
Rare carnivorous plants are easily seen from the accessible Tarkiln Bayou Trail en route to its views of the bayou.
Pitcher plants growing along the boardwalkLeaving that accessible path not far from the trailhead, the far longer Perdido Bay Trail loops the peninsular portion of the park.
It leads through uplands edging the delicate bogs of the Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie to reach the shores of Perdido Bay.
Walking along Perdido BayResources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Pensacola
Length: 5.8 mile loop
Trailhead: 30.372868, -87.402932
Address: 2401 Bauer Rd, Pensacola, FL 32506
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restrooms: Vault toilet at trailhead
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-492-1595
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted.
Directions
From interstate 10 and US 29 in Pensacola, head south on US 29 S for 1.4, before turning right onto North W St. In 1.7 miles, turn right onto SR 296, continuing for 4.3 miles to N Blue Angel Parkway. Turn left, continuing for 7.7 miles, then make a right at SR 292. In 3 miles, turn left onto Bauer Rd, and the park entrance will be on the right in 1.7 miles.
Hike
From the parking area, follow the Tarkiln Bayou Trail, a paved sidewalk winding through a healthy flatwoods habitat featuring prominent pines amongst a sea of saw palmettos.
Reaching a trail intersection at a tenth of a mile, leave the paved trail, which continues through pitcher plant prairies to the bayou.
Follow the white blazes of the Perdido Bay Trail leading west.
Shared portion of the paved trailBracken ferns line the mowed pathway alongside orange milkwort, a variety of blueberry bushes, and fetterbush lyonia.
Rainfall collects in the lowest spots on the trail. Tiny red sundews proliferate in the swales, their deep red color contrasting against the dark soils underneath.
SundewsAs the trail gradually climbs in elevation, the landscape becomes drier. Wet flatwoods become scrubbier.
Pines, titi, and galberry give way to oaks, woody goldenrod, and false rosemary.
Clusters of false rosemary grow in the flatwoodsAt 1.3 miles, the loop begins. Continue straight at the trail intersection.
Within a quarter mile, a short side trail leads to the first glimpse of Perdido Bay, presenting a panoramic view across the waterway to Alabama on the opposite side.
Perdido BayTurkey oaks and gopher apples become more prominent as the trail meanders south and enters a sandhill community.
Once the trail nears water again, the bay is visible through the trees before the footpath starts to parallel the sandy shoreline.
Sandhill habitatWaves lap the beach alongside a hammock of oaks as salty breezes drift from the bay, rustling leaves and grasses.
At 2.6 miles, the trail turns inland towards a bench situated in a quiet spot under a tall pine.
Coastal hammockQueen and monarch butterflies float across the path in search of nectar or host plants such as the pinewoods milkweed, a wildflower with striking blooms and foliage.
The trail continues through a mix of mesic flatwoods and sandhill before completing the loop at 4.5 miles.
From this intersection, turn right, retracing your hike along the white blazes for 1.3 miles to the trailhead.
Pinewoods milkweedTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Tarkiln Bayou State Park and its trails
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
Conserving a vast swath of wetland habitats in low-lying areas along the Perdido River floodplain, Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is home to four species of Sarracenia – pitcher plants – unique to the Gulf Coast.
Tarkiln Bayou Trail
A gentle introduction to Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, the Tarkiln Bayou Trail starts as a sidewalk but ends as a boardwalk to view the glowing gems of this botanical area and the bayou itself.
Video
Explore the Perdido Bay Trail
Slideshow
See our photos of Tarkiln Bayou State Park
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Big Lagoon State Park
Explore a sweep of coastal forest and wetlands along one of Florida’s largest lagoons, with panoramas that stretch to Perdido Key and the Gulf of Mexico.
Perdido Key Discovery Trail
Showcasing the habitat diversity of Perdido Key at Johnson Beach, the accessible Perdido Key Discovery Trail is a gentle boardwalk over wetlands, forests, and dunes.
Perdido Key State Park
With sand as white as fresh fallen snow, Perdido Key State Park offers Florida’s westernmost public beach.
Gulf State Park
Stretching west from the tip of Perdido Key, Gulf State Park encompasses more than 6,000 acres of natural habitats on barrier islands between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.