Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Sand trail along a shoreline in oak forest

Perdido Bay Trail

Traverse a loop through coastal forests at Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, featuring sweeping views of Perdido Bay and a dynamic mix of wet and dry ecosystems.

Pensacola (30.372944, -87.402443)   5.8 miles   Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

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 next to boardwalk Pitcher plants growing along the boardwalk

Leaving 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.

Sand path with water beyond on stormy day Walking along Perdido Bay

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Paddlers Guide Florida Hiking the Gulf Coast book cover
 
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

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.

Tall pines with footpath and white blaze

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.

Sidewalk in pine forest Shared portion of the paved trail

Bracken 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.

Tiny red carnivorous plants Sundews

As 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.

Sand and pine needle path under gray skies Clusters of false rosemary grow in the flatwoods

At 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.

Sandy beach with tannic waves Perdido Bay

Turkey 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.

Broad path under oaks Sandhill habitat

Waves 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.

Sand path under twisted tree trunks Coastal hammock

Queen 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.

Flowering plant with pink blooms and green and pink varigated leaves Pinewoods milkweed

Trail Map

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve Trail Map
West Loop: Perdido Bay Trail. East Loop: Wet Prairie Trail. Blue: Tarkiln Bayou Trail.

Explore More!

Learn more about Tarkiln Bayou State Park.

White-topped pitcher plants 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.

Video

Explore the Perdido Bay Trail

Slideshow

See our photos of Tarkiln Bayou State Park

Nearby Adventures

Panorama of lagoon shoreline and lagoon 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.
Boardwalk over coastal scrub forest 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.
Beach with emerald waters and sea oats Perdido Key State Park With sand as white as fresh fallen snow, Perdido Key State Park offers Florida's westernmost public beach.
Sunrise at Gulf State Park 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.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Chris Stevens
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