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Perdido Key Discovery Trail

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

Johnson Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore  |  Perdido Key
( 30.3027, -87.4149 )      0.6 miles

Making an arc through Gulf Islands National Seashore on Perdido Key, the Perdido Key Discovery Trail provides interpretation of coastal habitats while offering a pleasant destination for birding.


Resources

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover

Overview

Location: Perdido Key
Length: 0.6 mile loop
Trailhead: 30.3027, -87.4149
Address: 13233 Johnson Beach Rd, Pensacola
Fees: $10 pedestrian / cyclist, $20 vehicle (good for one week)
Restroom: at the main beach pavilion
Land manager: Gulf Islands National Seashore
Phone: 850-934-2600

Open 5 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted.


Directions

 
From Pensacola, follow SR 292 west around Pensacola Naval Air Station. After the traffic light at Gulf Beach Highway, SR 292 crosses the bridge onto Perdido Key. Turn left onto Johnson Beach Rd after a half mile. Continue to the park entrance gate and pay the entrance fee. At the first road junction, make a left. Be cautious of people walking along the road. The road ends at the far trailhead.

Hike

There are two entrances to the boardwalk, both along the short road down to Big Lagoon. The road becomes a connector to make the loop.

We started our walk at the trailhead closest to the lagoon, which provided a nice, slow introduction to the habitats of Perdido Key starting at the lowest point.

Perdido Key Discovery Trail kiosk
Kiosk at the north end of the trail

The boardwalk traverses a coastal pine forest for the first short stretch, with puddles of wetlands visible between the trees.

At a trail junction, a short side boardwalk leads out to an expansive marsh. To its north you can see the arc of the SR 292 bridge from the mainland.

Perdido Key marshes
Side boardwalk to the marsh overlook

Although several locations provide benches along the boardwalk, this is the best one for birding. Sit and watch the sweep of the marsh towards the lagoon.

As the trail turns away from the boardwalk, elevation increases. Scrub forest begins to invade the understory of the pine flatwoods.

After a quarter mile, you are firmly in the scrub, the boardwalk bridging dunes topped with open stretches of white sand where diminutive oaks and Florida rosemary thrive.

Perdido Key scrub forest
Diminutive scrub forest on the dunes

As the boardwalk curves again, you catch a glimpse of condos at the edge of Johnson Beach before the path points you back towards Big Lagoon, with more immersion in the scrub forest.

The boardwalk ends at another kiosk along the road to Big Lagoon. Johnson Beach sits off to the right within walking distance. Turn left to walk back to the parking area at Big Lagoon.


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Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Johnson Beach

Johnson Beach

As part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the windswept tip of Perdido Key goes on for miles at Johnson Beach. Discover natural habitats and wild shores along its length

Big Lagoon boardwalk

Big Lagoon State Park

At Big Lagoon State Park, enjoy exploring the sweep of coastal forest and wetlands along one of Florida’s largest lagoons

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.

Perdido Key dunes

Perdido Key State Park

With sand as white as fresh fallen snow, Perdido Key State Park offers Florida’s westernmost public beach

Boardwalk at Trout Point

Trout Point Nature Trail

A hidden treasure inside Pensacola Naval Air Station, Trout Point Nature Inside Pensacola NAS, Trout Point Nature Trail showcases fragile coastal habitats from a 1.5-mile boardwalk hike with scenic views of Big Lagoon and Perdido Key

White top 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.


Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, Northwest Florida, TrailsTag: Accessible, Birding, Boardwalks, Dog-friendly, Easy Hikes, Family-Friendly, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola, Perdido Key

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