Tarkiln Bayou Trail

Of the three marked trails at Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, the Tarkiln Bayou Trail was the first established and the best for viewing pitcher plants.

Starting out paved and barrier-free, it becomes a boardwalk across a spectacular pitcher plant bog adjoining the bayou.

In April, rubbery red blooms complement the lacy white tops of the white-topped pitcher plants (Sarracenia leucophylla).

The trail terminates along the sweep of Tarkiln Bayou, a scenic delight even when the pitcher plants are not at their prime.

The edge of Tarkiln Bayou

The preserve also is home to the rare sweet pitcher plant (S. rubra) and Chapman’s butterwort (Pinguicula planifolia).

You’ll see more common bog wildflowers like candyroot and bearded grass-pink seasonally, along with dozens of other wildflower species.

Feathery purple blooms rising from grass

Blazing star (Liatris) growing in the pine flatwoods

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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Overview

Location: Pensacola
Trailhead: 30.372647, -87.403058
Address: 2401 Bauer Rd, Pensacola
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At the trailhead
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-492-1595

Open 8 AM until sunset daily.

Leashed pets welcome, but for the sake of other visitors please don’t take them on the boardwalk.

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

At the trailhead, you can’t miss the start of the Tarkiln Bayou Trail: it’s the sidewalk into the pine forest, paralleling a forest road.

At a tenth of a mile, the Perdido Bay Trail diverges from the Tarkiln Bayou Trail to follow white blazes into the woods. Stay on the sidewalk.

Start of the shared trail (Chris Stevens)

After a quarter mile, still paralleling the forest road, the sidewalk meets a low, open boardwalk edged with boards to prevent wheels from falling off.

Railings and grab bars help with water crossings and minor slopes along its meandering route.

Mottled red spots on white top of pitcher plant

A white-topped pitcher plant

We began to see our first white-topped pitcher plants, unmistakable in form, alongside this boardwalk.

The low boardwalk ends and the sidewalk stretches across a grassy area that serves as a forest road crossing for ranger’s trucks.

Start of the main boardwalk

At 0.4 mile, the sign for the Emma Claire Boardwalk of Hope sits in front of a broad boardwalk with tall sides and railings.

The showiest part of the Tarkiln Bayou Trail is along this next stretch out to the bayou, as the boardwalk traverses a portion of the Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie.

Winding boardwalk with people in pine forest

The boardwalk twists and winds through the pines

Continuing through the pine flatwoods, the boardwalk gains elevation slowly before making a curve above a boggy herbacious area.

Prescribed burns are crucial to keeping shrubs from overtaking the pitcher plant bogs, but near the boardwalk, tilling is often used.

Interpretive sign along the bog

In openings between the dense shrubs of the bog, pitcher plants poke out of the grasses, along with a variety of other colorful wildflowers.

They’ll rise up in clusters even along ruts left by park vehicles. The bog 0.6 mile along the trail has the showiest array of plants.

Pitcher plants growing next to ruts in grassy area

Pitcher plants in rutted soil

After the boardwalk makes another curve, a change of habitat brings a glint of water off Tarkiln Bayou beyond a strand of tall cypresses.

A brief straightway brings the boardwalk to a conclusion at an observation deck over the water after 0.7 mile.

Marsh-rimmed water with small cypress tree

Tarkiln Bayou is the trail terminus

Largely rimmed by needlerush marshes, this bayou off Tarkiln Bay along the Perdido River is a quiet and peaceful place.

The return route is the same way you came. Savor the rubbery pitcher plant blooms each spring, making the most of the details with a long camera lens or binoculars.

Open bog area along the boardwalk

Trail Map

Explore More!

Learn more about Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

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.

Slideshow

See our photos from the Tarkiln Bayou Trail

Nearby Adventures

Sand Pine Trail, Big Lagoon State Park Immersed in an intriguing blend of habitats in a coastal setting, this uplands hiking loop at Big Lagoon State Park showcases a variety of birds and native plants.

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.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website