Perdido Key, Florida, is a 247 acre barrier island located in the Gulf Coast. It lies 15 miles south west of Pensacola, off of State Road 292, in the far north western part of the State. It is to the west of Pensacola Island and practically at the end of the panhandle near the border with the State of Alabama.
Charter trips are available here for deep sea fishing and for Porpoise watching in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Perdido Key is a Florida State Park and is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Its beaches are covered in white sand made from fine pulverized quartz that eroded from the Appalachian Mountains hundreds of millions of years ago and was brought here by winds and waves over time. The rolling dunes are covered with sea oats. Surf fishing right off the beach yields catches. Florida State Law requires licenses for all salt water fishing.
Boardwalks take visitors from the parking lot to the beach in order to prevent damage to the dunes and their vegetation. There are public showers near the designated swimming areas.
Just past the entrance is the main beach. Here there are covered picnic tables that allow for dining in the shade while enjoying the beach environment. The tables are located between the Gulf and the northern boundary of the park, the Old River. There are restrooms here as well.
There is a small per vehicle fee for park entry. The park is open throughout the year, from 8 AM until sunset.
No pets are allowed in this park.
There is no full service camping in Perdido Key, Florida, although there are sites nearby. Camping in the park is strictly rustic. It is allowed only on Johnson Beach, which begins a half mile to the east of the end of the road. There is pedestrian and boat access only to get to Johnson Beach. Permits must be obtained from the park to leave a vehicle overnight in the parking lot. Camp fires are allowed but they must be built below the high tide line on the beach.
Beach wheelchairs are available from the park.
There is an RV resort with a marina as well as townhouses just outside of the park as well, along the Intracoastal Waterway. RV parking, Boat slips and townhouses are all available by the day, week or month.
Perdido Key, Florida was once called Santa Rosa Island. In the first half of the 19th Century the federal government obtained the site and part of it was used for the constriction of a military base, Fort McRee. Today all that is left of Fort McRee are some abandoned slabs of concrete in the park. It was in 1971 that the location, along with the rest of the island, was turned over to the National Parks Service.
Thanks: Lee