Perdido Key State Park
#1 In Our Book (Literally!)
Beaches, Florida State Parks
After visits to 49 other state parks in Florida, we finally made it to number ONE!
Perdido Key State Park is Florida’s westernmost state park and is the very first park in the official Florida State Park Passport Book. At just a stone’s throw away from Alabama (you can literally throw a rock into the intercoastal waterway and hit Alabama), and a little over seven hours drive from our front door, this is not a state park we can get to on a daytrip, or even a weekend getaway. Luckily, it just so happens we were heading basically right past it on our recent road trip to Missouri to visit hubby's family and, as always, when we can make time in our schedules for experiences in Florida’s state parks, we make it happen.
This is one of many state parks we have stopped to visit while on our way to other destinations. We take the long way when we can… and usually try to avoid major highways if at all possible. Our scenic route took us through Florida’s majestic panhandle and let me tell you... There’s a lot to see off the beaten path! Perdido Key was just one of the beautiful treasures we (not so accidentally) stumbled upon.
Perdido Key State Park is one of three state parks near the Florida/Alabama border that you should plan to see on a single weekend trip to the area. Perdido Key, Big Lagoon, and Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Parks are all within minutes of one another, but are so very unique and special, and totally different from one another. We saw all three on our way out of Florida, and had a fantastic time at each! Also, while each has the opportunity for a deep immersive experience, none of these three parks require days, or even hours upon hours in order to experience and enjoy what makes them unique.
Pristine beaches, rolling sand dunes covered in sea oats, and boardwalks over the dunes and out to the intercoastal waterway give visitors plenty to experience while there. Our son played in the water the entire time we were there... the approaching rainstorm had kicked up some pretty decent waves, so he was in Heaven, getting tossed and turned in the surf. Evie collected shells and built sandcastles to display them. We picnicked and enjoyed one of Florida's best beaches until an afternoon storm ushered us on our way.
Perdido Key State Park is one of dozens of Florida state parks that boast the beautiful, sandy beaches and gorgeous turquoise waters that Florida is so well known for.
And while there are boardwalks and some small hiking trails on the mainland side of the island, that pristine beach is what people come for. While we never take the shells or artifacts we find from state parks, it was super fun looking for and finding pretty shells of all kinds on this lovely beach. Our little gal adores organizing them by size and color and picking her favorites. We're always sure to take lots of pictures and then leave them right where we found them for others to enjoy.
Sweet girl organizing the pretty shells she found while digging through the sand.
This awesome park is known for being home to several endangered species
including the Perdido Key Beach Mouse, several types of nesting sea turtles, and a variety of nesting shorebirds. We were able to point out an active sea turtle nest (from a distance) that had been roped off with caution tape! It was such a good lesson for the kiddos to learn that at the same time they're playing on these beautiful beaches, there are very real, very special animals using the very same beaches to live, eat, nest, and raise their next generation of babies!
Scars from Hurricane Sally,
which devastated this park in September of 2020, are still very visible in this park. While the westernmost parking area, covered picnic areas, boardwalks and beach have reopened, the eastern parking area and boardwalks to the beach remain closed due to storm damage. Public restrooms near the parking lot remain boarded up, but there are port-a-potties available for visitors, as well as outdoor showers on the boardwalk. So there's no need to ride home sandy!
A couple things to keep in mind:
Because of the closures of the eastern entrances, parking is currently limited, so you may need to get there early or wait for space to open up. Entry is $3 and visitors are asked to use the honor box system.
Make sure you and the kids wear shoes on the boardwalk! Our sweet girl refused to put hers on and ended up with a half-inch long splinter in her foot, which made the first 30 minutes of our time there less than fun for her.
Have you visited Perdido Key State Park yet?
Tell us about your experience in the comments! If you haven't, make sure you add Florida's very first beach on the gulf coast to your list of places to see! We hope you enjoyed this post and that you're inspired to get your family out and about in wild Florida, and into some of Florida's amazing state parks!
