Perdido Key State Park, State park in Escambia County, Florida, US
Perdido Key State Park covers 302.9 acres (1.226 km2) on a barrier island 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Pensacola, off S.R. 292, at 12301 Gulf Beach Highway. Its wide white-sand beach and rolling dunes covered with sea oats form the core of the park, and boardwalks from the parking lot cross the dunes to the shore.
The protected area was established as part of Florida's conservation efforts to safeguard barrier islands from storm surge. The park developed from a need to protect the fragile coastal environment from erosion.
The beach serves as a gathering place where visitors swim, collect shells, and fish from the shore throughout the year. The area draws both local residents and travelers seeking direct connection with the Gulf.
Boardwalks connect the parking areas to the beach across the dunes, with covered picnic tables and outdoor shower facilities throughout the park. These paths make access straightforward for all visitors regardless of mobility.
The Perdido Key beach mouse, one of North America's rarest mammals, survives in only two places on earth, both on Perdido Key; the other is the Johnson Beach Unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore. It was absent from the park for several years before three pairs of juveniles were translocated from Johnson Beach and released in February 2000, followed by 16 more pairs the next year. Numbers swing with season, weather and the presence of house cats.
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