About 10 miles from Tarkiln Bayou Preserve is Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, FL. We decided to make a quick stop to check it out before return to Gulf Shores, AL.
The 704-acre park is located along Big Lagoon that is part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
First, we walked through pine flatwoods and tidal salt marshes to the Observation Platform on the Big Lagoon.
There are four sheltered picnic areas in the park that can be reserved. The largest, Governor’s Pavilion, is near the platform and features huge stone fireplace, grills, and picnic tables.
The park is a Gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail. It is home to nesting shorebirds, wintering ducks, migrating and resident birds. We only saw a great blue heron, red-winged blackbird, pelicans and other shorebirds at a distance.
We always enjoy observing birds of prey. This osprey was looking for dinner for his chicks in the nearby nest.
The western part of the park is mostly filled with waterways and a large entrance to Big Lagoon. This is where the Observation Tower is located.
From the top of the tower we had great views of the Big Lagoon and could see the Gulf of Mexico beyond it. We could also see a family on the beach with kayaks (blue and orange) in the distance (left part of 3rd photo).
Waterways through the wetland and the Grand Lagoon can also be seen from the tower. Check out this guy kayaking with his dog… We’re not sure whether our girl, Sadie, would behave on a kayak, but we want to give it a try in the future.
Kayaks can be rented from the park (or bring your own). A kayak launch is located next to the tower boardwalk.
With five miles of hiking trails, swimming, fishing, boating and camping (75 sites with water/electric), there are lots of fun activities for everyone at the park. Big Lagoon is known as one of Florida's best water parks. We enjoyed seeing the beauty of this part of coastal Florida during our short visit.
Admission to the park is $6/vehicle. Our Florida Park Annual Pass is still valid, so we are still enjoying free admission. For additional information about the park, go to www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/big-lagoon-state-park.
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