First acquired in 1977, Big Lagoon State Park is a

Florida State Park There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...

located on the northwestern

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

coast, approximately southwest of

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

on Gulf Beach Highway. It encompasses the northern boundary of Big Lagoon as it snakes toward

Pensacola Bay Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle. The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacol ...

to the east. Wild Grande Lagoon and its minor tributaries lay within the boundaries of the park, as does the alligator-inhabited Long Pond, a man-made freshwater pond. The park includes several archaeological sites. Park development in the 1980s partially disturbed a

middens A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...

from the

Woodland period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 Common Era, BCE to European con ...

. This and other evidence points to historical use of this maritime habitat to forage on abundant shell fish. The park is a 'gateway site' for the

Great Florida Birding Trail Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (''GFBWT'') is a 2,000 mile (3200 km) long collection of more than 500 locations in the U.S. state of Florida where the state's bird habitats are protected. The trail promotes birdwatching, environmenta ...

. It features nine distinct natural communities including estuarine

tidal marsh A tidal marsh (also known as a type of "tidal wetland") is a marsh found along rivers, coasts and estuaries which floods and drains by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean. Tidal marshes are commonly zoned into lower marshes ( ...

, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, and is dominated by scrubby flatwoods. The park features a number of threatened and endangered species such as the large-leaved jointweed,

gopher tortoise The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide ...

, migratory shorebirds such as

snowy plover The snowy plover (''Charadrius nivosus'') is a small wader in the plover bird family, typically about 5-7" in length. It breeds in the southern and western United States, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Long considered to be a subspecie ...

least tern The least tern (''Sternula antillarum'') is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the little tern of the Old World. Ot ...

among some twenty other listed species. From Big Lagoon, the Florida Park Service manages two neighboring state parks -

Perdido Key State Park Perdido Key State Park is a Florida State Park located on a barrier island fifteen miles (24 km) southwest of Pensacola, off S.R. 292, in northwestern Florida. The address is 12301 Gulf Beach Highway. Perdido Key State Park Barrier is ...

to the southwest and

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is a preserve, a unit of Florida State Park located southwest of Pensacola, in northwestern Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to t ...

to the north.

Recreational activities

The park has such amenities as

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

es along the shoreline of Big Lagoon,

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...

down the park drive,

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

from a boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway,

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

along Big Lagoon,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

along of trails,

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

in Grande Lagoon, wildlife viewing from a four-story observation tower and footbridge overlooks at Long Pond and Grande Lagoon,

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

king at 17 shelters,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

in Big Lagoon and 75 electrified

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

sites and a group camp.

Gallery

File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP from obs tower02.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP from obs tower04.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP obs tower01.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP04.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP05.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP06.jpg File:Pensacola FL Big Lagoon SP beach west01.jpg

References

External links

Big Lagoon State Park
a
Florida State Parks

Photos of Big Lagoon State Park
State parks of Florida Parks in Escambia County, Florida Pensacola metropolitan area Beaches of Florida Protected areas established in 1977 Beaches of Escambia County, Florida 1977 establishments in Florida {{EscambiaCountyFL-geo-stub