WATER & COAST
Johnson Beach
Escambia County · Panhandle & Emerald Coast
The Perdido Key beach named for a soldier killed in Korea, and one of the few beaches open to Black families under segregation.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
Johnson Beach is the Perdido Key unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore, reached by taking State Road 292 west out of Pensacola and crossing onto the key. It carries the name of Rosamond Johnson Jr., a United States Army private and the first man from the area killed in the Korean War, in 1950. Under segregation this was one of the very few places around Pensacola where Black families could go to the water, which is part of why the name matters locally. The beach runs for miles. Johnson Beach Road carries on toward the end of the peninsula with pull-offs along the way, and past where the pavement stops a walker can keep going until there is nobody else in sight. The main area has restrooms and a pavilion, with beach wheelchairs available and mats laid over the sand. The Perdido Key Discovery Trail is an accessible boardwalk through wetland and dune. On the bay side there is kayak launching on Big Lagoon, looking across to the observation tower in Big Lagoon State Park. The gate opens at 5 in the morning and closes at sunset, there is no overnight parking, and pets and glass are not allowed on the beach
Not identified in this guide as an officially clothing-optional beach. This is a visit category, not a safety rating—check surf, lifeguards, water quality and posted rules.
BEACH CONDITIONS
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