Florida · National Seashore trail

Perdido Key Discovery Trail

in Florida

Walk along this boardwalk loop in the Perdido Key area and discover a variety of habitats, including a salt marsh, wooded wetland, and dunes. From herons to woodpeckers, raccoons to otters, and frogs to snakes, these barrier island habitats attract a diversity of birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Take your time, look high and low, and listen carefully.

The 0.10-mile accessible trail loops back to Johnson Beach Road about 0.1 mile away. Visitors may park across the street at Johnson Beach Road parking and cross over to access the trail. Bikes are not allowed on this trail.

Trailhead locations: North loop - near Johnson Beach ramp/boat launch South loop - first left on Johnson Beach Road Duration: 15-20 minutes

States: Florida
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: New Orleans, LA · 161 mi · ~5 hr drive
Centroid coords: 30.3008°, -87.4143°

About Gulf Islands National Seashore

National Seashore

This trail is inside Gulf Islands National Seashore, a national seashore managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/perdido-key-discovery-trail.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Perdido Key Discovery Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.