It is one of the numerous locations on Perdido Key where you can obtain access to the Gulf Coast beach in Florida.
It is one of the beaches located in the Florida Panhandle region.
At Johnson Beach, you can also observe low-lying coastal sand hills!
And it is simply to OBSERVE the sand dunes!
You don’t want to stroll across the sand hills in Gulf Islands National Seashore in an attempt to conserve them.
Regardless of your location, ensure that you refrain from treading on any dune vegetation, as it is reputed to be delicate and plays a vital role in the coastal ecosystem.
More precisely, Johnson Beach is a component of the Perdido Key region of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
In entirely distinct regions that are not linked, there are numerous diverse zones to the Florida national seashore near Destin, Navarre Beach, and Pensacola, such as the Fort Pickens region and Santa Rosa region. (There are also Gulf Islands National Seashore regions in Mississippi as well!).
The Gulf Islands National Seashore is located near Key Perdido in Pensacola, FL. It is situated on the Key Perdido in the Gulf of Mexico area. The park is marked on the National Park Service map.
So the way it goes in the Perdido Key area of Gulf Islands National Seashore is that there is one main beach.
As you drive through the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Perdido Key area, you will come across a few other beach access spots.
Johnson Beach is the primary shoreline of the Perdido Key region within Gulf Islands National Seashore.
This is also the primary day-use location of the Perdido Key region.
This essentially implies that it possesses the fundamental amenities of seaside accommodations.
Beach facilities at Johnson Beach
One of the most notable features of the beach facilities is the presence of restroom facilities.
Additionally, Johnson Beach offers convenient outdoor showers where you can wash away sand.
Johnson Beach pavilion: Perdido Key day use area in Gulf Islands National Seashore
You can eat with a short walk from the parking lot and enjoy the beautiful views at Johnson Beach. Additionally, there are numerous picnic tables available in the Seashore National Islands Gulf area of Key Perdido Beach.
Stop by the Publix grocery store on your way to Beach Johnson and have a picnic along the coast at Gulf Islands National Seashore!
There is the Publix Perdido Key approximately a 5 minute drive from Johnson Beach. (Map).
Lifeguards at Johnson Beach
According to the National Park Service, Johnson Beach is as follows:
During the summer season (mid-May through August) lifeguards may be on duty.
During months other than summer, you can still enjoy a swim at Johnson Beach in the absence of a lifeguard.
That is, if you don’t consider the water temperature to be excessively chilly!
🥶 If you find yourself in the mid 60s, consider yourself fortunate… The highest water temperature you will likely come across during the winter, spring, and fall would probably be around the low 60s!
This is too chilly for swimming for numerous individuals.
However, even in these temperatures, there will typically be a few individuals swimming along the gulf coast of Florida!
Brrrr!!! There were people who had just come out of the water when the air temperature was in the 40s, and I was at another beach spot down further from Johnson Beach to access.
“You’ll experience it when it emerges from the water, but it’s not as unpleasant when you’re actually in the water, as mentioned by one of them.”
The boring safety message for swimming at Johnson Beach and any of the Florida gulf coast beaches!
The sea is formidable!
Rip currents are present! Be aware before you head out!
Be cautious while you’re out!
Seek out the beach flag advisories… And exercise additional care in accordance with those beach flags!
In order to access the Perdido Key area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, seek out the beach flag and make your way to the national park entry station.
Cost to visit Johnson Beach
There is an entrance station for the Perdido Key region of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
This implies that there is an expense associated with visiting Johnson Beach, and it is not free of charge.
Therefore, the fee to visit Johnson Beach is $25 per vehicle.
You will receive a 7-day pass for Gulf Islands National Seashore, which will be beneficial for all sections of the national seashore park.
If you possess a yearly pass for national parks, you can utilize it at Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Black history in the US: Segregated “whites only” beaches + Who is Rosamond Johnson?
You can also visit Johnson Beach to experience a slice of American history.
By visiting Johnson Beach, you will find yourself in a location that symbolized a more somber period in American history.
Johnson Beach is named in honor of a young African American man called Rosamond Johnson.
Rosamond Johnson resided in the Pensacola region during a period when Florida shorelines were not equally accessible to everyone.
There were “white shores” of types with beaches for Caucasian individuals and “black shores” of types with beaches for African-American individuals.
Johnson Beach is currently recognized as the vicinity where one of the beaches that African Americans were permitted to visit, as indicated by the National Park Service.
The “St. Augustine wade-in” was a demonstration organized to protest the existence of segregated beaches in St. Augustine, another town in Florida that also had such beaches. Throughout Florida, there were beaches exclusively designated for white individuals.
After making the ultimate sacrifice during the war, he was named Johnson Rosamond and was attempting to save a fellow soldier while dying on the beach of Key Perdido in the present-day Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Occasionally, pause and consider the opportunity to visit the Gulf Islands National Seashore and Perdido Key Beach in Johnson Beach area!
Gulf Islands National Seashore beaches in Florida
Whether you want to go to one of the 3 beach areas in Seashore National Islands Gulf, for picnic, swimming, or just to enjoy the views of Gulf coast beaches.
If you’re driving through and want to stop somewhere, you can go to one of these national seashores, also known as beaches or gulf.
More below about getting to Johnson Beach parking!
Johnson Beach of Perdido Key in Gulf Islands National Seashore
My trip to Johnson Beach took place in March 2022.
Your encounter may differ!
Getting to Johnson Beach parking
Johnson Beach can be found on Google Maps.
When you get closer, you will notice the entrance sign for the Perdido Key region of Gulf Islands National Seashore!
You will then travel through the entrance station of Perdido Key national park.
Shortly after crossing the entrance station of the national park, you will come across a junction from the primary road.
This will lead you to the parking area of Johnson Beach!
After parking, you can then proceed to the beach and/or picnic spot!
Perdido Key shelling and beachcombing at Johnson Beach
I wasn’t searching diligently for shells, but I did stumble upon a few diminutive shells.
Hence, if you have a fascination for gathering seashells in Florida, you may contemplate engaging in beachcombing at Johnson Beach to explore the hidden gems waiting to be discovered!
According to the National Park Service, when it comes to beachcombing and collecting seashells at Gulf Islands National Seashore:
You may collect sea shells from the national seashore that do not have living creatures in them.
Driving more of Johnson Beach Road through Perdido Key area of Gulf Islands National Seashore
It will also be worth driving further along the primary road beyond the Johnson Beach parking zone.
If you keep on driving, you will find yourself surrounded by coastal dunes on either side!
The sea will also come into sight at times as well!
On a blustery day, you may witness sand being swept across the street!
