This place is so peaceful and beautiful. My pics don't do it justice. There are multiple restrooms, you can camp and walk the trails, the ocean is right there, there's a boat ramp, lots of flora and fauna, and not expensive. There's lots of parking as well. I stop by whenever I'm near. read more

See all

First time checking out this state park out and wasn't sure what to expect as we are visiting the area but it was great. Admission was $6 for out of state cars. Lots of boardwalk areas combined with well maintained sand trails, nice picnic areas and bathrooms along with camping areas. We just stopped in to hike the 3.5 mile loop. We followed the trails which for the most part are well marked but realized somehow even though we were on the main sand trails we weren't on the loop that the ranger told us to follow so it's not hard to get off target. Your phone GPS combine with the provided map proved to be the best solution for us. Peaceful trails, nice bathroom facilities and scenery combined with wildlife made for a great two hour excursion. read more

See all

Surprised at this secret spot so don't come! Shows booked but many empty sites must have been scared off by cold. Hope to come here again in future. read more

9/2024: On our way to another park we decided to stop in and check out the day use area. There are accessible restrooms and a few small pavilions next to a small beach area. The swimming area was similar to that of a lake; mostly clear water, sandy bottom, mixed with pine needles and small patches of muck. On the positive side, the water was so calm, no currents or wake from passing boats. We will definitely come back to explore more another time. read more

See all

I can't say enough about this park especially for younger children that are adventurous. Lots of hermit crabs and warm water. The new playground was somewhat of a disappointment as it's a little bit scary for the younger crowd. Lots of ways to get hurt. But the swings are nice- just no way to get to the slides that don't involve adult help and even then they are very intimidated. Bathrooms available and picnic areas with grills. It's a great place for a morning or afternoon. $6 a carload. Bring your sand toys and towels! read more

Very nice state park with lots of walkable trails. They also have a boat ramp so you can take paddle boards and kayaks out on the water. It costs $6 per vehicle to enter the park. There is an amphitheatre and picnic tables by the water to enjoy lunch in the shade. Great place to enjoy the sunset and take a hike. Beware of ant hills. read more

Big Lagoon State Park - Beaches Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

See all

I am not sure if I just missed it but to the right maybe 20 feet off the main path there is a place where it is possible to pass making it possible to complete the 5-mile loop with minimal walking on the road. read more

Our scout pack has camped here and enjoyed it. Our family likes to use the boat launch here. It has two areas that are two lane for launching. One pier by launch is under repair. There is a little beach area and covered pavilions. We pay $12 to use launch. read more

See all

Enjoyed this spur of the moment hike. It was bit confusing due to parts of the park being closed, however, the trails were taken care of and the restroom clean. read more

Big Lagoon State Park - Small lagoon we found. - Beaches Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Decent state park. There are some okay trails and beaches. There's a nice observation tower. The pond and lagoon are fine, but nothing memorable. There's a cool sandbar that you can walk out into the water on big lagoon. read more

The worst campsite we've ever had! No shade, no privacy, barely big enough for our small camper and surrounded by standing water. Also obviously recently flooded because our site is very wet. Add to that the fact that all the park's amenities are closed because of storm damage. No notification of the condition of the park via Reserve America or upon check-in. I requested, and received a 50% refund from the Florida State Parks. read more

Big Lagoon State Park is just okay in my opinion, the boardwalks and observation tower is nice, but unless you have a boat or kayak you'll get bored rather quickly. I could see coming here if you live close by and you just want a short get away otherwise I'd drive through and move on. I did see two birds, so I guess that qualifies as "birding". This park is rather small but I'm glad it exist if for nothing else it's a protected green space. read more

See all

An oasis of wilderness tucked amidst a wasteland of condos, housing developments, and commercial properties. You'll scarcely find a patch of land anywhere near this park that doesn't have something built on it, but, believe me, you can get lost in this place and feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. Not irrevocably lost to the point of panic, but it's still not a good feeling. Driving down Gulf Beach Highway, you'll find Big Lagoon on the south side of the road, and it might surprise you. Nestled in between neighborhoods, this is 705 acres--slightly more than a square mile--of mostly white sand, pine trees, and wildlife. It is a beautiful park, although I imagine that it is oppressively hot during the summer months. My hiking buddy and I recently went to hike the almost 5-mile loop trail. It starts out well-marked at the East Beach trailhead, but we had some problems on the walk. Definitely grab a map of the trail at the ranger station, although this will only give you a kindergarten-style, crayola-scribbled representation of reality. There are many intersecting paths along the trail that are not actually part of the trail. In the twists and turns, you can't always see the next marker, so these intersections present a Monty Hall moment of decision...and you won't always be correct. The trail itself is wide, mostly, and you have vistas on some of the higher points. We got to a bifurcation in the trail at one point where the footprints of past hikers ended. It had rained heavily the day before and at the spot that we were, there was no way to traverse the trail without trudging through calf-deep mud and water. I'm not much into snakes and leeches and such, so we backtracked a bit and struck out on one of those alternate trails-that-aren't-official-trails that I mentioned. We were lost. Not hopelessly lost, because we knew that we were bounded on all sides by civilization, but lost all the same. We wound up in a restricted area, at the Grand Poobah Ranger House, where mere mortals dare not tread. Scrooge that. Mark your trails better and provide some way to ford the seasonal swamps, folks. You can rent a kayak down by the beach and sound, or hike inland and rent a canoe on one of the lagoons. Inquire at the ranger station about that. I think they provide the paddles when you pay, because we could have snatched a canoe and floated to Cuba...there was nobody around and the boats weren't locked up or anything. We saw one snake, lots of deer tracks, and had a pretty good time. It is a nice diversion from the teeming masses of humanity to get away from it all in a place like this. There are beaches, observation towers, a playground, campsites, etc. The park is close to grocery stores, shopping, and fast food joints, so you can come here and be away from it all, but have the convenience of modernity within a 5-minute drive. Worthy of consideration for both visitors and residents. It ain't free, but it's different. If you don't have an annual pass for state parks ($25 for unlimited visits, last time that I checked), it'll cost you $4 for one person, $6 for two, and more for additional peeps. Stuff 'em in the trunk and feel smug about getting over on the man, if you must. That's probably a felony, but small victories are sometimes all that we have. Just sayin'... read more

See all

We stopped in on Christmas Eve for some walking and had a great time. We walked every trail we could avoiding areas that are rebuilding from hurricane damage. We want to look into staying in the park next time we come! read more

A really pretty State Park with nice amenities, recently devastated during the last hurricane season. The best part of the park was closed but we explored it anyway...beautiful white beaches. Great boat launch and fishing area! We would expect that when Big lagoon reopens fully it would be much enjoyed by anyone who stays there. Camping spots were ample, The roads weren't the best because they've been washed out in many places but take it slow and you'll be OK read more

The ranger at the station told us parking was full and turned us away. So we parked across the street and walked in. When we got to the boat ramp the parking lot was virtually empty. Completely wasted our time as well as she was rude. They also didn't tell us half of the park was closed until after we paid. Do not recommend this park, at least until after the half of the park that was closed reopens. read more

Big Lagoon State Park - "At capacity" "no available parking" what a joke - Beaches Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

See all

This park has so many things to offer and do. You will find the park open at 8 and close when the sun goes down. The fee to get in is $6 for up to 8 people in the car (if you squeeze eight people into a small car then you deserve to go free) #noclowncarsplease Prices vary for bike riders They have boat launch fees as well and you can rent canoes, paddle boards, and kayaks from the office. #funexercise If you don't want to leave then you can camp #watchforcritters over night or rent a picnic pavilion. You may bring your four legged friend with you but just pay attention to where he/she is allowed. There are several miles of hiking trails for you to explore. I am not sure if they have a map of the trails or not. I didn't ask. #bringyourwaterbottle Check out the website because there are many events in this park of over 600acres. If you are local you can buy a yearly pass which I believe will allow you entrance into Florida's other state parks. #lovebeinglocal read more

All we needed was SUN! GREAT place to camp! Make your reservation 11 months out! Go visit Navy Museum, a MUST for any age and it is FREE read more

See all

I stayed here for a long weekend in October. My visit was affected by Hurricane Sally, which had hit the area a few weeks prior to my visit. I found the condition of my site and the amenities to be dated and in need of repair/ upgrade. The picnic table in my site, for example, I did not sit on for fear of breaking it. There was also a site on a rise adjacent to mine that overlooked my site, which I was not super comfortable with. My particular site was small. I was tent camping with just myself and my dog, but I do not see how we could have fit other tents or canopies had we been with a group. I was not allowed to have a fire due to the hurricane, which was not advertised prior to my arrival. Most of the trails were closed to storm damage, which I wish would have been advertised as well. The thing that really bothered me was that I booked through Reserveamerica.com. As part of the booking process, in the fine print they give you the option to 'opt out' of a company called Active.com. If you miss that fine print (which I did), you end up being charged $89.95. In all it was a 'just ok' experience. The cost was reasonable and the proximity to the beaches on Perdido Key was nice. There was also a grocery store within about a mile of the campground, which was convenient. read more

Great state park. Good and bad... Beaches are close by. Restaurants are close by. Grocery store is close by. Not every site has a concrete pad. I prefer it, some don't. No r.v. site sewer. Love everything else about this park! Bath houses aren't far. Nice boat ramp, pier, board walks, and raised viewing platforms. Nice pavilions, should be utilized for live entertainment. Great picnic areas! Thanks, We'll see y'all again soon! read more

We loved our time hiking at Big Lagoom State Park. I think the trail could be marked better in a few spots, but it's easy to turn around when you hit a dead end. Part of the trail near the water was closed due to hurricane damage. Other than that, the only thing I might suggest is bring something to sway the horseflies with because they are huge. We can't wait to come back and visit again. read more

I wish the park would have been honest that the only areas open are campground and boat launch area. 99.9% of Big Lagoon access is barricaded off to customers and what they are currently calling "small beach area" is a fishing area adjacent to the boat launch, not appropriate for any normal beach activities except fishing. Bathrooms and showers are unkempt, shower floors were not cleaned during our 10 day stay and caked with grime. If anything I owned touched those floors, I would literally burn it or toss it in the trash. Overall experience was very underwhelming. Good location and fairly private sites (for Pensacola area) are the pluses. No beach was a huge disappointment. read more

Big Lagoon State Park is absolutely breathtaking and the boyfriend and I would definitely come back if we ever happen to be in the area again. We were just passing through heading to Texas and needed a place to sleep for the night with day activities. Luckily this place had kayak rentals so we rented a tandem for $25 for about 4 hours. Not bad. Be sure to stay out of Intercoastal Waterway and ask the clerk for any other warnings. She mentioned that there were harmless sharks around, but that didn't stop us from exploring the shores. We saw hermit crabs & fish--I was really psyched about the hermit crabs. People were even fishing & relaxing far out into the lagoon right before you hit the deep area so there's really nothing to be afraid of. Restrooms were clean except for a few harmless spiders and be forewarned...the raccoons are brilliant at opening ice chests, so hide your food! We lost our hamburger patties and bacon because we failed at reading the warning signs in the front office. Picnic areas have a nice view of the Big Lagoon, but if you want a better view of the park check out the observation tower. This park definitely has a lot to offer and it's really peaceful. I want to come back to check out the hiking/birding trails. read more

I grew up camping at this park. It use to be a very nice place to stay. Board walks everywhere and plenty of water access. I loved this place. However as the park has aged and as it has seen a few hurricanes over my life that have damaged it there have been little to no attempt to maintain the park. Everything that is damaged or broken just seems to get shut down and no attempt is maid for repair. It is sad to see what this place has become. Still a very pretty place it is nothing like it use to be. Boardwalks have mostly all been changed to sand trails or just shut down. The roads are an absolute mess that will destroy your camper. And there is no septic hookups on sites. Also the sites are not all that great and overall the place just doesn't get much attention. The state hasn't done a good job and maintaining this beautiful park and it's worn out. The new boat ramp is extremely nice but the rest has seen better days. A fire wiped out a large portion of the boardwalks when I was a kid and they never touched it. And every hurricane up until then they e done very little to repair it. Now hurricane sally has gotten it and I am doubtful that repairs will be made. I can only hope. read more

New boat launch closed under construction. Cant launch here till summer but will be worth the wait. Get their family pass and have access to all of Florida's Best Parks. read more

Big Lagoon State Park, together with St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, is supposedly one of two "gateways" to the Panhandle section of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. So it was pretty weird when the ranger on duty who collected our entry fee had clearly never even heard of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. The best he could do was to rummage around under the counter, and offer us a generic Florida bird checklist pamphlet. That aside, the park is very nice. The boardwalks and restrooms are first rate, wildlife is abundant, and the views are pretty good (except when you look towards the eyesore highrise condos offshore). All of it might not be as nice if there were lots of people using the park though. read more

What a well kept secret! The day my family and I went out to Big Lagoon State Park, we were the only people there. We had free run of the park and all of its facilities. It's such a beautiful place that I found it hard to take a bad picture, no matter how I tried. read more

See all

Second trip here! We brought our kids and in-laws!! Loved it! We did encounter jellyfish though!! read more

Big Lagoon State Park - Gorgeous day in the water - Beaches Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

While camping in Florida at a different campground, we came across this campground. As we pulled up to the gate, we were told it would cost us $6 to see the campground. We made a Uturn. Disappointing as it would of been nice to tour the campground for possible future stays in Pensacola. How absurd to charge to your a campground?? Does anybody really pay to do this??? read more

Beautiful walking trails and site seeing at this park. Love nature and wildlife I would like to return and journey through the rest of the trails and look for gators again since last time we didn't get lucky enough to see one. Most definitely worth the $6 spent and will most likely return to camp and hike again soon read more

We lived across the hwy from Big Lagoon and loved to go walking on the trail. There are alligators so watch your small doggies. We brought ours and everything was fine. Little boys were fishing and families picnicking most weekends. Just a lovely setting. read more

A beautiful state park near the beaches of Pensacola. The staff is incredibly friendly and the rates are reasonable. This is a great place to set up a tent and use as a base to explore the local environment. read more

Camped here first time May 2016 with travel trailer and the bathhouse was closed for repair. During the week we saw no repair being done. There is not sewer hookup at park so the BH and bathrooms being out was inconvenient. We got ate up with bugs since swamps are everywhere on property. Nothing to really do there and being on the Bay does nothing for me. For seclusion would be good. read more

Great place for staying a couple days no doubt. Everything is clean, accessible, and even when you need to leave to get supplies it's 5 mins away. The camp host has firewood for sale ($5 for a big bundle) and can give you any info you need about the area. Take a look online and pick a site with shade (we were tent camping) and it'll definitely help the experience. All in all for 4 people to stay 2 nights it was $44 which you can't beat...highly recommend! read more

3 stars only because it isn't that "removed" of park that one might imagine, but the trail Hiked was beautiful, the views from the lookout tower astonishing, and friendly people across the park. All in all very nice, just don't like hearing sirens downtown when I'm walking in an estuary. read more

Yep, we have camped here twice and we love it here. It was nice and quiet on both occasions. The sunsets are awesome! We will camp here again. read more

Great place. Plenty of nature and space to explore. A definite must see on any trip even for locals like me.

I absolutely love this place! Boardwalks on the water are so beautiful! I really want to buy a tent so that we can camp in the campground.

Very convenient location close to Pensacola historical sites as well as Perdido Key. Site sizes are adequate with privacy provided by the scrubby landscape. The beaches and lakes are scenic. Boardwalks and trails were well maintained. The bathroom and showers were very clean. My AT&T cell service was reliable in the park. read more

This is the 3rd time staying at this park, and as much as I hate to say this, I think the park is slipping into disrepair and loosing its luster. We stayed in space 28 for a week, and of those days, 5 of them the space was unusable due to standing water. I don't mean damp, I mean ankle deep water to the point we had to park elsewhere because we could not get in and out of our truck. A load of sand would have rectified the problem, and this was not the only site under water. The bath in our loop had hot water one night, the others we had to walk or drive to other bath houses for showers. The park itself is beautiful, and lots of things to do, but camper comfort has taken a back seat I'm afraid. read more