Perdido Key State Park — Attraction in Elberta

We were on vacation in Perdido Key and stopped by the Visitor Center to get some brochures of local restaurants and attractions. When we came out of the center, we saw a wooden walkway leading up over some sand dunes and was curious where it went. So we put a $5 bill in the envelope at the entrance and walked across it. We were pleasantly surprised to see that it led directly onto the beach! It was so peaceful and beautiful! There were a couple of people walking along the water's edge and another sunbathing, but nothing remotely comparable to the crowd at Pensacola Beach. Three days later, my teenage daughter and I went to the actual park entrance and paid the $3 per car to go walk along the beach, collect some shells, and take some photos. Again it was so peaceful, even though this time, there were a few families both on the beach and in the water, along with a family of seagulls. I don't know if it's always much less crowded than Pensacola and other Florida beaches, but when we went last week (in October 7-10th, 2024) it was. It was also around lunchtime both times when we went. In addition, there were red flags flying for rip current warnings, due to Hurricane Milton approaching the Tampa area. So all of that might have played a part in how uncrowded and peaceful the beach were those days, but in any case, we had a wonderful time. I got some great pics of my daughter, the ocean, and the seagulls. We collected several shells, many unbroken, for my daughter's keepsake sand jar. Upon leaving, we were thrilled to discover that there were showers available to rinse off the sand. Both worked on the side we went to, and we were happy to be able to remove the sand from our feet and legs before getting back into our rental car. Restrooms were also available for park guests to use, but we didn't go in them. If you like the less crowded, more pristine beaches, I very highly recommend Perdido Key State Park. If your experience is anything like ours, you won't be disappointed!!

Tips ~ The beach entrance across from the Perdido Key Visitor & Community Center is accessible via a wooden walkway next to the road with a brown metal box at the beginning of it. It states on the box that the admittance fee is $2 per person, which you are expected to place in the given envelope and slide into the slot. No change is given, and there is no way to pay if you do not have cash. In addition, payment here is set up on an honor system, as there is no one to physically pay and seemingly no way for anyone to know whether you paid or not. Normally I don't carry cash, but I happened to have a $5 bill on me that day; so we put it in the envelope to cover the cost of the two of us walking over to the beach. ~ The Perdido Key State Park beach entrance is accessible via gravel parking lots with tiny manned sheds and brown metal boxes with both envelopes and QR codes for paying the daily use fees. When we went here (on an October Thursday around 11am), there wasn't anyone in the shed to give the money to (and this time I didn't have any cash), so I scanned the QR code on the brown box and paid the fee ($3 per car) with my debit card. The beach itself was accessible by either a handicap ramp or steps (both wooden) and a walkway to the sand. There were bathrooms, showers, and two picnic shelter areas at this...

This beach was very clean, clear, and beautiful. Which, don't let it fool you, can and is at times very deceiving, so make sure to pay close attention to the flags up at the beach. The purple flags mean there are stinging creatures in that area. The jelly fish were extremely dense. Like at most roughly 3-10 feet of clearing/ gaps between them, and I mean everywhere. To be prepared, there is a spray, I would recommend having on hand to help with the sting just in case. Red, yellow, or green flags indicate how dangerous the rip tide is in the area at the time. This is much more dangerous than the risk of sharks and or jellyfish by far in my opinion. No matter how strong of a swimmer you are you need to educate yourself and your loved ones when visiting any beach to have a safety plan in place or to avoid certain areas during certain times. There was a shark we saw one morning that looked to be roughly 8- 10 ft in length cruising the surf too. So make sure you enjoy yourself when visiting anywhere and everywhere, but also be aware of the different kinds of possible dangers that are very real when taking in all of the amazing, beautiful, and breathtaking things god, nature, and man has to offer. Be sure to try to truely understand also how the danger and risks differs from place to place, but don't be to quick to judge anyone or anything based upon your findings or what you understand to be true. Keep a open mind, enjoy the time you have, and be safe because life...

Perido Key State Park is amazing! My family and I have visited for many years now on our family vacation to Orange Beach to escape the crowds of the city. The state park is a convinient 20 minutes from our condo and is serene beyond belief. Peridido Key state park is a hidden gem as there are very few people along the beach. Not only is it serene, but it is a beautful beach to visit. The water was crystal clear with a beautiful emerald green color. The entry fee is very reasonable too at a modest $3- much cheaper than paid parking at public accesses. Despite the bathrooms being out of order, there were no other issues. Overall, Peridido Key is a gorgeous hidden gem in...