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All the United States Florida Pensacola Johnson Beach
AO Edited

Johnson Beach

A pristine beach on the Gulf of Mexico with deep ties to Pensacola’s Black community.

Pensacola, Florida

Added By
Blythe Roberson
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Johnson Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.   Courtesy of the National Park Service
Johnson Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.   Courtesy of the National Park Service
A duo bikes along Johnson Beach Road, expected to reopen in early 2024.   Courtesy of Visit Pensacola
A group hangs out on Johnson Beach, open from 5 a.m. until sunset.   Courtesy of Visit Pensacola
Rosamond Johnson, Pensacola’s first soldier to die in the Korean War and the namesake of Johnson Beach.   Courtesy of National Park Service
Perdido Key is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a National Park Service unit.   Courtesy of Visit Pensacola
The Perdido Key Discovery Trail offers a fully accessible jaunt through multiple habitats.   Courtesy of the National Park Service
While walking the Perdido Key Discovery Trail, you may see herons, woodpeckers, or gulls.   Courtesy of Visit Pensacola
Perdido Key offers a boat launch for those wishing to explore by kayak.   Courtesy of Visit Pensacola
The Perdido Key Beach Mouse is endemic to the Johnson Beach area.   Courtesy of the National Park Service
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About

Walking up to Johnson Beach feels like stumbling into a computer background: the windswept white sand beach is dotted with sunbathers and colorful umbrellas. Shore birds scurry up and down the shore as swimmers wade into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Johnson Beach is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a 216-square mile unit of the National Park Service that stretches across Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, stewarding habitats like bayous and coastal forests and overseeing historic forts. Its history, though, is a little more complicated.

During the Jim Crow era, most public beaches in Pensacola prohibited Black residents from using them. Most of the beaches that were open to Black people were polluted, unsafe, or difficult to access. But Johnson Beach was the exception. Located on the eastern tip of a barrier island, it provided a refuge where Black children and families could swim in safe, beautiful waters.

The beach’s name honors the legacy of Rosamond Johnson, Jr. At the age of 15, Johnson enlisted in the U.S. Army to support his family (lying and saying he was older, of course). Two years later, he was deployed during the Korean War, and after pulling two soldiers to safety during a battle, he was killed while trying to save a third. He was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart and eventually, the community named this  beachin his honor. A memorial and plaque on the beach teach visitors about his life and each May, the Gulf Islands National Seashore holds a celebration in his honor.Driving access along the length of Johnson Beach is currently truncated, as the National Park Service works to add new parking areas and build new dune crossovers to the Gulf of Mexico. These crossovers are built to protect the fragile dune ecosystems, home of animals including the Perdido Key beach mouse. This critically endangered mouse can be found nowhere else in the world.

Related Tags

Trails History Army Animals Nature Parks Islands Beach

Know Before You Go

Johnson Beach is open from 5 a.m. to sunset, with no overnight parking allowed. Glass containers and pets of any kind are also prohibited.

The beach is a feed area: $15 for cyclists or pedestrians, or $25 for a vehicle. Each pass lasts one week, and only credit cards are accepted.

Beach wheelchairs are available on request at the ranger station.Johnson Beach Road is expected to reopen in early 2024

Community Contributors

Added By

blytheroberson

Edited By

traceywilson

  • traceywilson

Published

February 22, 2024

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Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/places/000/rosamond-johnson-beach.htm
  • https://nps.gov/guis/learn/nature/gulf-of-mexico.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/nature/pk-beach-mouse.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/articles/beach-segregation.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/rosamond-johnson.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/places/000/rosamond-johnson-beach.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/perdido-key-area.htm
  • https://floridahikes.com/gulf-islands-national-seashore
  • https://floridahikes.com/perdido-key-discovery-trail
  • https://floridahikes.com/johnson-beach
Johnson Beach
13233 Johnson Beach Rd
Pensacola, Florida, 32507
United States
30.299047, -87.418159
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pensacola

Pensacola

Florida

Places 13

Nearby Places

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

Pensacola, Florida

miles away

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Pensacola, Florida

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pensacola

Pensacola

Florida

Places 13

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