Big Lagoon State Park

First acquired in 1977, Big Lagoon State Park is a 705-acre Florida State Park located on the northwestern Florida coast, approximately 10 miles southwest of Pensacola on Gulf Beach Highway. It encompasses the northern boundary of Big Lagoon as it snakes toward Pensacola Bay to the east. Wild Grande Lagoon and its minor tributaries lay within the boundaries of the park, as does the alligator-inhabited Long Pond, a man-made freshwater pond.

The park includes several archaeological sites. Park development in the 1980s partially disturbed a middens from the Woodland period. This and other evidence points to historical use of this maritime habitat to forage on abundant shell fish.The park is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.