Johnson Beach(Hub Lake, Parsippany Lake)

Located in Perdido Key, Johnson Beach - also known as Johnson’s Beach and Rosamond Johnson Beach - is a large beach with white sand and sparse vegetation. Johnson Beach is also a part of a national park named Gulf Islands National Seashore. Sand dunes, pine trees, and salt marshes are also present near this beach. This beach is named after United States Army Private Rosamond Johnson, a member of the African-American community who was one of the first local residents to be killed during the Korean War in 1950. A marker commemorating Johnson’s heroic conduct during the Korean War is also present on the beach. As an interesting fact, Johnson Beach was one of the few beach areas open to African Americans during the Segregation Era in the Southern United States. 

Johnson Beach has many amenities including lifeguards, a boardwalk trail (named the Perdido Key Discovery Trail), restrooms, showers, and picnic pavilions. 

Johnson Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, kitesurfing, windsurfing, skim boarding, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, surf-skiing, boating, and parasailing. If you are planning to go into the water near Johnson Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including dolphins and sea turtles, along with a large variety of fish. In addition, you can also view beach mice around Johnson Beach. If you like birdwatching, the Perdido Key Discovery Trail is an amazing bird-watching spot and you can view many kinds of birds around Johnson Beach including grey kingbirds and ospreys. If you are planning to fish in the water near Johnson Beach, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations. Gulf Islands National Seashore also organizes an annual Rosamond Johnson Commemoration on the beach during May to mark the inspiring conduct and sacrifice of Private Johnson.

The beach also offers accessibility to people with disabilities. 

Getting to Johnson Beach is easy - the beach is located near 13300 Johnson Beach Road, which is easily accessible from United States Highway 98 and Florida State Road 292. Multiple parking lots are available near the beach. It is important to note that you need to pay a fee in order to access Johnson Beach. The beach is open between March and October from 5 am to 9 pm and November to February between 5 am to 6 pm.

There are many attractions near Johnson Beach within a 20-minute drive. Perdido Key Kids Park has a playground, a pavilion, and picnic areas. Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum has the historic Pensacola Lighthouse, which was built in the 19th century and is currently a part of the United States’ National Register of Historical Places. The nearby lighthouse keeper's quarters is now converted into a museum (named the Richard C. Callaway Museum) that offers interesting exhibits about local history and the Pensacola Lighthouse. As an interesting fact, the lighthouse has often been labeled as one of the most haunted lighthouses in the United States, and ghost tours are frequently conducted on the lighthouse premises. If you are looking for another attraction near Johnson Beach, Fort Barrancas was initially built in the late 18th century and it was also a Confederate stronghold during the American Civil War. The fort offers visitors a unique insight into the United States military history.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Johnson Beach. Cotton’s (also known as Cotton’s Restaurant) serves excellent seafood and steaks. Fisherman’s Corner has a casual ambiance. In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent seafood, Creole dishes, po’boy sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salads. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Johnson Beach, Hub Stacey’s at The Point is famous for serving excellent sandwiches. In addition, the restaurant also serves great burgers, soups, salads, and breakfast dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Johnson Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Perdido Beach Resort offers many amenities including a pool, a dock, an arcade, a private beach area, a gift shop, tennis courts, four restaurants, two bars, and a fitness center. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Island House Hotel Orange Beach - a DoubleTree by Hilton which offers many amenities including a restaurant with live entertainment, laundry facilities, a hot tub, a pool, and a private beach area. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Johnson Beach, the 2-Star Sleep Inn On The Beach is 20-minute away by car and offers a seasonal pool and complimentary breakfast.