Big Lagoon State Park is a 705-acre coastal preserve southwest of Pensacola that protects a varied landscape along Big Lagoon, Wild Grande Lagoon, and Long Pond. First acquired in 1977, it contains nine natural communities, including scrubby flatwoods, tidal marsh, and wet and mesic flatwoods, making it important habitat for threatened and endangered species such as large-leaved jointweed, gopher tortoises, snowy plovers, and least terns. Archaeological sites show long human use of this maritime environment for shellfish foraging despite partial disturbance of a Woodland period midden in the 1980s. It also serves as a recreation area and a gateway site for the Great Florida Birding Trail.