Perdido Key, Fla. — (OBA) —   A trip to Johnson Beach will cost a little less on an upcoming national park fee-free day. The beach is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore on Perdido Key. It’s a short drive east from Orange Beach. A vehicle pass normally costs $25 and covers seven consecutive days.

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees for U.S. citizens and legal residents to mark President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. It is the ninth of 10 fee-free days scheduled for the year. Camping and special-use permit fees still apply.

Beyond its shoreline, Johnson Beach holds an important place in local history. It honors Army Private Rosamond Johnson Jr., the first soldier from Escambia County, Florida, to be killed in the Korean War. He was 17 when he died on July 26, 1950.

Johnson enlisted at 15, lying about his age to help support his family. While serving with the 24th Infantry, he pulled two fellow soldiers to safety under fire before being fatally wounded. The Purple Heart was awarded posthumously on August 21, 1950.

After the war, the Sunset Riding Club Inc., which leased the beach from the county, proposed naming it after Johnson. The name was retained when Gulf Islands National Seashore was established in 1971. Johnson Beach became part of the National Park System in 1973.

The fee-free day also honors Roosevelt’s conservation legacy. As president, he protected millions of acres of public land and laid the groundwork for the modern National Wildlife Refuge System by establishing the first federal bird reserve at Pelican Island in 1903. His early actions helped shape the nation’s enduring approach to preserving public lands.

Visitors will find a large parking lot, two picnic pavilions, bathhouses, and outdoor showers. The ranger station has beach wheelchairs available. The Perdido Key Discovery Trail offers an accessible boardwalk loop through coastal dunes and wetlands.

Lifeguard coverage runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so visitors should plan to swim without a lifeguard during the October visit.

The park is open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on October 27. From Orange Beach, head east on Perdido Key Drive (Hwy. 182). It’s about 6 miles from the Alabama/Florida state line to Johnson Beach Road, where you’ll turn right.