Skip to content

10 Fall Activities You Must Do in Pensacola

Did the heat leave your family stuck inside this summer? Get outdoors in the Pensacola Bay area this fall to cure your cabin fever. Here's our 10 "must do's." Don’t think you’ve missed out on everything this beach town has to offer just because the summer is over.

With a little help from Mother Nature, temperatures will be cooler, and the timing could not be better. Those of us who have been indoors dodging the heat can break out and enjoy the great outdoors again. Plus, several popular annual events take place outdoors during fall.

Here are 10 ideas – in no particular order – for an autumn outdoor adventure with your significant other or family:

1. Explore Bike Routes

Take a leisurely ride through Pensacola this fall. On these bike routes, you'll explore 460 years of history, take in the views of Pensacola Bay, discover shopping, work up an appetite to visit a local hot spot and much more. If you want a guide you can also find downtown bike tours are available.

Discover where you can take a tour or rent a bike.

Explore these bike routes

2. Go Paddling

The area’s beaches are less crowded this time of year. There are so many areas to paddle from the beach, saltwater marshes to cool flowing rivers in the Pensacola area. If you need some ideas we have lots of them available for you here.

3. Stroll Through Palafox Market

Walk under the canopy of crepe myrtle trees that align Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza in Downtown Pensacola on any given Saturday morning and you’ll find dozens of lively farmers and arts and crafts vendors selling organic goods at the weekly Palafox Market.

4. Sit back and enjoy the ride

Take to the waterways this October to watch dolphins dance in the waves or to cast a line. The Pensacola Bay Area offers many opportunities to get on the water with a guided captain. Ready to book your tour then check out the dolphin experiences and fishing charters available this fall.

5. Hike, bike and explore

The outdoor areas are definitely less crowded this time of year and the days are mild making it the perfect time to explore the great outdoors. From Perdido Key to Pensacola there are saltwater marshes, pine forests and rivers to satisfy any outdoor craving. Start planning your outdoor adventure.

6. Fall Farms and Downtown Tours

It’s fall y’all. The pumpkin spice is brewing. Pull the flannel shirts and scarves out of your closet, and enjoy the fresh air at one of the area’s local farms and other local fall attractions. During the month of October, visit Holland Farms and Sweet Season Farms in Milton for corn mazes, photos, pony rides and more. Visit their websites for details and activities.

In Downtown Pensacola For a spooky good time, Historic Pensacola’s Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tours are another great option. Stroll or roll through the historic district with a costumed guide. Rent a ghost meter to use during the tour if you dare. For spooky stories of Downtown Pensacola’s supernatural and dark side take a guided haunted segway tour with Emerald Coast Tours.

7. Sample food, art and more

Savor delicious seafood, enjoy various musical acts and immerse yourself in historic downtown Pensacola during the Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival, produced by Fiesta Pensacola. This festival is one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Northwest Florida with more than 150 artisans and craftsmen who travel from around the country to participate.

8. Pitch a tent

The Mystic Springs Recreation Area in McDavid offers primitive camping options on weekends including a large group campsite for up to 25 campers. Located about 35 miles north of Pensacola, the camping area overlooks a crystal clear spring great for swimming or launching a boat or canoe to fish in the Escambia River. Additional accommodations and RV hookups are available at Lake Stone Campground in Century. The 100-acre campground and boat ramp totals 77 campsites with views of the freshwater lake.

From Pensacola Beach to Perdido Key, there are several other fabulous spots to camp as well. Click here to check out the full list of places to camp.

9. Hold on tight and take in the sights and sounds of the midway

Can you smell the funnel cake? The annual Pensacola Interstate Fair returns in October, featuring more than 60 rides, live music performances, plus entertaining and educational exhibits. Not to mention the fair food! It’s fun for the whole family.

10. Check out a Halloween Event

Pensacola has tons of Halloween happenings. To hilight a few, there are Beach-O-Ween as well as Boo at the Zoo. Beach-O-Ween takes place out on the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. There are many fun activities for kids of all ages, including a Halloween bounce house, costume contest, games, face painting, and hotdogs. There will be plenty of candy to go around! Feel free to wear your costumes to the event as well.

On each of the last three weekends in October, the Gulf Breeze Zoo hosts Boo at the Zoo, where families can enjoy all the fun of Halloween night, complete with costumes and candy while observing and learning about hundreds of animals. Vendors and community groups form a trick-or-treat trail between animal exhibits, so there is something to see at every turn. Special admission rates apply.

You might want to learn more about spooky happenings in Pensacola this season.

Amy Minchin

Author

Amy Minchin

Amy Minchin has vacationed in Northwest Florida since she was a young child. Despite a few sunburns and freckles picked up along the way, she’s been proud to call the Pensacola area home for the last seven years. She and her husband enjoy sharing Pensacola’s natural beauty, history and culture with their three daughters. An award-winning writer, Amy left a career in corporate communications and marketing to pursue freelance writing and consulting opportunities. Her writing has been published in the Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Birmingham Magazine, Lakeland Ledger, UAB Magazine and UWF Connection. Amy shares her family’s adventures and helps others discover ways to enjoy all that the Gulf Coast has to offer on Instagram. Follow her at @sandinmyminivan.

You may also be interested in...

Discover Our Destination

Start exploring the Pensacola Bay Area when you sign up for the Visit Pensacola eNews list!

Get Your Guide!

Request your free guide by mail, view the digital version, or pick one up at one of our…

Insider’s Digital Guide

Sign up below to receive Pensacola's Digital Guide delivered straight to your inbox.
©2025 Visit Pensacola Florida. All Rights Reserved.