Perdido Beach Boulevard divides the park into two sections: the beach side and the park side. The beach side faces the Gulf of Mexico, while the park side includes three freshwater lakes, the Gulf State Park Nature Center, and miles of trails.

Located an hour southeast of Mobile, Alabama (BFM), and an hour southwest of Pensacola, Florida (PNS), you can fly into either airport from major flight hubs.  I flew in and took the shuttle from PNS. It was an easy, one-hour trip from the airport to my hotel, the Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel.

Piper’s Pro Planning

Park admission is free, but there are daily parking fees, including parking to walk on the pier. Orange Beach residents can obtain free parking, and other Gulf State Park visitors can purchase annual parking decals.

Use the two pedestrian bridges connecting the park side with the beach instead of attempting to cross the busy four-lane road. Alternatively, ride the free tram around the park.

Things to Do at Gulf State Park, Alabama: Beach Activities

Obviously, the number one thing to do on the beach side is — the beach. Those miles of beaches beckon you for some Vitamin Sea. This is one of the free family activities, with a variety of things to do.

If you forgot some essential beach gear, Ike’s Beach Service will set you up. All rentals must be paid in advance.

Know before you go swimming

The beautiful Gulf water is enticing, and you’ll want to take a swim.

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer these tips:

• Swim in full daylight for better visibility and to lessen encounters with marine predators.
• Always swim with someone else. It’s safer and more fun.
• Check daily surf forecasts and heed the flags when you arrive. For Gulf Shores beach conditions, call 251-968-SURF (7873). For Orange Beach’s conditions, call 251-981-SURF (7873). Text ALBEACHES to 888777 for daily beach conditions and warning flag status.
• Know how to react to dangerous rip currents. Learn more here.
• Leave the water every 60-90 minutes to drink water and apply more fresh sunscreen.

Build Sandcastles

Collect some buckets, plastic cups, or even sandcastle molds. Select a sandy place away from the water and fill your bucket with half sand and half water to keep the sand moist. Then, create your masterpiece. For professional results, take a lesson from Sand Castle University.

Exchange Beach Toys

Look for the leave-a-toy or take-a-toy bins at GSP. The boxes are at the beach closest to The Lodge and at the Beach Pavilion. It’s a great way to reuse any beach toys you can’t take home.

Help Restore the Dunes

Dunes protect communities from high winds and storm surges. They also provide habitat for plants and animals, like the Alabama beach mouse. Please keep the dunes clean when you visit. Always use the boardwalks instead of walking across the dunes to preserve the dunes. GSP collects live Christmas trees because they combat erosion when placed in front of the dunes. The sand eventually covers the trees, creating more dunes.

Share the Beach with Sea Turtles

The sea turtle nesting season lasts from May until October. Share the Beach volunteers mark and monitor endangered nests during that period. You can help by keeping the beaches clean, dark, and flat. Don’t disturb sea turtle tracks and remove everything from the beach before you leave. If you see a sea turtle, stay at least 30 feet away and be quiet. Do not shine lights at the turtle or use a flash.

If you need some sustenance after a day at the beach, try one of these 13 Best Places to Eat in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Collect Shells

Going shelling is a delightful treasure hunt. Remember to leave inhabited shells on the beach. Avoid collecting spiral shells because hermit crabs need them for homes.

Know before you go shelling:

• Check the beach’s tide tables, arriving an hour before and after low tide.
• Low tide exposes more of the beach. A full moon or new moon produces the most extreme tides, therefore stranding the most shells.
• If the wind blows from the water to the shore, the wind and waves will push shells onto the beach.
• Read more tips at ILoveShelling.com.

Go Birding at Gulf State Park

GSP is on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. Beach birds include least terns, snowy plovers, killdeer, and black skimmers. These species nest atop the sand and are well camouflaged. Sometimes, a mother plover or killdeer will pretend to be injured to draw intruders away from her nest. Willet, sanderling, and ruddy turnstones feed along the shoreline, while loons, pelicans, terns, and diving ducks such as mergansers and scoters feed just off the beach. Checklist to track the species you’ve spotted. Watch for pelicans flying in formation before diving for fish.

Fish from Gulf State Park Fishing Pier

The fishing pier is the state’s largest. It even has air-conditioned restrooms. Catch sheepshead, red drum, Spanish mackerel, flounder, Florida pompano, king mackerel, and whiting, to name a few. Beginners will benefit from Angler Academy, and experienced anglers will learn new tips.

Or try your luck at Gulf State Park’s Alabama Point, at the western tip of Perdido Key.

Piper’s Pro Planning

Know before you go fishing.

• Read and obey the pier’s rules.
• Pay for parking at the kiosks.
• Those who pay to park receive a daily fishing permit.
• Purchase a state saltwater fishing permit before you arrive.
• Don’t have fishing gear? You can rent rods and reels.
• Follow wildlife safety rules. 

Hang Out at Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion

The concession stand at the pavilion will serve you. Afterward, enjoy a beachside meal at one of the many picnic tables. The fireplace is inviting during the evenings, and restrooms are available. Stroll the nearby boardwalk onto the beach. A wheelchair mat provides accessibility.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Parking pay station kiosks accept cash and cards but do not give change. RV parking is available.

Learn More about the Environment at the Interpretive Center

The open-air Interpretive Center near the pavilion is the state’s most environmentally friendly building. It meets the rigorous Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum building certifications. It produces its own electricity and water. Learn more about the park’s nine ecosystems in the family-friendly interactive exhibits. Interpretive tours are offered at various times.

Walk on the Pristine Beaches

Need to relax? The doctor says to wiggle your bare toes in the squishy sand. Walking on the beach in the morning or evening is the perfect way to get your daily steps.

Watch the Sunrise and Sunset

Sneak out of your room for an early-morning or evening walk as the sun paints the sea, to begin or end the day.

Things to Do at Gulf State Park, Alabama: Trails, Lakes, and Nature

Explore the freshwater side of Gulf State Park on the north side of the beach boulevard. Hike or bike the trails, fish, kayak, or canoe.

Ride or Walk Gulf State Park’s Trails

The 28-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail leads visitors throughout the park. The accessible biking trails are suitable for hikers and cyclists, and trailheads surround the park’s perimeter. Gulf Oak Ridge Trail sends you beneath live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Look for bobcats at Rosemary Dunes and alligators on the Gopher Tortoise Trail beside Lake Shelby. You may even see some baby alligators.

Ride your own bike from dawn to dusk daily. If you left your bike at home, download the free bike-sharing program, the Bloom Bike Share app, to ride one of the 50 free bicycles in the park for up to 3 hours. If you want to ride longer, several places offer bike rentals for all-day rides. R codes for the free bike share app and bike pickup are on signs throughout the park.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Don’t wear headphones while hiking in the park. None of the cyclists warned me before passing on the narrow trails. We would have collided if I hadn’t moved aside when I heard them approach.

Explore the Park’s Freshwater Lakes

Lake Shelby is the park’s largest lake at 592 acres. Middle Lake is 193 acres, and Little Lake is 39 acres. Lake Shelby and Middle Lake have boat ramps, and the park charges a fee to use them. Purchase a freshwater fishing license to catch bass, bream, catfish, speckled trout, redfish, and blue crab. Saltwater and freshwater blend at Lake Shelby’s weir, so the area attracts extra fish and bird species. Kayaks and a canal connect the three lakes, providing 900 acres for paddling.

Rent Paddleboards from Coastal Segway Adventures

The company also conducts Segway tours.

Paws in the Park at Lake Shelby

Let your dog run beneath the shade and beside Lake Shelby at the dog pond. Hours are 8 a.m. to sunset. Follow the park rules.

Watch Butterflies at the Butterfly Garden

 The butterfly garden is east of Little Lake. Nectar-producing and nurturing plants provide for each stage of butterfly and moth development. Enjoy the view from the benches and tables.

Expand your Coastal Alabama Flora and Fauna Knowledge at the Nature Center

Gulf State Park’s Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals native to the Gulf Coast region. Its goal is to inspire people to care for the local environment. Weekly programs include guided nature walks, beach walks, pier walks, and nature time. Most programs are free and open to the public. The center is in the Gulf State Park Campground. Those who are not staying in park lodging owe a small admission fee; otherwise, the park is free.

Where to Stay at Gulf State Park, Alabama

Disaster resurrected The Lodge at Gulf State Park. It died when Hurricane Ivan destroyed the original lodge. A different kind of disaster, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, provided funding for its reconstruction. However, the Hilton property is not the only park lodging option. You may also stay at the historic primitive and RV Eagle Cottages and the military-style tents at Outpost Campsites, a campground with laundry, a camp store, a swimming pool with a splash pad, and volleyball, horseshoe, tennis, and pickleball courts.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park

I requested a high floor on the Gulf side of the Lodge at Gulf State Park and made the right choice. Every night, I opened my balcony door and fell asleep to the sound of the breakers. Every morning, I watched the sun rise over the beach to the balcony’s left, and at night, I watched it leave a fiery trail in the Gulf to the right. If you’re on the other side, no worries- you’ll see Lake Shelby.

The Hilton hotel is committed to sustainability, and the signs explaining its sustainability features are fascinating to read. Hang out in the lobby, which opens onto a beachside patio. The east wall is covered with turtle tracks in the concrete. The infinity pool below my room seemed to blend seamlessly into the ocean, but those glorious white sand beaches separated it from the Gulf.

Check additional Gulf Shores/Orange Beach lodging options.

Four Places to Eat at Gulf State Park

GSP hosts several restaurants, or you can enjoy a picnic at the Lake Shelby Picnic Area on the shores of Lake Shelby. Three of the restaurants are at the Lodge, while Woodside Restaurant is on GSP’s park side.

Woodside Restaurant

Woodside Restaurant is near the park headquarters. The family-friendly, farm-to-table restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating, live music, a full bar, and giant games to entertain the kids. For breakfast, try the Cotton Bayou Croissant with fried eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, hash browns, or grits. Otherwise, try the Low Country Boil with Gulf shrimp, Conecuh sausage, red potatoes, country corn, cocktail sauce, and drawn butter.

Perch Restaurant

Reserve a table at Perch inside the Lodge for food with a side of sunsets. Split the Gulf Seafood Tower, including Champagne-poached Gulf shrimp, lobster tail, oysters, smoked Gulf fish salad, crab ceviche, green apple mignonette, spicy cocktail sauce, lemon, horseradish, and lavash. Drink the caramel-whipped cocktail: vanilla vodka, caramel, half and half, with coconut on the rim. Finish with a blueberry-apricot crisp topped with cinnamon-basil ice cream.

Foodcraft

Dine inside or outside at Foodcraft. Listening to the birds and breakers will enhance your meal. he restaurant offers a delicious breakfast buffet and is often very busy. Arrive well before you need to leave. Start the day with coffee and a Sunrise Mimosa, made with cava, grenadine, orange, and pineapple juice. For lunch, try the garlicky shrimp and grits, and for dinner, choose the oyster bar. Drink seasonal craft beer selections.

Roasted Oak

Roasted Oak in the lobby flips from a coffee bar by day to a wine bar by night. Drink the Sea Turtle Latte, with chocolate, caramel, and praline.

Conclusion

From its sugar-white beaches and acres of freshwater lakes to its extensive trail system, wildlife habitats, restaurants, and lodging, Gulf State Park, Alabama, offers far more than a typical beach destination. Whether you’re fishing from the pier, biking through the backcountry trails, watching sea turtles, or relaxing at The Lodge, you’ll find plenty of reasons to return. It’s one of the best places on Alabama’s Gulf Coast for outdoor recreation, coastal scenery, and unforgettable vacation memories.