As the most visited state park in the Alabama state park system, Gulf State Park is truly a treasure! There are so many activities to enjoy when visiting this 6,150 acre park.
The RV park has 496 sites from tent camping to full hook up. Most all of the sites are paved and adjoin the biking/hiking trails.
Wendy and I love to bike and we thoroughly enjoyed the beach and biking/hiking trails. There are 28+ miles of paved trails with many pull offs for scenic viewing. If you don’t have or want to bring a bike with you there are bike’s available at no charge at the park office. One pull off spot had a viewing of a bald eagles nest which was very interesting as there were 2 eaglets in the nest. We observed the nest for a while and did get to see them as they popped up and down. While we were there observing, we met an interesting family from Louisiana that moved to the area recently. They told us they came just about every day to see what was happening with the eagle family. They told us the father eagle protected the nest and witnessed it keeping hawks away. While they also saw the mother eagle bringing food.
Also on the trail you can see a few great water views Lake Shelby. We enjoyed a picnic lunch next to one of the best views of the fresh water lake. There were many tables available along the shoreline.
Another part of the park is actually beach front with an expansive pavilion for a picnic with restrooms available. We particularly enjoyed the beach. For us the weather was perfect as we like a little cooler 75 degree temperature on the beach.
Gulf state park is truly a gem and definitely worth your time to visit!
Another fun excursion was visiting “Bama Hinge”, which is a replica of England’s Stonehenge. Located in Elberta it’s about 19 miles from the park. It was built by a man named Mark Cline for billionaire George Barber. Also, located along the Barber parkway are replica dinosaurs hidden just beyond the tree line with narrow walkways. This would be a perfect “dino hunt” for your kids and grandkids! Near the end of the parkway there are hidden knights in the woods and a giant spider on the lawn. And don’t miss the Lady in the Bay sculpture at the marina! And the best part of this adventure is… it’s all free!
There were several putt putt golf courses in the area and the OWA water and amusement park in nearby Foley. Wendy and I thoroughly enjoyed the annual Foley Hot Air balloon festival located at OWA. It is held each year in early May. There were food booths, arts and crafts booths and live music for the event. The “glow” was our favorite part as the balloon pilots released propane that lit the fire to make each balloon light up once twilight fell. Children aged 5-12 were able to go up in several balloon’s that were tethered, free of charge. We agree with the Alabama Department of Tourism in that the Foley Balloon festival is consistently one of the top events in the state each year!
There was no shortage of great food in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area. We especially enjoy the fried shrimp from Doc’s Seafood, the best salad bar hands down is found at Wolf Bay Restaurant (lunch time is special) and the down home cooking with an added homemade “throwed roll” from Lambert’s Cafe.
All in all we highly recommend the Gulf Shores, Alabama area for one of your planned destinations!!