Gulf State Park at Gulf Shores Alabama is the place to go to for lots of family activities. Dip your toes in the ocean and follow along.
The Beach
The beach is a great way for children of all ages to have fun together - young and old equally love to play in the sand and water. But as much as we'd like our babies to live forever without developing any new skills, they grow quickly - so enjoy them while you can. Playing with your kids on the beach may be one of the most special memories you'll ever have with your family, so making memories with your little ones is what it's all about. Gulf State Park offers 3.5 miles of beautiful white sandy beaches.
If you're going to be spending a lot of time on the beach, be sure to check out Ike’s Beach Service at the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion or the Lodge. They offer a wide range of services, including beach equipment rentals, activities, and amusements. Parasailing adventures, paddleboard and kayak rentals, as well as beach wheelchair rentals, are all available.
Gulf State Park pier
The Gulf State Park pier is another great outing for families. The pier is a great place to fish, day or night. There are lots of fish to be caught at the Gulf State Park pier. Just make sure you have a fishing license and you know what type of fish you can catch for the time of year. The pier is open every day of the year. Fishing license info can be found on the Alabama Department of Conservation website.
In addition to being a place to go fishing, you can also take classes on how to fish at Angler Academy at the base of the pier. For $15 per person for two hours, you can get lessons on how to cast, rig your line, tie knots and tune your equipment so that you are ready to catch some fish. And if you want additional instruction on specific types of fishing, the gulf offers many opportunities for different types of fishing including fishing for flounder, redfish, trout and more.
Geocaching
Gulf State Park offers geocaches on its trails and roads, making it super easy to enjoy your day out hiking with family and friends while trying to discover these little treasures.
If you are not familiar with geocaching, it is an outdoor activity using global positioning systems (GPS) or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers called "geocaches" or "caches". Geocachers navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache located at that spot.
When they find it, they sign their names in the logbook inside the cache and if there is room, exchange the cache as well as one of their own trackables for another item hidden in the container. Once you have found a geocache site, look around! There may be more than one nearby. You can spend as much time as you want on your search so plan for a fun outing no matter how long you stay!
Hiking & Bicycling
There are 28 miles of paved trails or boardwalks at Gulf State Park that will give your family a great opportunity to get some exercise while enjoying nature at its best. These trails meander through the park's beautiful wooded areas as well as giving you a chance to enjoy one of Alabama's most scenic attractions - Lake Shelby!
The trails can be accessed from most areas of the park. The southernmost part of the trails begins at Gulf State Park Lodge, next to the pool area. From there it is about a 1/2 mile walk down to Lake Shelby where some access points are located. Other trails accessible from the Lodge area are found on the far end of Big Lagoon.
The trails are open to hikers and bikers from dawn to dusk. There is no fee or trail pass required for entrance into the trails.
You bring your own bikes or if you do not have one with you can rent a bike from Beach Bike Rentals at the Campstore located near the Nature Center and Pool.
Education at Gulf State Park
Education at Gulf State Park is one of the most important aspects to the preservation of gulf state park's natural resources.
The Interpretive Center is Alabama's most environmentally-friendly building. It was designed to make the building itself a learning experience. The structure was built with recycled and sustainable materials. It is heated by solar energy and lit by natural light day and night. Buildings like this make Gulf State Park one of the most ecologically sensitive parks in Alabama. Come learn how the facility produces its own electricity and water and explore the park's nine ecosystems through a variety of family-friendly interactive exhibits before you hit the trails.
Gulf State Park's Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals that are native to the Gulf Coast region. They have many different animal ambassadors, including owls, turtles, alligators, snakes, and more! The Nature Center also has a beautiful butterfly garden. You can even purchase caterpillars and watch them transform into butterflies!
Eating & Drinking
The gulf state park is home to many great locations for dining during your stay.
Woodside restaurant offers the most upscale dining experience within Gulf State Park, offering an airy atmosphere with views of both the gulf and rustic wood interiors perfect for a romantic dinner.
Perch Bar and Terrace offers gulf-themed American cuisine paired with beautiful views of the gulf right from their patio seating area overlooking the beach.
Foodcraft is located in The Lodge just down the path from the pool area where they offer grab n' go snacks as well as prepared salads, sandwiches, gourmet coffee drinks, and more.
At Roasted Oak you can enjoy coffee during the day and wine, beer, and cocktails during the evening.
Also located on the gulf front are The Dragonfly and ByWater Beachside Bar & Grill (Gulf Pier).
Paradise Snow offers over 30 flavors of Hawaiian shaved ice and Nathans all-beef hotdogs, boiled peanuts and cold drinks.
Anna's Cafe located within the camp store offers breakfast sandwiches, burritos, coffee beverages, ice cream treats, and more.
Kona Ice is a soft-serve ice cream truck that visits gulf state park daily offering summertime treats to everyone who passes by!
On weekends during the spring and summer season, Efe's Greek Kitchen will be visiting Gulf State Park with authentic Greek cuisine items such as gyros, baklava, and grape leaves.
Also on weekends, Paradise Snow will be visiting gulf state park to offer both gulf-front and gulf-side sno-kone cups to cool off with!
Whether you're looking for a quick snack, a gulf front dining experience, or somewhere else to eat around gulf state park there is something for every taste bud!
Picnic
If you want to head out on a picnic, you'll find hundreds of picnic tables scattered throughout Gulf State Park. There are also several shelters which you can rent, that offer covered seating with electricity and running water. So you can grill up your favorite burgers or brats along with hot dogs while watching the kids play in the sand at the same time!
There are several vending machines located throughout Gulf State Park but always ask about bringing personal food into any Alabama state park. Remember - it is illegal to take glass bottles into any beach area in Alabama!
Gulf State Park Information
Gulf State Park is open 24 hours daily. There are no closing times - so you can hike, swim or camp anytime during the day and night!
The park is located in Gulf Shores, 20115 State Park Road.
For more information give them a call at (251) 948-7275.
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