Alabama’s Gulf Shores offer visitors a rousing range of things do both indoors and out. Work on your tan at the beautiful beaches. Have a picnic with your family at a scenic park. Explore wildlife preserves. Regardless of how you plan on spending your vacation, Gulf Shores has you covered.
If you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, a visit to one of the areas many history museums and art galleries might be in order. There are also numerous antique stores and quaint boutiques to support. Without question, Alabama’s Gulf Coast is well worth visiting, regardless of whether you’re an outdoorsy type or not.
The white sands of the Gulf Coast will beckon you to never leave. The turquoise waters , as stunning as they are, still only account for a fraction of what makes Alabama’s Gulf Shores so fantastic. Join Viewcation as we give you the rundown of the best things to do in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Hit Up The Beach
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t spend a day or so at the beach when visiting Alabama’s Golf Coast. If you’ve never been to a Gulf beach before, then you’re in for a treat. The sands are all bright as ivory while the water is this brilliant shade of emerald blue.
Take a stroll along the shore or stop and pause to build a sand castle. As you walk along the beach, you’ll see the colorful sails of windsurfers zooming on by. Kick back and relax on the beach to listen to the gentle, lulling sound of the waves rolling in.
If you’re looking for a wild place to spend spring break, look somewhere else. Back in the day, droves of vacationing college kids came out here to throw massive booze-fueled parties. Eventually, however, the locals got tired of all of the spring breakers, and the local government decided to put up ‘no alcohol’ signs. Since the police immediately began enforcing this rule, the number of drunken revelers quickly dropped, and the beaches have since been restored to their family-friendly status.
The no alcohol policy is only in effect for a few weeks in the spring, but it is worth noting that the beach’s ‘no tents and canopies’ policy is in effect year-long. That means, if you’re trying to shield yourself from the sun, you’ll need to tote in an umbrella instead.
Gulf Shores offers visitors miles of public beach access to enjoy. So, make sure you bring your towel and pack the sunscreen.
Take A Hike At The Orange Beach Waterfront Park
Overlooking Wolf Bay, this serene family-friendly park offers several paved walking paths, a lighted children’s park, a picnic area complete with grills, and a covered pavilion. We highly visiting the park’s 400-feet pier to catch a sunset.
Go Camping At Gulf State Park
The Outpost Campsites over at Gulf State Park offer guests campsites featuring cots and running water. Just bring you’re most comfortable sleeping bag or comforter, and you should be all set. Each campsite is also equipped with a canvas tent, bug net, and grill.
Near your campsite, you’ll find a myriad of hiking trails in addition to Gulf State Park Pier, miles of public beaches, countless water activities, and loads of other outdoor activities in and around town.
Take A Tour Of An Oyster Farm
If you’ve ever enjoyed slurping down these fresh seafood delicacies, then you should probably learn where they come from. A company called Whiteboots Charters offers visitors a tour of the Shellbanks Selects Oyster Farm. During your tour, you’ll ride aboard a flat-bottom boat while learning all about how these shelled sea creatures are raised.
After taking your tour, you more than likely will have worked up quite an appetitie. While, unfortunately, the tour doesn’t allow you to chow down on all of the oysters you come across, we do have a number of recommendations for where to eat in the Gulf Shores. Keep watching to see our top picks.
Grab A Bite To Eat
Our first dining recommendation is Woodside Restaurant which can be found in Gulf State Park. This is the perfect stop to make before or after jumping on the free bikes that can be found outside the restaurant and around the park.
Woodside is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you can either choose to sit inside or out on the large screened-in porch. There is also an entirely outdoors section that features games and a stage for live musical performances.
For seafood lovers, we highly recommend visiting DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen. A few of their standout dishes include the red royal shrimp, triggerfish, and oysters. Another standout seafood joint is Sea N Suds. It started in 1975 and since then has become a local institution. Not only is it a great spot to catch a sunset since it’s literally built right out into the water, but they also offer some genuinely delicious seafood-centric cuisine.
Last but not least, we’ve got to give a shout-out to Doc’s Seafood Shack, which has been serving up the best fried seafood in town since 1984.
Take Scuba Diving Lessons
If you’ve ever dreamed of learning how to swim with the fishes with a little help from an oxygen tank and a pair of flippers, then the good folks over at the Down Under Dive Shop will help make that dream a reality with the help of their Open Water Scuba Certification program.
There’s no need to book a flight out to the Bahamas or Hawaii to fulfill all of your scuba-diving dreams. You can learn how to dive while taking a family vacation to Alabama’s Gulf Shores.
Before making your reservations, you should know that you’ll need to complete the online portion of training first back at home. Once you’ve make your way out to the coast, that’s when you can take your pool and open water diving sessions with Down Under’s friendly and knowledgeable Divers.
Visit The Orange Beach Arts Center
The Orange Beach Arts Center features a place called The Hot Shop, which prides itself on being the only public-access glass-blowing studio in Alabama. Be on the lookout for “Live Glass Blowing” signs to get a rare peek into the life and creations of a working glass artist. While visiting, make sure you make a stop at the Clay Gallery, where you can make and paint pottery pieces.
Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail
Dating back to the days of Alabama’s earliest explorers. settlers and native peoples, this trail, which is open during daylight hours, offers hikers more than 15 miles of paved trails, which are lined with informative signs that highlight places of interest.
While exploring the trails, you’ll come upon sand dunes, swamps, marshes, a beautiful butterfly garden and maybe if you’re especially lucky, you’ll stumble upon the legendary “Catman”, who locals claim lurks in the woodlands. Maps of the trails are available on the park’s website.
The Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum
Located inside a century-old schoolhouse, the Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum has an impressive collection of hundreds of historical artifacts, relics, and memorabilia that date back to the region’s indigenous and nautical roots.
From old pieces of fishing and farming equipment to centuries-old arrowheads to old photographs that document some of the local families that helped settle the area, this is one museum that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the area that you’re visiting.
The Gulf Shores Museum
From learning about the daredevil exploits of hurricane hunters to hearing all about how local shrimpers helped put the Gulf Shores on the map, this museum offers guests an intimate look into the early days of Alabama’s Gulf Coast. There are several permanent and seasonally rotating exhibits to see, including the fantastic ‘Portrait of a Fishing Villlage’, ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ and ‘Pilot Town’ displays. After exploring the museum, be sure to take a stroll around the museum’s beautifully manicured garden.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Largely considered to be one of Alabama’s most impressive natural wonders, this 7,000+ acre wildlife sanctuary can be found along the Fort Morgan peninsula. There are miles of hiking trails to tackle as well as a few refuge beaches to appreciate. Every trail offers a unique adventure, and regardless of what season you visit, you’ll always see something new.
There are short, beginners-level trails to explore as well as longer more challenging hikes. For more info, be sure to check out the Wildlife Refuge’s website for a full rundown of activities and events.
The National Naval Aviation Museum
Located in the nearby town of Pensacola, Florida, which is just a short drive east of Mobile, this 300,000 square foot museum features more than 150 historic aircraft as well as thousands of artifacts and intriguing exhibits that focus on the history of aviation during the first and second World Wars as well as later battles like the Vietnam and Korean wars. Be sure to check the museum’s website to see when the world-famous Blue Angels flight team is scheduled to perform one of their amazing air shows.
The Foley Model Railroad Museum
Located in the town of Foley, this unique museum takes guests back to the height of the railroad era. The museum is situated inside an old railroad depot and features more than a quarter-mile of model railroad track with three different double-track routes. You’ll be blown away by the artistry and attention to detail that went into this fun and educational exhibit.
Pet A Kangaroo At The Gulf Coast Zoo
Alabama’s Gulf Coast Zoo is home to more than 500 species of exotic animals, including lemurs, sloths, kangaroos, pelicans, lions, and more. Many of the creatures on display are available for meet and greets. Take the zoo’s friendly, pint-size kangaroo Frodo for example. While giving him a few respectful head pets, you might feel tempted to take him home with you. Unfortunately, unless they’re a service animal, you can’t take marsupials on planes.
In addition to the petting zoo, you can meet creatures like tamanduas, reptiles, elephants, and dozens of species of marine life. This zoo packs in a ton of family-friendly activities, all rolled up into one affordable package. If you’re traveling with kids, a visit here is pretty much a no-brainer.
Well, there you have it. That about wraps up our rundown of the best things to do in Golf Shores, Alabama. Before you go, we’d love to hear from you.
Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting Alabama’s Gulf Shores? If so, what are your favorite attractions to do in and around the surrounding area? Let us know in the comments.