Take a beach trip to Gulf Shores Alabama and you’ll leave with memories to last a lifetime! This beautiful “Small Town, Big Beach” is located on the tiny sliver of Alabama that touches the Gulf of Mexico, about 34 miles west of Pensacola, Florida. Although it’s growing in popularity, the town tries hard to keep its small-town vibes while still offering a great beach (and more!) experience for the whole family.
The town’s location also puts you within driving distance of several other amazing attractions that are afternoon or day-trip worthy, the best of which we will highlight here.
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Four "Worth Your Time and Dime" Things To Do on Your Beach Trip to Gulf Shores:
The Beach
I mean, who couldn’t use a little more of this in their life? And the silky white sands of Gulf Shores are meticulously cared for by the city, with just enough shells for hard-core treasure hunters but still soft on the feet.
There’s always a chance to see dolphins and other wildlife from the shore, but you may have to drive into Orange Beach for bigger excursions like this dolphin and sunset cruise. However, since Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are so close to each other (about 7 miles), separated only by Gulf State Park, it’s really no big deal to make the drive part of your beach trip.
The Little Lagoon
The Little Lagoon is a must-do on your Gulf Shores beach trip. It’s hard to miss as you drive down West Beach Boulevard, the beach is on one side of the road and the Little Lagoon is on the other. There are several access points to the lagoon for kayaking, fishing, and small boats, and you may even consider booking a rental property on the lagoon instead of on the beach. The rent will be cheaper and the lagoon gets the sunsets! Try this link to Booking.com for a wide-ranging list of rental options for your beach trip!
The Hangout and Hangout Fest
I would be completely remiss if I didn’t talk about The Hangout and Hangout Fest. Hangout Fest is an annual multi-day, high-end music festival held in the spring on the Gulf Shores public beach next to the Hangout, and it packs this small town! Check this link for the current year’s lineup and ticket info, and be prepared to plan early ’cause tickets and accommodations sell out fast!
The Hangout is a large open-air live-music seafood restaurant set on the beach in the heart of Gulf Shores. It has nightly live music, activities for the kids, and several bars for the adults, making it a perfect place to spend an evening or two on your beach trip to Gulf Shores.
Gulf State Park and The Pier
Gulf State Park and the fishing pier offer a plethora of outdoor activities on and off the water including hiking, fishing, biking, camping, paddling, and swimming. Don’t miss this opportunity to get up close with the coastal wildlife (if that’s your thing) and enjoy some of the beautiful on and off-beach park activities.
FOUR Worth Your Time and Dime Things To Do NEAR Gulf Shores:
Alligator Alley in nearby Summerdale
If you’re looking for a little beach break, I highly recommend a trip to Alligator Alley. The drive from Gulf Shores is about 25 miles and very much worth your morning or afternoon! This home to hundreds of alligators offers the opportunity to watch feedings, throw treats to the alligators yourself, see alligators in all stages of development, have hands-on experiences, and safely walk through their swamp lands to see the gators in their natural habitat.
The Wharf in Orange Beach
The Wharf is a waterfront shopping area about 7 miles from Gulf Shores that comes complete with a Ferris Wheel, summer and holiday nighttime laser-light show, a stellar view of some stellar yachts, an amphitheater and movie theater, and of course lots of boutiques, eateries and drinkeries. If you’re staying in Gulf Shores for any length of time, you should really spend at least one evening here, and that goes for couples, families, and singles alike.
Fort Morgan
For anyone who has any interest at all in historical structures and/or history, it’s worth the 22-mile drive to Fort Morgan, a National Historic Landmark. The fort is famous for its role in the Battle of Mobile Bay, and it’s the location where Admiral David Farragut yelled the famous battle cry, “Damn the torpedos…..Full speed ahead!” Spend part of a day here for a change of scenery and a bit of self-guided or tour-based education on your beach trip.
Flora-Bama
Flora-Bama is an indoor-outdoor live-music beach bar 12 miles east of Gulf Shores, and it’s famous for Bushwackers, great entertainment, and being the setting for the reality series “Floribama Shore”. The bar is a great change of scenery for a night (or all day) out! Just beware, starting at 6 pm you have to be 18 to be in the bar, and at 6 pm they also start collecting a cover.
FOUR More Things To Know Before You Go:
- It would be near impossible to list all the great activities and eateries that are available for your beach trip to Gulf Shores! But if I had to narrow things down, honorable mentions for more things to do within the town include The Track Fun Park, Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf, and the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
- If you’re a lover of seafood and cozy fall beach days, you’ll want to plan your beach trip to Gulf Shores in October to participate in their Annual National Shrimp Festival. Yum, Yum, Yum, and the live entertainment is pretty good too!
- Save yourself a costly ticket and take note of this: Gulf Shores imposes a ban on all alcohol on the beach during the weeks of Spring Break.
- The parking situation has improved in recent years, but unless you get really lucky, you’ll probably have to pay to park if you’re going to drive to the public beach.
TIP:
If you’re driving south through Alabama to get to Gulf Shores, consider stopping in Cullman, Alabama at the Ave Marie Grotto for a unique place to stretch your legs.