Absolutely phenomenal park!!! I am blown away! Gorgeous landscape, beautiful sunsets, the flora and fauna have me in awe. 28 miles of trails for biking and walking. I've spotted alligators, blue heron, turtles, lizards.. very cool! All the campsite hosts are friendly and our check-in was very easy and we were also greeted with welcoming service. We chose campsite number 479 right next to Mission Lake and the pedestrian bridge that takes you to the ocean. This campground is so clean, beautiful, and offers multiple bathrooms with showers and restrooms. The bathrooms are clean and the showers have enough space to shower and change. Each campsite I've seen has a dump station and water, which has come in handy. There's also Wi-Fi! There's also a restaurant on the campgrounds and tomorrow night we are going to listen to live music and have a few drinks. I've truly loved my stay here and would highly recommend it to anyone! We were only going to stay for four nights but we extended it to a week because we are having such a great time. read more

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The campground is located in a nice area for beach access as well as great bike trails. The campground has spacious sites with full hookups. The WiFi is not adequate for the entire campground and definitely needs a major upgrade. Spend some money on the WiFi upgrade to account for the fees associated with booking a campsite. read more

The park was well maintained. The campground had paved sites with easy access to trails. The trails connect and are well marked. There were lots of amenities at the campsite. The staff was friendly. Something to do for everyone! Close to stores, restaurants, and local attractions. read more

Gulf State Park - Parks Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

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This was the first year the state park had a walkable Christmas trail of lights and I can only imagine that it will only improve. The people working at the greeting tent were very friendly and helpful. This is a very family event with a scavenger hunt and large trails. I will participate every year. read more

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I spent Tuesday-Thursday of May 2025 at Gulf State Park at The Outpost Campground at the Bonanza site with my mom and two aunts. The site was a 1.1 mile walk in on Cotton Bayou Trail which is a paved bike path. We parked by the Orange Beach water tower by the Cotton Bayou Trailhead in the overflow parking area. You have to first drive into Gulf Shores to enter the campgrounds main entrance to get the key to the bathrooms, your parking pass, and a map of the state park. This part was very frustrating for us as the woman working that day was very confused at us needing to check in (no clue why) and ultimately gave a lot of attitude and misinformation and tried to send us on our way without the bathroom key or maps. She handed us instructions on how to get to the parking area for The Outpost sites, which was in Orange Beach. We brought rolling coolers and a wagon to carry everything. I would suggest renting a bike nearby and bringing your stuff in behind your bike (not sure how plausible that is though). I do wish I had a bike here though as Gulf State Park has some awesome bike trails. The place seemed rundown as ours seemed to be the only functioning tent setup as two were completely taken down, and one's screen was completely broken. I will say the screen to our tent was broken and it was poorly duct-taped back together, causing us to get eaten alive by yellow flies. You could tell no one had stayed there in a while and that it was rundown as I previously stated. The water pump pumped very irony and sulfury water, so we didn't use it at all. There had been trash left in the sinks, empty water bottles. The shower was soo cute but sadly it didn't work. We tried to pump it and no water ever came out. The toilets were in little outhouses that were like port-a potty's. They hadn't been emptied and had trash in them when we arrived, they came at 7 am on our final morning to clean the toilets but still didn't throw out the trash left in there. The wood that was provided cost $1 for 2 sticks. We ended up also collecting our own sticks and pine cones to help with the fire. The fire pit didn't come with a poker or anything but made it work. There were 3 benches around the fire pit in addition to the two chairs on the porch that could be brought out to the sand. We very much enjoyed having a tent already set up for us with 4 cots inside. The cots were great for sleeping in the heat. There is a light switch and a light that didn't work, it looked like solar used to be set up there. There were some small solar lights in the sand that were great to have at night. On Wednesday, we went to the Gulf State Park Pavilion and paid $10 to park, not realizing our parking pass worked there. It was a great place to lay in the sand on the beach and then take a shower and use an air conditioned toilet. We then drove into town to eat at my all time favorite pizza joint- Papa Rocco's- for pizza and oysters which was delicious. Other than that we ate all of our meals at camp- mostly cured meats and cheeses, hot dogs, meat sticks, yogurts, and hard boiled eggs. Overall we had a great time spending family time outside together and in the beach town we grew up near (they're from Mobile and I'm from Baldwin county). I would definitely come back and pitch a tent in the main campground, but as far as the outpost sites, I think one time was enough for me lol. read more

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All great. We rented pedal assist e bikes and bike around the trails circling lake Shelby and middle lake.. lunch at the woodside restaurant was fabulous. Highly recommended even if you're not a biking person the peddle assist bikes can do most of the heavy work.. read more

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Wonderful trails for walking or biking alo g this beautiful stretch of seashore. This is a great trail system!

The sound of the waves... The smell of the sea..... The soar of the birds..... The cleanliness of the beach as well as the park in general.... Perfection..... The trails are well kept and even with the afternoon thunderstorms they are clear of obstacles. They have a free bike program if you do not have your own. read more

Gulf State Park - During thru - Parks Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

Friendly staff. Plenty of sites to choose from. Walking distance to the beach. Pool, free bikes, boat ramp and nice clean bathhouses. Best state park ever! read more

One of the best trail systems I have seen in the south! I have been missing the awesome trails in Denver and this is on par. read more

Just beautiful. You can just "be" here. Learning about the habitat is easy and fun. They have great trails and a free bike program. I hate to leave. read more

Gulf State Park - Parks Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

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This place is very cool, lots to do for the whole family! Not too far from the drag and the beach! They have local wildlife experts to show you about the local wildlife and help you learn about new things. The only knock is it is pricey for a state park and they could communicate a little better for first timers that might not know what to do. read more

I would recommend this park for the playground alone but there is so much more we didn't get to explore. We were here on spring break from Wisconsin and needed a small break from the beach. We hiked the board walk and played at the playground which was the perfect little morning activity. They rent bikes at the pavilion and we would definitely do that next time to take a ride around the whole lake- scenery is beautiful. read more

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#firsthike was so good today! After all these years coming to Gulf Shores, I never took the time to explore Gulf State Park! We did a short hike, 2 miles to to the dog park where Bear met a friend named Latté and then 2 miles back. It was great to get out and explore. #bearyyythorne read more

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Fishing Weir? I have driven right past this little area over the years without giving it much attention, like many other folks on this well traveled road. It's Hwy 135 which is cut-through between Beach Hwy and Fort Morgan Rd cutting through Gulf State Park. It's a waterway on the western part of Lake Shelby, which is a 900-acre freshwater lake with a recreation area with picnic tables and pavilions so if you're looking for some lakefront time it's right here and it's only steps away from the Gulf of Mexico, just across the street :-) They have continued to improve this area over the years, which got a big facelift starting in 2019 and since hurricane Sally they have really stepped it up. There used to be a small sign next to the small pull-off that marked it is a "weir" which I had to research. What I found was interesting and once again satsfied the hmmmmm of another one of those things that make me go hmmmmmm LOL A fishing weir, fish weir, fishgarth or kiddle is an obstruction placed in tidal waters, or wholly or partially across a river, to direct the passage of, or trap fish. A weir may be used to trap marine fish in the intertidal zone as the tide recedes, fish such as salmon as they attempt to swim upstream to breed in a river, or eels as they migrate downstream. Alternatively, fish weirs can be used to channel fish to a particular location, such as to a fish ladder. Weirs were traditionally built from wood or stones. The use of fishing weirs as fish traps probably dates back prior to the emergence of modern humans, and have since been used by many societies across the world. So there it is, a weir :-) Does the whole weir concept work, well I'v seen people fishing there all the time now and I've seen pictures of 20+ pound black drums pulled out of this area, so obviously it really does work. The whole area has an improved bike trail, improved parking and walkways with information on signs on both sides of the bridge. It looks pretty nice and this time of the year the sunrises are very pretty here Bottom line: I'm not going to be pulling up a chair and cooler up the the waters edge of the water in this relatively small space where gators might decide to fish for me x-) Nope! Are there gators present? https://youtu.be/2k2SOHQ9pfY comment: the guy in that video either can't read or is just a nitwit, just sayin' ... read more

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Probably one of the better state parks I've been to in a while. They provide bikes free of charge for the first 3 hours of use. They aren't great, but they're free. A ton of trails to explore. We only explored a tiny percentage of the trails available. Decent beach. Good nature center with animals and demonstrations. Nice RV and camping areas. A restaurant we didn't try but smelled good. There really is a lot of good about the park. read more

The idea of the dog park was good in theory but I don't quite understand the fencing situation (or lack there of). If there are signs posted about not feeding alligators why would you have the dog park open to the water?! My dogs loved it but I was terrified they were going to be eaten.... I hate giving such a nice facility a 3 star review but the alligator thing freaked me out. read more

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A beautiful well kept state park! Camping, a lodge, with cabin and cottage rentals too, offer a stay option for everyone. I have camped here and rented a lakeside cottage and both have been excellent and fun vacation "homes". The park has a big beautiful pool and splash pad! They have a fun nature center with a lot of animals to see, my daughter loved it. Lots of activities for kids to participate in, a beautiful playground, and a ton of trails for walking and bike riding, and so much beautiful nature all around! There is a great restaurant on site with delicious food! I would definately recommend a family vacation here! read more

Beautiful sugary white sand beaches, miles and miles of bike paths, swimming, kayaking, boating, fishing and much more! All in a well/maintained park. It's no wonder people love coming here. I sure do and look forward to visit again! read more

What an amazing campground. Plus, great area. Friendly people and campers. The office staff were amazing, helpful and fun. Campsites were clean, grounds were kept nice and campsites were level - no need for additional levelers. Lots and lots of trails - great for those that enjoy walking or biking. Bathrooms were the cleanest I have ever been in. Only a few things that might improve the campground - adding a dog park, replacing the burned out lightbulbs at the dock area and adding more dumpsters (the only one they have is @ 20 minutes walk from a lot of sites). I would definitely like to return here again. It was a wonderful experience. :) read more

This place is just meh. Coming from the other side of Mobile Bay, it's hard to get to, and when you do get there it's just a paved pathway with no shade trees after the Visitor's Center. You basically walk a very narrow path for miles as some sort of balancing act between the wetlands where you feel a gator may jump out and eat you at any time, and the few feet of guard rail that barely separates you from speeding traffic. And as ever anywhere I go in Alabama, the map is non-existent or poor, and there are no signs pointing to the restroom facilities. Grr. The part next to the dog park with actual shade trees, picnic benches, a beautiful view of whatever body of water that was, and the cute little duckies was nice, but perhaps not worth the trip. Although kudos to whoever put in that very nice dog park. It's super cool with access to the water (watch out for gators though!) and a hose to wash off your muddy pup. But again, perhaps not worth the 2-hour trip across the bay. read more

We rented a cabin in the lake here. We will do so again. We are a family of 4 including two small kids (6 and 9) and our dog. The cabin was plenty spacious. It was a bit dated but we just thought of it as "part of roughing it" There is a nice pier that we fished from. The water is pretty shallow close to the bank and we let the kids play there. There were tons of crabs in and around the pier bottom. I didn't let them play if they couldn't see their feet under the water or near the grasses ... there are gators in the lake. We road our bikes down many paved and easy paths. Great outdoors and fun. The dog park was also really nice. Other people were there but everyone was friendly. It has plenty of space for our pup to run and play in the water. We took our dog and read more

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This is a great park. They have free bikes that you can use in the park. The dog park is wonderful. It looks brand new. They have a brand new bathroom area with plenty of picnic tables, play ground, etc. We were there in December so didn't go to the beach area but it looks nice. I would love to come back here in a warmer month. There seems to be some great cottages to rent as well. read more

Beautiful park with multiple lakes, an awesome dog area, and free bike rentals. It's pretty amazing the park is home to manatees, bob cats, alligators, all kinds of birds, turtles, and other animals. Wonderful for a 10 mile bike ride or for enjoying time near the lake. read more

Gulf State Park - Parks Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

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Walking into this nature center while camping here, they did not charge us any money to look around, its free-they had live snakes, tarantula, baby alligators also stuffed critters such as beaver, bear and a cougar etc.. Very cool to see them-its only one room but nice people working in here- Check it out- Kids love it! read more

$5 to park for 4 hours, $10 for whole day. Pedestrian bridge to cross over. The park is a lot bigger than I thought. Good for hiking. Lots of campers in RVs. We also saw a lot of bikers and people on scooters. Since we were limited on time, I want to explore the park more next time. What I saw. I like. 280/2019 read more

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Amazing bike trails! Pier! Pool! Great management. In the heart of gulf shores but isolated nature preserve that is immaculate. read more

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Wonderful state park with nicely spaced sites (you don't feel like you're elbow to elbow with other campers), nice shower/bath houses, and miles of trails for walking/biking. Would definitely stay there again. The only thing they could improve on is the information provided at check-in. It was our first time there and we weren't given a map of the park to help locate our site, had to go back and ask for one. read more

This is such a beautiful park located on the Redneck Riveria! Amidst the condominium high rises on the gulf shores of Alabama sits this piece of beautiful undisturbed land. When I came here, it was right after a quite active hurricane season. We weren't sure we'd even be able to camp out here, but the website let us know about openings, and they were good about communicating what was happening with the reopening of the park following heavy winds and flooding. When we arrived, they had just completed the repairs. Our campsite BBQ pit had never been used before. The old one must have been crushed or blown away! The clerk while checking in wasn't quite helpful, but we got the reservations straightened out after some considerable difficulties on their end. The park is on the other side of the freeway from the seashore. We camped on a lake that was within a few hundred meters from the shore. We could hear the waves breaking on the beach. When arriving we drove past signs that reminded campers to not disturb or harass the alligators. Check. At night we saw other campers with powerful spotlights sweeping the surface of the waters looking for gators' eyes reflecting back. Showers were nice and they had plenty of hot water. Things were well lit and the park felt safe, other than the alligators. But we didn't have to wrestle any gators, so that was a plus. Across the highway is the seashore with white sand that's amazingly soft. They have a big structure that seems to have showers and a fireplace in it, with plenty of parking. You have to pay for parking, unless you're a guest at the park. Pets aren't allowed on the beach. The beach is beautiful and a fantastic place to find shells! read more

I don't go to the beach here during the peak season, but during the off season it is awesome. No crowds, great walks on the beach and the trails along with the boardwalks. Park is well maintained in all aspects. Cost to park is $5.00. The bath and shower houses are also clean. There is a bike borrowing location here as well although we haven't done that since we have our own. There is a snack counter open during the peak season, but closed right now. You do have to watch the bikers on the boardwalks since they don't all practice good biking etiquette and would just as soon run over you. Most of these people are not locals. All in all one of the best state parks in Alabama. read more

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Gulf State Park is just more beautiful spot to add to the long list of amazing places to see in Gulf Shores, AL. We visited the pier and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the beautiful Gulf. I would check several Yelp reviews as the Gulf State Park has much more to offer than we had time to utilize. The area is well maintained and very scenic. There is ample parking and lots of people were fishing off the pier with their families and friends. read more

Gulf State Park - Parks Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

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My opinion is based solely on the campground. We pulled up and asked if we could drive in to pick a spot. They will not allow you in until you pay and reverse a specific spot. That's a first. The lady was super rude about it too. The man working the next day was even worse. He was condescending and flat out rude to the older lady that was working along side of him that morning. We've stayed at many state park campgrounds and this experience wasn't a good first impression of Alabama State Parks. We were there in August and expected it to be hot, but we expected to find a few mature shade trees here and there. Wrong. There aren't any. We had a late check-in and planned on staying at least one other night, but it just wasn't what I expected. Another thing that I didn't find there, was a beach or even a view of the ocean on the property. Where are the photos coming from of the ocean? Deceiving. We didn't take advantage of the nature center, pool or the apparent clean bathrooms, so I can't comment in that area. There are too many other campgrounds nearby with better views and shade tree. Even at better rates. read more

We had a great time biking the trails at Gulf State Park on our recent trip to the Gulf Shores area. This state park features miles of trails that run through marshland, around a lake, and to the beach. The area is beautiful and well-maintained. It's also a great spot for bird watching and we saw a gator too! You can rent bikes at the park or bring your own. There is a restaurant onsite in the park with outdoor seating. We didn't eat there, but tables were well-spaced out and staff were wearing masks. If you have an RV, there's also a very nice campground. The park also has cabins for rental. We were there on a cloudy, colder day (high 50s), but will return someday when it is warmer and the flowers are in bloom. read more

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Gulf State Park is super fun. We parked off the beach access road and walked across the boardwalk, enjoying the summer breeze. Later, we went back and paid the $2 per vehicle to get into the campground area that had the Nature Center. It was SO WORTH IT! The Nature Center is super cool and they even have some non-releasable rescues like Homer the Box Turtle and a stunning and sweet owl named Willow (also Hawkeye and Sherlock). Highly recommend a visit to this state park! read more

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This park has something for everyone! The maze of decking the winds through the marshes and wet lands carved a web of meandering opportunity for us and the other families- to be one with our bikes! We were able to experience every type of terrain and plant species. The quiet bogs backdropped the alligator who calmly floated along side of the bridge we rest. The park is complete with cabins rustic and modern, campsites and the RV style. It has a nature center and a restaurant which host Interactive events and entertainment such as comedians ! Next time we return we will be sure to make the cabin accommodations part of our vacation. Thank you Gulf Shores for the hard work and many efforts to upkeep this for your community! All of us from Indiana will be back to enjoy read more

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It's our 1st Family trip at RV and to this campground . Highly Recommend for families with kids and pets. If you liked hiking, they have around campground lot of hiking trails . You can see alligators, and different animals from wild nature . Access to public beach, you can drive with you bicycle or your vehicles and parking for free at the beach parking lot (if you camping at Gulf park campground). Service great. Nice place to enjoying your vacation. Will be booking for next our trip !!! read more

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This makes me so sad....the electric bikes and bikes have taken over this trail. I used to enjoy walking my dog here and now I have to be on my guard the whole time...because all of these elderly people on bikes sneak up on you and don't say anything when the pass. The last few times I've been here, we've had close calls with those electric bike geezers, they almost hit me and my dog. I absolutely hate this trail now. read more

The campground is amazing!! I luckily got a spot close to the bathroom, although there are many bathrooms throughout the entire grounds. There are tons of trails & beautiful scenery around. We were one of the only tents but it was very accommodating for whatever camping lifestyle you choose. Very easy entry & exit. Amazing pool, nature center, and lakeside camp store. The nature center has amazing LIVE wildlife inside and underneath of the building (the birds). Very family friendly, but also a good park to go and relax at with your significant other. There were trails all the way to the beach & free bike rentals to use around the entire state park!!! If you didn't want to ride to the beach (~1.5 miles) each campsite receives a free parking at the beach! Definitely recommend checking out this park, and we 100% will be back! read more

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We have always loved the Gulf State Park, but recently notice the influx of power assist bikes flooding the trails. What was once a calm relaxing walk in the park has now become tensely watching out for groups of power assist bikes flashing by. I don't think the 10 mph speed limit is being adjered to. Don't know the solution, but trying not to get run down is now the constant focus of walks. read more

We stayed at the campground for 7 days. The weather was perfect! The campground is clean and the bathhouses are air conditioned. No complaints from us in regards to the facilities and how nice all the park staff was. You also get free pier access, pool access, and free entry to the public beach access! There is also a splash pad to cool off on if the pool water is not refreshing enough (it is kinda warm)! If you are looking for a beach vacation in your camper, I would highly recommend this park. read more