Gulf State Park - Gulf Shores, AlabamaGulf State Park is an outdoor paradise on the Gulf of Mexico in Baldwin County Alabama. Though the most popular areas of the park are in Gulf Shores, the park actually stretches into Orange Beach. The entire park covers 6,500 acres. The crown jewel of Gulf State Park is the 2 1/2 miles of sugar white sand beaches. But what makes the park truly unique is Lake Shelby, which is thought to be the closest freshwater lake to saltwater in the world. Certainly, few places in the world can a fisherman pull a fish out of the ocean and walk across the street and catch largemouth bass and bluegills. Lake Shelby at 750 acres is the largest of three lakes within Gulf Shores State Park. The three lakes are connected by canals.
The enormously popular Gulf State Park Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. Both coastal residents and frequent beach visitors are anxiously awaiting the day that the new pier is open for business. The new pier at 1,512 feet long is about twice the length of the old one and 50% wider. Plans are being made to turn the old pier into artificial fishing reefs to attract more fish species to the new pier. The new pier will be 250 feet east of the old one.
The new pier will no doubt recapture the honor of being the most popular fishing spot on the Alabama Gulf Coast. The old pier attracted 250,000 fisherman and sightseers each year, drawing as many as 5,000 on the busiest days. It will be interesting to see how far the new one exceeds the numbers of the old one. For those wondering what can be caught from the pier, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, sheepshead, redfish, flounder, whiting, bluefish, pompano, cobia, and bonito are just a few of the fish that might grab your hook. Occasionally what you can see is more unusual that anything you can catch. Not far before Hurricane Ivan, those fortunate enough to be on the pier at the time saw a whale. Manatees have also been sighted close to the pier. A new beach pavilion has recently opened near the pier. This pavilion, with restrooms and a large number of shaded picnic tables, is a nice addition to Gulf State Park. There is a charge to park your car, but no charge to use the facilities. Gulf Shores State Park is a haven for those who like to bring their motor homes and camper to the beach. At peak seasons the 496 camp sites are all occupied. Campers at the park camp without "roughing it." The park has very nice bathhouses. For those without campers, 20 cabins are on the grounds. Four cabins are in the forests and the rest are on the lake. One of the nicest amenities of the cabins are the piers. Fishing is great at Lake Shelby, especially from early spring until late fall. Reserve early: 251-948-7275.
The park offers a good swimming area, along with fishing and picnic tables. There is a small fee (per person) to use this area. Inside this park is a concession stand that sells snacks, supplies, and fishing bait. With a fishing permit alone, you can fish the other areas of the park like this fisherman who is waiting for a big catfish.
The park is part of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. Within the park there are six sites dedicated to bird watching. Birding draws thousands of people to the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is possible to see literally hundreds of bird species on one vacation. Casual wildlife observers enjoy watching the big birds like great blue herons, ospreys and brown pelicans. For the golfer, Gulf State Park has an 18-hole course with a pro shop and snack bar.
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