Gulf State Park, Alabama
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
When you rent an RV in Alabama you have to visit Gulf State Park next to the city of Gulf Shores. The state park offers two miles of beaches and some of the most beautiful sights and wildlife in the entire Southern United States.
This place is an RVer’s paradise, too, with plenty of things to do outdoors, plenty of places to eat and relax, and more camping sites than you’ll ever need. With all this in mind, we wanted to provide you with all of the details you could need to have the best possible vacation in Gulf State Park. Here’s what you need to know about RVing this amazing Alabama state park.
The reason that many people visit Gulf State Park is for the beaches. They feature beautiful white sand and stretch about three and a half miles. The beaches stretch between Gulf Shores and the Beach Pavilion all the way to Orange Beach, Alabama.
Visitors to the beach surf, fish, swim, relax in the sand, and more. The beaches are a fantastic place to take your family and relax, play games, see wildlife, and generally enjoy the outdoors. There are numerous access points to the beach which are listed below. Some include both parking and restroom facilities while others only provide parking.
To learn more about the beaches, check out the Beaches section of the park’s website.
If you’re a hiker or a cyclist you should check out the various trails that are available in Gulf State Park. Many of the trails are paved while others will be unpaved. There are also boardwalk trails or portions of trails that are boardwalk.
The difficulty of all of these trails is very easy, so you and the whole family, no matter their abilities should be able to enjoy them.
Here’s a look at all of the trails, according to the park’s website:
It’s important to note that Gulf State Park has a very clear Trail Etiquette and Safety Information on its website.
If you want to be well-received by the park’s regular patrons and staff, you should try your best to abide by the guidelines. They’re extremely easy to follow and in most cases common courtesies, so you should have no issues following them.
If you like to fish, then Gulf State Park is one of the best places to be in the entire state of Alabama. The great thing about taking a fishing trip in an RV is that you can easily take all of the gear you need with you whether you’re freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing—you can do both at the park.
You will need to buy the proper fishing license before you fish. There are two: one for saltwater fishing and one for freshwater fishing. You can buy the right license online.
Freshwater fishing happens at the lakes within the park. They provide a great option if you want to cast out from the shore and allow just about anyone to enjoy fishing while they visit the park.
Here’s are the lakes in the park:
Here’s a look at the types of fish you can catch at the lakes in the park:
You can launch boats Lake Shelby and Middle Lake if you’d like.
Saltwater fishing is a whole other type of activity and one that many people have not experienced. If you want to saltwater fish, you’ll do so in the Gulf of Mexico. You can fish right off the shore in many areas, or you can fish the more than 2,448 feet of fishing space on the pier.
Here’s a look at the types of fish you can catch saltwater fishing in Gulf State Park.
There are saltwater fishing charters in the area. These will be done outside of the park. Many charter companies in the city of Gulf Shores would be happy to take you out for the day.
It’s not just about the beaches, trails, and fishing at Gulf State Park. The park also offers several other activities, including shopping, kayaking, paddleboarding, geocaching, and various sporting activities like volleyball.
There are places to rent the equipment you need to partake in these activities throughout the park. There’s virtually no chance you’ll run out of things to do or see at the park. Even if you do somehow manage to exhaust all there is to do, you can head into the city of Gulf Shores and take in everything that’s in the city.
Gulf State Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including a great number of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Birding is a popular activity, but even if you’re not looking for wildlife, you’re bound to see some.
A simple hike along any of the trials can give you a glimpse into what wildlife calls the Gulf State Park home. If you want to take a deeper dive, the park has several ways for you to indulge in your curiosity.
There’s a Nature Center that’s open from 9 am to 4 pm daily. There is a small $2 fee, but if you camp within the park, your admission will be waived. There’s also the Interpretive Center, which is Alabama's most environmentally-friendly building. You can visit to learn about this impressive structure and the building practices that were used to create it.
There are several places to stay within the park, but those visitors who rented an RV will want to stay in the RV and primitive campground.
This campground features 496 full-hookup campsites and 11 primitive campsites. The campsites are large enough for RVs of all sizes and can even accommodate slide outs. Your campsite will come with a picnic table and pedestal grill-tops.
The campground also offers a lot of amenities. Here’s a look at what’s available, according to the website:
It’s always smart to call ahead to make a reservation or inquire about availability.
Located outside of the park just to the west in Gulf Shores, the Luxury RV Resort is an option for anyone who wants to be able to easily access Gulf State Park and Gulf Shores. The campground offers full-hookup campsites, onsite cable, and park Wi-Fi. The rates are reasonable, and it is highly rated by previous visitors.
Located to the other side of the park to the east near Orange Beach, Alabama, Buena Vista RV Resort is a high-class place to camp. The campground provides excellent access to Gulf State Park and the community of Orange Beach. The resort offers full-hookup campsites with Wi-Fi, indoor pool, outdoor pool, hot tub, and fitness center.
The Island Retreat RV Park is one of the other options that you should certainly consider. It features full-hookup campsites and a long list of amenities, including restrooms with shores, a clubhouse, playground, fire pits, games and activities scheduled year-round, and a whole lot more. The park is further west from the park, but it’s still only a few miles to pretty much anything in the Gulf Shores area.
Just down the road from the Island Retreat RV Park is Doc’s RV Park. This family-friendly park is for the RVers who want a more laid back park that’s still nice. The park offers a large outdoor pool, a bathhouse with showers, playground, barbeque grills, and free cable and Wi-Fi. There are walking trails and bicycle paths that lead to Gulf Shores and the state park.
Let’s take a look at the dining options inside the park for you to choose from:
You could eat almost every meal at Woodside Restaurant and be satisfied. The varied menu has options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s located right in the park near the western entrance by the park headquarters building. Check out the website to see the full menu.
Perch is inside the state park lodge. It’s one of the many restaurants in that building. It is an upscale eatery with views of the gulf and food sourced from local fishermen. Check out the website to see the menu.
Food Craft offers a wide variety of plates on the menu and seating both indoors and outdoors—both offer fantastic views. You can eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner here. Check out the website to see the menu.
Need a good drink and maybe a snack or two? That’s what Roasted Oak is. The establishment is a coffee shop by day and a wine bar by night. There’s also good snack foods and small plates to buy. Check out the website for the menu.
Poolside dining is what The Dragonfly is all about. You can get everything from small plates to burgers here. It’s only open seasonally, but you should check out the website to see its menu and hours.
There are numerous small concession stands and shops where you can buy food inside the park. While these might not be the best place to get a full meal, they can easily suffice for a quick breakfast or lunch in a pinch. If you want to learn more about all of the dining options inside the park, click here.
Also, as mentioned above, Gulf Shores is full of fantastic restaurants—seafood and otherwise. Many RVers choose to dine at the seafood restaurants in the city, and they come highly recommended by both locals and visitors. If none of the dining options inside the park suit your fancy, Gulf Shores will have everything you need. You can check out the city’s website to learn more about its offerings.