By: Raven Hunter
Before I write an article, I like to research our search engine metrics to find out what the people want to know about the Gulf Shores area. When I searched popular topics, I was struck with overwhelming sympathy for all of the people asking “Are the beaches in Gulf Shores open?” Being in hurricane alley, there’s always the chance that fun on Gulf Coast beaches could be threatened by sporadic and extreme weather changes; and let’s face it, the past two years has just added to the unpredictability of your favorite attractions being open. If you’re experiencing hurricane season or pandemic-related FOMO, rest assured that the best beaches the Gulf Coast has to offer are open for business and ready to provide you and your family with a safe, healthy, and fun vacation experience for the books, whatever your interests are.
Gulf Shores Main Public Beach (Gulf Place)
While there are many ways to experience the beach in Gulf Shores, traveling to the Gulf Shores Main Public Beach, or Gulf Place access, is for you if you and your family are looking for a wave jumping, sandcastle building day of fun. This access provides parking with no long haul, making it perfect for families to unload and carry their skim boards, boogie boards, buckets and pails, or whatever else they brought to make their beach trip memorable. And, along with four of the other seven beach accesses to Gulf Shores’ beautiful beaches, Gulf Place offers an affordable parking system that guarantees your family a spot for four hours or the whole day! You can come, park your car, set up your spot, and when hunger strikes, enjoy lunch at one of Gulf Shores’ convenient picnic areas! These are just a few of the amenities offered by Gulf Place and other beach accesses along Gulf Shores’ coast.
Say you’re staying for a few days and don’t want to have to lump parking into the already extensive list of expenses to consider. Sunset Properties is ready and waiting to provide you with one of their twenty eight beach front rentals to give you easy access to the beach of your choice. Click on over to see which rental option best suits you and your family for your trip to Gulf Shores!
Gulf State Park
If you prefer hiking along the flora and fauna of the beach to sitting out in the sand or swimming in the gulf, this article has probably bored you up onto this point. Props to you for continuing to read it! Your patience has paid off because Gulf State Park is exactly where you want to be to feed your outdoor spirit while appreciating all that Gulf Coast beaches have to offer.
When you’re looking to escape from the beach entirely, you can go kayaking or canoeing in Lake Shelby, go hiking on one of the many nature trails, or take the kids to the nature center or butterfly garden for some hands on educational fun! Many of the trails do eventually lead back to the beach, so you can take a break and refresh yourself before getting back to your beach adventures with fresh eyes!
Gulf State Park is encouraging social distancing, but with all the space the site offers, that shouldn’t be too hard! The park’s website offers plenty of information about the current COVID-19 preventative measures to help you decide how to keep your family safe and healthy on your beach retreat.
Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion
When you do make it back to the beach, the people at Gulf State Park know that sometimes you want to have the experience while still having the option of a roof over your head, especially during the season of five-minute torrential downpours that can happen at a moment’s notice. If that’s you, the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion is here for you! This beautiful site offers close beach access from a pavilion that includes picnic tables for clean and easy family lunch breaks and bathrooms and showers for long, fun-filled days. So, if your view of the picturesque gulf is suddenly darkened by an oncoming storm, you and your crew can quickly run back to the pavilion and huddle for shelter, enjoying lunch from your picnic bag or the pavilion’s seasonal restaurant as you wait for the storm to pass by.
If you’re looking to get a little more out of your vacation than just fun in the sand, Pure Aloha Adventures also offers paddle boarding lessons at the pavilion. All ages are welcome, so enjoy some quality family time as you all learn a new skill that you can enjoy for years to come. The pavilion is also available for wedding rentals. So, if this beach trip is more a celebration than a vacation, the beach pavilion is still the place to be!
Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier
In addition to family fun and exploration, Gulf State Park also provides a space for anglers to take advantage of open access to the beach. The Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier offers sightseeing and fishing passes for twenty four hour access to the pier. Take the kids down to learn how to bait a hook and cast a line, or head out early with your fishing rod for some solo vacation time with Gulf Shores’ underwater biodiversity. You’ll be the hero of the day when you come home with lunch! The pier also offers Angler Academy if you or your family are new to fishing. Schedule a couple of hours into your vacation itinerary to learn from some of the experts, and the whole family could be reeling ‘em in like pros in no time!
Accessibility
The city of Gulf Shores is very dedicated to ensuring that all patrons have open and available access to its beaches. For this reason, the Gulf Place Public Beach access offers Access Mats, the Gulf State Beach Pavilion provides accessibility ramps, and the Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier is equipped with wheel-chair accessible rail fishing. No one wants to miss out on awesome experiences, so Gulf Shores opens opportunities for disabled patrons to seize the day!
As you can see not only are the beaches in Gulf Shores open, but they also have something for everyone to sink their teeth into and enjoy. Skip the FOMO and take advantage of the endless opportunities at your disposal in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We look forward to having you join us!
