This reserve seeks to protect the wetlands that spread between Mobile and Weeks Bay, an ecological smorgasboard ranging from salt marsh to flooded swamp. From the Ottilie Holstead Visitors Center you can walk onto boardwalk trails that lay a lattice over the wetlands. Keep your eyes peeled for gators, wading birds and other forms of fauna that exist at this juncture of the land and Gulf.
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Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Alabama
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
11.57 MILES
Centuries ago, salt-lashed oak forest, inundated coastal prairie and great quilts of sawgrass covered the Gulf Coast. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge…
Audubon Bird Sanctuary – Dauphin Island
19.25 MILES
A 3-mile trail wends through 137 acres of maritime forest, sand dunes and wetlands, marking a small space that's a big deal to the world's bird population…
26.36 MILES
Get a taste of the wilds on the Panhandle at Big Lagoon, a quilt of salt marshes, pine forest, bays, ponds and beaches, all interconnected by boardwalks…
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
25.74 MILES
This fascinating park preserves ecosystems that run from wet prairie to sandy shoreline to the eponymous Tarkiln Bayou, an eerie, alluring spill of dark…
23.55 MILES
This alluring coastal state park protects the 247-acre barrier island of the same name, a windblown, sand-strewn landscape of rolling dunes, tufts of…
18.89 MILES
The Estuarium acts as the public education space for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama's primary marine research facility. There are over 100 species on…
22.26 MILES
This museum, dedicated to the marine heritage of the Gulf, is full of interactive exhibits on nautical topics ranging from how to sail a boat to container…
21.2 MILES
The battleship Alabama is a 690ft behemoth famous for escaping nine major WWII battles unscathed – the 'Lucky A' never lost any of its sailors while they…
Nearby Alabama attractions
8.3 MILES
This gem of a library occupies an enormous building and boasts several classic reading rooms with nice views looking out onto town. It also has an…
8.36 MILES
This small museum will appeal to regional history enthusiasts. The permanent exhibition is all about Fairhope's past: as a utopian colony for believers in…
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4. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
11.57 MILES
Centuries ago, salt-lashed oak forest, inundated coastal prairie and great quilts of sawgrass covered the Gulf Coast. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge…
13.8 MILES
There are over 500 animals at this zoo, including tigers, lions, bears and wolves. The exhibits are well kept and attempt to copy animals' natural…
6. Gulf Shores Main Public Beach
14.5 MILES
This is the most commercial beach-y bar in greater Gulf Shores. You'll find open-air pavilions, picnic areas, volleyball nets, and during the summer, a…
15.14 MILES
If you're looking for a more natural beach experience in Gulf Shores, consider Gulf State Park. There are 2 miles of beach here, as well as a nature…
17.49 MILES
This fortress was built as Fort Bowyer during the War of 1812 to protect against potential British invasion of Mobile Bay. Later, Fort Morgan saw use…