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Alabama
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 during the Civil War, Spanish American War, and both World Wars. Today the crumbling remains of the fortifications have been bleached by sun and sand, giving this site a lonely, elegiac atmosphere.
Costumed re-enactors and historical interpretation exhibits can be found onsite, and the grounds of the fort have their own beach and nature paths.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
12.49 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
4.15 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…
Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
17.49 MILES
This reserve seeks to protect the wetlands that spread between Mobile and Weeks Bay, an ecological smorgasboard ranging from salt marsh to flooded swamp…
3.67 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…
28.13 MILES
Part of Gulf State Park, this beach, located just west of the Florida border, is usually a little more quiet than other local stretches of sand. It's…
21.44 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…
29.37 MILES
Baseball historians should stop by Hank Aaron Stadium, home of the Mobile Bay Bears, where there is a museum set in Hank's old childhood home (moved to…
3.47 MILES
Situated on the eastern edge of Dauphin Island are the well-preserved ruins of this fortress, which has guarded the approaches to Mobile Bay for centuries…
3.47 MILES
Situated on the eastern edge of Dauphin Island are the well-preserved ruins of this fortress, which has guarded the approaches to Mobile Bay for centuries…
3.67 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…
3. Audubon Bird Sanctuary – Dauphin Island
4.15 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…
4. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
12.49 MILES
Centuries ago, salt-lashed oak forest, inundated coastal prairie and great quilts of sawgrass covered the Gulf Coast. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge…
5. Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
17.49 MILES
This reserve seeks to protect the wetlands that spread between Mobile and Weeks Bay, an ecological smorgasboard ranging from salt marsh to flooded swamp…
6. Gulf Shores Main Public Beach
19.98 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…
20.23 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…
21.44 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…