Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL

Gulf State Park is a HUGE state park encompasses thousands of acres of beachfront and not-so-beachfront property. Before Hurricane Ivan came through 5-6 years ago, they had an oceanfront lodge/restaurant, but after Ivan and Katrina, there was only some pieces of a concrete shell left. They have removed all this debris and have put into place a massive fishing pier. They are still discussing whether or not to rebuild a hotel. On the ocean, they have a big covered concrete pavilillion with 20-30 picnic tables for day use with a concession and bathhouses with 6 showers each - male/female and one family shower room. The beach is beautiful, smaller waves than the Atlantic and definitely the Pacific and is so clear, you can walk out until the water is shoulder level and STILL SEE YOUR FEET!! ( That is.....if you can normally see your feet!!) We take our sun shelter out early in the am, leave it all day and get it about 8 pm. Mostly families with children.

The park has 10 cabins for rent, a campground, lots of walking and biking trails as well as a golf course.

The campground is not on the beach, but there aren't any others on the beach in this area. It is approximately 1 mile away, on the roadway, but only about 300 yds as the crow flies, so you still get the breeze. Sometimes more of a big wind than breeze.

The campsites are asphalt drive with a large concrete pad, some are shaded, but most of the trees were destroyed in the hurricane. They have replanted, but they aren't really big. Lots of them are waterfront and front a good size salt water lake that is used by boaters/fishing and alligators.

When we arrived last year, our neighbor, seeing our little ones, came out to tell us that a pretty good size gator had been sunning in his boat earlier in the day. Said it had scared the s*&t out of him. We did see it several times over the course of 2 weeks.

Each campsite has a charcoal grill, water, sewer, 30/50 amp. The bathhouses at Gulf State Park were the cleanest I have EVER been in.

The campstore, tennis courts, laundry and pavillion were all destroyed in the hurricane, but they had rebuilt the laundry and were working on the rest.

A pool was being constructed and they hoped to have it open by the fall of 2009, but I don't know that it has been completed.

It is a wonderful place, approximately 2 hr drive to New Orleans, just down the road from the Florida state line, 30 minutes from Mobile.

The costs of each site is bsed on what type of site you get, back-in, pull-thru, waterfront, shaded, etc. but ours cost us $26 per night.

I used to borrow my brother's kids and tent camp there about 13 years ago. It was great. I have lots of connections to Gulf Shores. I haven't camped there post Katrina, but really like it as a kid friendly beach vacation spot. Right up there with Destin, FL (Hutchinson Island State Park is the place I like in Destin.)

Hutchinson state park sounds like someplace I ought to go.