Discover Lake Shelby

Lake Shelby offers a scenic way to spend the day when you opt to paddle around the lake. Guests can rent a stand-up paddle board or kayak onsite at the Gulf State Park Visitor Center or bring their own and easily launch into the lake. Bike rentals are also available onsite at Lake Shelby. Once you've got a bike, you can use the trails around the lake to venture further into Gulf State Park. 

Bring your furry friends to the lakeside dog park, The Dog Pond, where your dogs can splash, run, and play with other friendly fidos. All dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations and remain on a leash when they are entering and leaving the Dog Pond. Bring your dog's favorite ball or toy and let them fetch to their heart's content.

According to the Office of Archaeological Research at the University of Alabama Museums, some interesting finds have been noted about Lake Shelby's past. Director Matt Gage said the site around the lake represents a large shell midden (mound) where people congregated to share food and ideas and to trade items from all over the region during the Middle to Late Woodland time periods, as well as into the Mississippian period (AD 400-1100). Rangia shells (bivalve mollusks or clams) make up the majority of the food remains found in the shell midden; however, some terrestrial vertebrates common in estuarine environments were also found, including alligator, deer, birds and turtles. The residents who built the shell midden were part of a large and vibrant culture that spread across the Gulf Coast as well as inland across the Southeast.

Fast forward to the 1930s when the Intracoastal Waterway was completed, and we have modern-day trade, just not at Lake Shelby. Today, the lake serves as a place to join with friends and families, reel in the night's dinner, and make memories and traditions that'll last for generations!