Gulf State Park

Located right next to the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion is the park’s Interpretive Center. The center is pursuing both LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge certifications, making it the most environmentally friendly building in the state. Visitors to the beachfront facility learn more about why and how the park plans to meet these certifications while also becoming educated on the park’s sustainability initiatives. 

One of the newest additions to Gulf State Park, the Learning Campus is a robust facility built for educational day and overnight programs. Their trained field naturalists ensure that the activities are fun, safe and informative for groups of all ages. Some of their programs include nature walks, arts and crafts, solar cooking lessons and more. The Learning Campus is also the current location of the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability which provides the area with workshops and other activities in partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society. 

Learn everything you need to know about the flora and fauna in Gulf State Park at the Nature Center. This is a living museum that showcases plants and animals that are native to the Gulf Coast region. The center’s knowledgeable staff are available to answer all of your questions. Throughout the year, they host educational events and activities to give visitors hands-on experience with the natural wonders found along Alabama’s beaches.

Nestled within Gulf State Park is Woodside Restaurant, a relaxing eatery with a variety of creative Southern-style dishes. Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll find plenty of menu options including veggie omelets, biscuits and gravy, smoked BBQ, burgers, crab cakes and more. Guests can choose to enjoy their meal in the main indoor dining room, on the screened-in porch or outside on their shaded deck. And Woodside is the ideal spot to kick-off or end a day of biking at the Gulf State Park because it’s one of the locations for the park’s bike rental program. The restaurant also hosts live music weekly as well as other seasonal events. 

Come for the food and stay for the views at Foodcraft, located at The Lodge at Gulf State Park. This casual beachfront restaurant serves coastal classics while utilizing seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. With everything from Insta-worthy avocado toast to Gulf oysters prepared five different ways, you can’t go wrong when dining at Foodcraft. They also offer an extensive drink menu complete with handmade cocktails, regional craft beer and wine.

Also at The Lodge is Perch, the hotel’s fine-dining experience. Overlooking the sugar-white sand beaches and pristine Gulf waters, this eatery is one you’ll be craving to return to year after year. Like Foodcraft, Perch prides itself on sourcing products from local fishermen and regional farmers. Open for dinner only, their menu includes items such as house-smoked pork belly, filet mignon, fresh catch, yellowfin tuna and more. After dinner, cozy up with a cocktail and dessert on the patio which features two fire pits and plenty of spacious outdoor seating.
 

For lodging within the park, look no further than the Eagle Cottages. These newly renovated houses lining Lake Shelby provide roomy accommodations and an array of amenities. Each cottage has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, large living and kitchen spaces, two screened porches and an outdoor dining area. They also include amenities such as Adirondack chairs around a fire pit, a grill, porch swing, free park tours with on-site naturalists, bicycles and complimentary beverages.

The Cabins at Gulf State Park (19 total cabins) offer guests the opportunity to disconnect and reconnect with a variety of rustic accommodations.  Featuring studio, two, or three-bedroom options, guests can choose to be either among the long leaf pine in the woods or along the shore of beautiful Lake Shelby.  Each cabin is complete with bed linens, towels, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, flatware, and glasses.  The lakeside cabins also have fire pits, BBQ grills, porch swing, fishing piers, and fish cleaning stations. Note: The Cabins are currently closed due to renovations and will reopen in summer of 2022.

The Gulf State Park Campground offers 496 full hook-up campsites, accessible for both RVs and tents.The campground’s amenities include air-conditioned bathhouses, a small camp store, laundry facilities, a swimming pool, volleyball and tennis courts.

Located along the park’s public beach access, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel, stands as an elite model of environmentally friendly lodging. Built to do more good for our coastal environment than bad, The Lodge has implemented several sustainable practices such as allowing no plastic to be served on-site, water refill stations, safe outdoor lighting for sea turtles and more. The 350-room hotel features retro décor that is reminiscent of the previous Lodge that was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan. It also houses four restaurants, 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and direct access to both the beach and the park.

The Outpost, a hike-in camp, provides campsites with raised, canvas-covered shelters with front porches and cots. These primitive sites also have running water, fire pits, outdoor showers and rustic bathrooms are located nearby.