After driving 14½ hours from Eastern Iowa to Gulf Shores, Alabama with our four teens, I can confidently say this beach destination is worth every mile. We spent a week exploring the pristine beaches, exciting attractions, and hidden gems of Alabama’s coast, and I’m sharing everything you need to know to plan your own amazing family vacation.

Thanks to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism! Our family of six had an amazing beach vacation exploring Alabama Beaches, the Gulf of Mexico, and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Click here for your own Alabama Beaches Vacation Guide!

Getting to Gulf Shores

Located just west of Florida’s Panhandle across Perdido Key, Gulf Shores offers 32 miles of stunning coastline. For Midwesterners like us, it’s one of the closest beach destinations, making it perfect for road trips or quick flights into Pensacola International Airport.

Favorite Things to do in Orange Beach / Gulf Shores

While the beaches are the biggest draw to Gulf Shores, there are so many attractions in Gulf Shores / Orange Beach that your family will also love! We found so many other fun things to do besides playing on the beach, that scheduling in beach time was more difficult than we thought it would be!

Make sure to give your family enough time to enjoy the area. You’ll want at least a week to enjoy all of our favorite things to do in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

1. Sugar White Sand Beaches

What Makes Them Special

The beaches here are unlike anything we’ve seen before. Made of pure quartz crystal, the sand actually squeaks when you walk on it! The turquoise waters and pristine shoreline create the perfect backdrop for family memories.

Best Beach Activities

• Sunrise walks (best photo ops!)
• Sandcastle building
• Swimming in the crystal-clear water
• Sunset watching from Gulf State Park Beach

Pro Tip: Use the designated boardwalks to protect the natural sand dunes and local wildlife.

2. Water Sports Adventures

Popular Options

• Parasailing ($75/person)
• Stand-up paddleboarding ($40/hour)
• Banana boat rides ($35/person)
• Deep sea fishing (from $150/person)

We missed parasailing this trip, but it’s top of our list for next time. Book these activities in advance during peak season (June-August).

3. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

What to Expect

If you’re looking for undisturbed coastal habitats, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge located on the Fort Morgan Peninsula in Mobile and Baldwin County is the place to go. This peaceful refuge, established in 1980, serves as a crucial habitat for migrating songbirds. While we didn’t visit during our trip, it’s highly recommended for nature lovers.

Activities Available

• Hiking trails through coastal habitat
• Bird watching (best during migration seasons)
• Fishing spots
• Photography opportunities

Cost: Free admission

4. Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo

Why It’s Special

Known as the Little Zoo that Could, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo recently moved to a new 25 acre location several miles from the beach and was great fun! As the first zoo to ever evacuate animals due to a natural disaster, its efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Ivan were featured on an Animal Planet documentary during 2006 – 2007.

This 25-acre facility showcases incredible animal encounters. We were skeptical at first, but it became one of our trip highlights.

Must-Do Experiences

• Baby kangaroo encounters ($15/person)
• Sloth meetings (seasonal)
• Reptile experiences
• Lemur interactions (temporarily closed)

Pro Tip: Book animal encounters in advance – they sell out quickly!

The animal encounters was high on our list of fun things to do in Gulf Shores! Learn about animal encounters at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo here.

5. Wild Native Tours Dolphin & Wildlife Kayak Experience

You could take a Dolphin Cruise on a boat, or you could get a little closer to the water by taking a Dolphin & Wildlife Kayak Experience with Wild Native Tours. Our family highly recommends the kayak experience!

The Adventure

We chose the kayak experience over traditional boat tours and weren’t disappointed. Two-person kayaks, expert guides, and incredible wildlife viewing made this unforgettable.

What to Bring

• Reef-safe sunscreen
• Sun-protective clothing
• Hat and sunglasses
• Water bottle

Cost: $70/person, 3-hour tour

Book your unforgettable dolphin and wildlife kayak experience here!

6. Gulf State Park

We thought pier fishing at Gulf State Park was a nice family alternative to deep sea fishing. The kids that didn’t want to fish played on the beach while the fishers tried their best to catch ocean fish! We came up empty our day, but still had a great time!

Park Highlights

Gulf State Park is an amazing park full of diverse offerings. Make sure to explore this area when you visit Gulf Shores!

• 6,500 acres of diverse terrain
• Learning campus
• Hugh S Branyon Backcountry Trail
• 1,540-foot fishing pier (second longest on Gulf Coast)

Activities

• Pier fishing ($10/day)
• Beach access
• Hiking and biking trails
• Educational programs

Pro Tip: Take the Angler Academy workshop for fishing basics ($15/person)

Read: 29 Family-Friendly Things to do at Gulf State Park (+where to eat, where to stay!)

Rent equipment and buy bait right on the pier and have a great morning watching the ocean.

Pro Tip: sign up for a two-hour workshop called the Angler Academy that teaches the basics to becoming a saltwater fisher!

7. The Wharf at Orange Beach 

If your teens are excited about shopping, The Wharf at Orange Beach is a entertaining place to spend an evening. Even if shopping isn’t your thing, you can enjoy the ferris wheel, nightly laser show, delicious food, ice cream, cocktails, movies, an amphitheater and more!

Evening Entertainment

Perfect for teen shopping and family fun, featuring:

• Giant Ferris wheel ($8/ride)
• Nightly laser show (free)
• Marina views
• Shopping and dining

Popular Spots

• Outdoor games area
• Yo-Ho Rum and Tacos
• Ice cream shops
• Movie theater

Find out more about the Wharf at Orange Beach!

8. The Park at OWA is at the Top of Our Fun Things to Do in Orange Beach Area

OWA (pronounced oh-wah) is the Muskogee Creek Native American word for Water. It’s a cute little adventure packed entertainment district in the town of Foley, about 25 minutes from Orange Beach.

The Park at Owa features:

• 23 rides
• 520-acre entertainment district
• Shopping and dining
• Live entertainment

New since we visited is Tropic Falls Theme Park and an indoor water park!

Parent Tip

While teens enjoy the park, adults can visit:

• Groovy Goat sports bar
• Wine Shop
• Murdercreek Moonshine (13 flavors, $1 tasting)
• Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen

Cost: cost varies based on when you visit, but you can save $50 when you buy a Family Four Pack which includes 4 tickets to the water park and the theme par!

Learn more about OWA here.

9. Orange Beach Boat Rentals

Another adventurous way to spend time in Gulf Shores is to rent a pontoon boat! Our family picked up a pontoon from Flora-Bama Marina and Watersports, Dan got a quick lesson on the boat and the area, and we were off! We spent several hours tooling around Perdido Key – stopped the boat for a few swims, and enjoyed gawking at the homes and bigger ocean boats we say along the way.

Rental Experience at Flora-Bama Marina and Watersports:

• Clean, new pontoon boats
• Easy operation
• Perfect for family of 6
• Swimming stops possible

Rental Options

• Pontoon boats (from $350/ 4 hours)
• Jet skis
• Fishing charters
• Parasailing equipment

Pro-tip – grab a delicious charcuterie board from The Pantry at the Wharf – Concierge to Go to enjoy on your boat! After your boat ride, get a Bushwacker from the legendary Flora-Bama Lounge – right across the street from Flora-Bama Marina!

Learn more and book your boating trip here.

10. Another Fun thing to do in Gulf Shores – Epic Go-Karting at The Track

Another adventure activity our family loved was go-karting at this crazy three story elevated go-Kart track called The Track. My husband actually so this track from the air a few weeks before we to our family road trip from Iowa to Gulf Shores. He showed us a picture of it from the air and our kids were SOLD!

This was our 10 year old’s first solo go-karting attend and she rocked it! I will have to say, she was pretty petrified, but she was determined and had a great time. At 4’10”, she just passed the height requirement. I’d probably recommend taking a double car for first time kiddos, though.

Highlight Features

• Three-story elevated track
• Multiple go-kart types
• Arcade games
• Bumper boats
• Height requirement: 4’10” for solo driving

Cost Savings

• Buy fun card online to save money
• Package deals available
• Family packages offered

11. Tour Navy Cove Oyster Farm – 

One thing we wanted to do but weren’t able to, was tour the Navy Cove Oyster Farm to learn about their sustainable aquaculture techniques, as well as the ecology and geology of Mobile Bay. I’m not sure the kids would have enjoyed this that much, but I was really looking forward to it. Next time!

Educational Experience

Though we missed it, this tour offers:

• Sustainable aquaculture lessons
• Mobile Bay ecology insights
• Hands-on learning
• Fresh oyster tastings

Cost: $35/person, 2-hour tour, children under 10 are free.

In all, we can’t recommend Gulf Shores enough. When you’re landlocked in Iowa like we are, a warm beach vacation with some amazing Vitamin Sea is just what the doctor orders!

With so many amazing, adventurous and fun things to do in Gulf Shores Alabama – this area might just be the perfect family beach vacation destination! Many thanks to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism and all their industry partners for making this an unbelievable family vacation.

Where to Stay in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

If you’re looking for a great place to stay, we recommend the following accomodations:

Beach front condos are a great way to go especially if you’re with your family and would like a kitchen and laundry facilities. Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach has a lot of great options!

If you can’t find a beach front condo, we recommend the Courtyard by Marriott. It was centrally located and close to everything we did on this trip.

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly hotel, we recommend Hilton the Lodge at Gulf State Park. It’s a LEED certified beach front hotel located in a state park.

Curious about where to stay and which restaurants we really enjoyed in Gulf Shores? Read my next post – planning the perfect 3 Day Alabama Beaches Itinerary!

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29 Family Friendly Things to Do At Gulf State Park

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