Alabama State Parks & Florida State Parks

If you love the outdoors, the Gulf Coast has a number of fun state parks to keep a nature lover satisfied during the entirety of your stay. All of these parks are within a 2 hour drive from Gulf Shores, and there's plenty to do no matter how far you want to venture from our Gulf Shores condos and Orange Beach rentals.

Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf State Park is beloved in Gulf Shores for being one of the cleanest and most fun-filled of Alabama state parks. Enjoy miles of trails, some of the cleanest beaches in the US, and the largest fishing pier in the Gulf of Mexico.

Perdido Key State Park in Pensacola, FL (a 20 minute drive from Gulf Shores)

A beautiful Florida state park on a 247-acre barrier island, Perdido Key provides the white sand and island experience one associates with the Florida Keys to the Southeast of the state. Surf fishing and hiking the beach are popular activities in this state park in Florida.

Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, FL (30 minute drive from Gulf Shores)

For bird-watching and adventures in nature, you can't get much better than the Big Lagoon State Park, a state park in Pensacola, Florida. This Florida state park contains 655 acres, pine flatwoods, open woodlands, and saltwater marshes, so birds and other wildlife find it a very attractive place to play. In addition to typical state park activities, crabbing in the shallows of Big Lagoon is also very popular.

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park in Pensacola, FL (30 minute drive from Gulf Shores)

For a deeper trip into the bayou, visit Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, home to a number of endangered plant and animal species (nearly 100!), four species of carnivorous pitcher plants among them. See alligator snapping turtles while you hike around the nature trails at Tarkiln.

Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort, AL (1 hour drive from Gulf Shores)

This 1,327-acre Alabama state park is deep in the Mobile Bay wetlands and has a boat ramp and a fishing pier. There are two nature trails which take you through the intriguing Mobile Delta.

Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa County, Florida (1 hour 20 minute drive from Gulf Shores)

The Yellow River Marsh Preserve, a Florida State park, covers some of Florida's last remaining wet prairie lands, and features a large number of pitcher plants. There are about 20 species of rare & endangered plants and animals among the prairies, flatwoods, and swamps.

Blackwater River State Park in Holt, Florida (1 hour 30 minute drive from Gulf Shores)

If you love canoeing and kayaking, check out Blackwater River State Park, which has one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the entire country. There are over 600 acres cut through with trails for nature lovers who wish to check out the Atlantic white cedars and enjoy a park that has been certified as a Registered State Natural Feature.

There's no shortage of nature within a reasonable distance of our Gulf Shores rentals and Orange Beach condos. Book your stay with us and set your itinerary for a once in the lifetime Gulf Shores vacation!