Gulf State Park
We have camped at Gulf State Park several times. It is a beautiful park with miles of bike trails and beach access. For this trip, we were there for a week in late September and weather was overall very nice.
Gulf State Park Campground
Sadly, shade is not plentiful at the campground. I think that previous storms took out many trees. We were there last year in a site with virtually no shade and it was pretty miserable. So, we looked for good sites to book the next year.
Site number 72 was quite shady and we were fortunate to have it for this trip. It made all the difference in a comfortable stay versus glaring heat.
The only downside was that the bathhouse near our site was closed. They are having issues with all of them and some major work is planned for the future.
Gulf State Park Activities
Usually, we bring our bikes and spend a good bit of time on the trails in the park. However, this year my husband was recovering from total knee replacement and was not yet up to the bike rides. However, he did go on some short walks with our pup.
There is an interesting live oak tree in the park that continues to live despite laying on the ground. It is enormous.
Our daily walk with our pup was by sites along the lake. The views were nice, but I missed riding our bikes.
We played Mexican Train on one of our days and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Gulf State Dog Park
There is a dog pond at Lake Shelby within the Gulf State dog park. It was a warm day and our girl ran into the water several times, but she basically just ran around in the water rather than swimming. She wasn’t afraid though. I think it was fun for her.
Fort Morgan for a Day
We took a thirty minute drive west to Fort Morgan. The fort was completed in 1833 and it cost just over a million dollars, making it one of the most expensive of its kind. It saw a good bit of action during the Civil War and the Battle of Mobile Bay.
The fort is quite large, though basically only the stones and bricks remain. The grounds were a lovely and lush green that were picturesque against the blue sky.
The arched entrance was kind of nice.
This entrance had what appeared to be railroad tracks. I’m not sure what was going to there.
The beach at Fort Morgan allows dogs We debated letting our pup get into the water, but by that time, we were hungry.
Gulf State Park Pool
The pool was so nice that we spent a couple of days there. The photo below was taken late in the day and we were the only ones there at that time. It isn’t but 4 1/2 feet deep, but is quite large.
There are also areas that offer plenty of shade, which is important to us.
Our days at the pool were relaxing. We also used the pool for my husband to do some stretching of his knee replacement.
Gulf Shores Beach
There are areas of beach that are state park property, but we drove to a beach near The Hangout because it is so close to the beach and the walking in sand is minimal. It was a relaxing afternoon watching the waves. We went into the water, but the waves were pretty high and my husband was a little unsteady. The biggest thing we were trying to avoid was a fall since he was only three months post op.
He took his tall camping chair because getting up is easier in it.
We were rewarded for being there by a gorgeous sunset. We stayed until it was beginning to get dark.
Meals on the Gulf
Meals on the gulf are something that we always enjoy about our camping trips to Gulf State Park. They did not disappoint. We had a couple of outstanding meals while there.
Tacky Jacks Fort Morgan
Our favorite meal was at Tacky Jacks at Fort Morgan. There is another location we tried last year, but this one was by far the best. It is next to a marina and I suspect that the food is fresher as a result. Whatever the reason, it was delicious.
I discovered Bushwhackers last year, a favorite drink of the region. The one at Tacky Jacks was next level because it had a peanut butter whiskey topper. Oh my!
The view of the marina during lunch made the experience very special.
We try to find restaurants that allow dogs outside. This one was dog friendly.
OSO at Bear Point Harbor
OSO is a very out of the way place that we learned about from some people at the pool. The seafood was very fresh there and they also served a Bushwhacker with a peanut butter whiskey topper if you requested it. We shared a bowl of gumbo there as well and it was awesome.
The view of the harbor from the deck at OSO was also lovely and we were able to bring our pup. Coincidentally, we ran into a friend we haven’t seen in many years there. It was nice to catch up with her.
In Conclusion
So, our week at Gulf State Park was a nice, relaxing getaway. While we really missed having our bikes, it was still a very enjoyable week. If you would like to read about other places we have visited, check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.
Happy camping everyone!
