Gulf Shores Public Beach(Gulf Shores)

Located in the city of Gulf Shores in Alabama, Gulf Shores Main Public Beach – also known as Gulf Place West and East Beach, Gulf Place, and Gulf Shores Public Beach – is a large and popular white-sand beach.  This beach was listed as one of the 25 best beaches in the United States by the Travel+Leisure magazine.  It was also listed as one of the “The Best Beaches Near New Orleans You Can Drive to This Summer” by the online media website Thrillist, and is a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

Some parts of this beach have lifeguards between March and October.  The beach also has many other amenities including benches, restrooms, grassy recreational areas, showers, volleyball nets, open-air pavilions, and a picnic area.

Dogs are not allowed here.

Gulf Shores Main Public Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, volleyball, picnicking, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, surfing, boogie boarding, skimboarding, boating, jet-skiing, water-skiing, parasailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.  

This beach is popular with swimmers, kayakers, and canoers because the usually warm and clear water here has fairly manageable waves.  However, if you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, surf, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, the water here is also known to have jellyfish, which can inflict a powerful sting if disturbed – late summer and early fall is the usual jellyfish season Gulf Shores.  

If you like taking Gulf Shores Public Beach photos with excellent views, this beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.  Many Gulf Shores Public Beach reviews also praise this beach’s quiet atmosphere – this beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quiet beach experience because it sees fewer visitors as compared to other nearby Gulf Shores beaches.

Parts of Gulf Shores Main Public Beach have four wheelchair-friendly access mats for visitors with disabilities.  Three of the beach access mats are located near a road called Gulf Place, while the other access mat is located near the parking lot at East Gulf Place.

Getting to Gulf Shores Main Public Beach is easy – Gulf Shores Public Beach access is located near 101 Gulf Shores Parkway, near the southern end of Alabama State Route 59.  This beach is located near Alabama State Route 59’s intersection with Alabama State Route 182.   

A paid parking lot is also located here – this paid parking lot charges $5 for four hours and $15 for the whole day.  We recommend visiting this beach early in spring and summer because it can get crowded during this time.

Sea Turtles also use this beach as a seasonal nesting site between May and October.  In addition, this beach and the area near it host many fun events including The Hangout Music Festival, a swimming event named Polar Bear Dip, and the annual Shrimp Festival.

There are many attractions near Gulf Shores Main Public Beach.  The Track Gulf Shores is a go-karting facility which offers a fun go kart gulf shores experience.  In addition, this facility also has many other fun rides for kids and it also has a gaming arcade.  Waterville USA is a seasonal water park that offers a variety of amazing and fun water-based rides and it also has many other fun things to explore including a surfing simulator, an escape house, a golf simulator, and a bowling arcade.  Gulf State Park is a waterfront state park that offers many fun things to explore including a fishing pier, a butterfly garden, a nature center, an interpretive center, multiple hiking and biking trails, and multiple lakes – this state park offers many activities including hiking, biking, wildlife watching, fishing, kayaking, camping, and boating.  Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is a 25-acre zoo which is home to 199 species and eight endangered species – the zoo also has picnic areas, rest stops, a restaurant, and a gift shop.  This popular zoo also offers interactive animal shows and it also has a giraffe feeding station.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Gulf Shores Museum has interesting historical exhibits.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Gulf Shores Main Public Beach.  Pink Pony Pub offers a variety of delicious Southern-style dishes – it also offers other dishes including sandwiches, soups, burgers, salads, and steaks, along with amazing cocktails.  Big Fish Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that serves excellent gourmet dishes with Asian influences – it also offers amazing steaks, sushi, seafood, pastas, and salads.  Original Oyster House Boardwalk offers amazing seafood dishes and it also offers other excellent dishes for dinner and lunch including pastas, steaks, chicken dishes, and sandwiches.  DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen offers amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including seafood, chicken, pastas, steaks, salads, and ham.  Sunliner Diner is a popular diner that has a 1950s-themed decor and it also offers amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including eggs, French toasts, waffles, burgers, fried chicken, and country fried steak.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Hazel’s Nook offers amazing dishes for breakfast and lunch including sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, eggs, biscuits-and-gravy, fried chicken, and meatloaf.

If you are looking for a hotel near Gulf Shores Main Public Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel offers many amenities including an infinity pool with views of the Gulf of Mexico, two restaurants, a 24-hour gym, and multiple bars.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Perdido Beach Resort offers many amenities including a fitness center, multiple restaurants and bars, a hot tub, and multiple pools.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Phoenix All Suites West Hotel  that offers many amenities including barbecue areas and a pool.  Another moderately-priced hotel is the 3-Star Comfort Inn & Suites Gulf Shores East Beach Near Gulf State Park ththat offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, a sundry shop, car rental service, vending machines, a sundeck, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby Gulf Place Hotel Gulf Shores, 3-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Orange Beach/Gulf Front offers many amenities including a fitness center, a seasonal bar, a sundry shop, an ATM, a pool, a hot tub, and complimentary breakfast.