Your essential mini guide for a superb summer road trip from Dallas to the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Best beaches, restaurants, and attractions in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and surroundings.
Alabama is a popular beach destination among Dallasites, with some people even claiming they prefer it over the Florida Gulf Coast as a summer road travel destination from Dallas.
I recently had the pleasure to go there and finally understood why all the hype about it.
The Alabama Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach is indeed an amazing beach area to visit from Dallas. Not too far from the city – a roughly 9h30 drive – and with an absolutely outstanding beach vibe.
As in any place in the world, whether you will love your trip to the Alabama beaches or not will depend a lot on your itinerary and stops along the way.
So, check below the 10 most incredible beaches, restaurants, activities, and places to visit on the Alabama Gulf Coast and plan the perfect summer vacation there.
Trust me: follow the suggestions you find here, and you’ll have a tough time not loving your summer vacation in the Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas!
Looking for more options on beaches to visit from Dallas? Click here to discover the best beaches on the Texas and Florida Gulf Coast.
Ready to hit the road? Make your reservations and check on the following 10 recommendations to start planning your summer escape.
Best Beaches in the Alabama Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach Area
I’ve loved loved loved the Alabama Gulf Coast beaches.
Well, not all of them, of course.
But knowing where to go, you can spend the day burying your feet in white sands at uncrowded beaches with crystal-clear water.
Beaches that you certainly wouldn’t expect to find within a driving distance from Dallas.
Here I share the beaches I liked the most in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and surroundings.
The ones I will certainly be visiting again when I return to the Alabama Gulf Coast (something I’m planning to do soon!):
Gulf State Park
Gulf State Park is an outstanding natural area.
There you’ll find amazing campgrounds, beautiful trails, and one of the best beaches in the Gulf Shores.
Head to the Gulf State Park Pier area to enjoy an amazing day by the beach.
The perks there are great facilities (public parking, showers, clean bathrooms, and concessions), beautiful views, and nature surroundings – I prefer that over Orange beach and its tall hotel buildings.
Walk the pier (USD 3.00 pp) for amazing sunset views.
If you’re lucky, you might even spot dolphins playing in the ocean.
West Beach
West Beach is another amazing beach area, considered by many to be Alabama’s best beach. A 6-mile beach stretch, quieter and more residential than the other beaches on the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Offering beachfront rentals, a laid-back vibe, and an absolutely gorgeous landscape, it is the place to be if you’re not much into Orange Beach’s touristic vibe.
Don’t take me wrong: Orange Beach is great, with beautiful white sand and crystal-clear water. But I prefer to run away from more crowded areas. And West Beach proved to be way more my style.
Fort Morgan
Historic sightseeing and vast undeveloped beaches make Fort Morgan an amazing place to spend the day in the Alabama Gulf Shores.
Pack a picnic and head to Fort Morgan State Historic Site. Take a self-guided tour through the over two-centuries-old Civil War fort and breath in the amazing views.
Then head to the virtually private beach and enjoy your picnic, nature, and solitude overlooking the ocean.
On your way back to Orange Beach, stop by The Village Creamery, a top-rated local ice cream shop.
Perdido Key State Park
Ok, technically not in the Alabama Gulf Coast. But pretty close to it – 15 minutes away – and totally worth the drive.
Perdido Key State Park is in Florida, only a few miles away from the Alabama border and a simply stunning area to enjoy a day by the beach. The beach is jaw-dropping, and it has amenities such as parking, showers, and restrooms.
Less than 5 minutes driving from there, on your way back to Orange Beach, you’ll find Flora-Bama. A laid-back waterfront oyster-bar and live music lounge between the state lines, perfect to finish the day watching the sunset.
Best Waterfront Restaurants in the Alabama Gulf Coast
If you’re looking for an unbiased review of the absolute best restaurants to try in the Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, you’ve stumbled on the right page.
These were the places that did the best job wowing me during my visit, and that I highly recommend you trying not only for the food but especially for the uniqueness and amazing beach vibe of each one of them.
Here are the must-try restaurants in the Alabama Gulf Coast:
The Gulf
If you go to the Alabama Gulf Shores and don’t stop to have a meal by The Gulf, you’ll be missing out.
The Gulf’s vibe is pretty amazing, with tables, lounge chairs, and palapas on the sand overlooking the ocean.
Gulf Shores is an over-the-counter-style restaurant and entertainment complex featuring a pub and a cute store with amazing and unique branded items and souvenirs. Grab your food, choose one of the lounge seats and soak in the vibe and ocean breeze.
This is the place that made me fall in love with Orange Beach and realize I was somewhere really, really special. I won’t say more, lol.
Fisher's at Orange Beach Marina
Picture yourself in a boat taking a Dolphin Tour. You cruise the ocean watching dolphins playing around you with the sunset as a background.
Then you come down the clouds – or disembark – and drive exactly one minute to reach one of the most beautiful restaurants in town, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina.
There you take a stroll through a gorgeous marina and shop high-end branded souvenirs while you wait for your table. When the hostess calls your group, you’re guided to a comfy table in a unique chic-coastal setting and have the best meal of your trip.
Nothing more to add. Just try it.
Lulu's
Lulu’s Gulf Shores is a super cool waterfront restaurant and entertainment complex. A must-visit in the Alabama Gulf Coast, especially – but not only – if you have kids in tow.
It’s more touristic than the other two restaurants mentioned here, but still highly recommended.
The restaurant area is large and overlooks a beautiful canal. Kids can have fun at the sandy playground, amusement park, and arcades.
You can buy cool souvenirs in their branded store. I did buy a pack of local beers with honey as a gift, and they were so good I ended up drinking all of them myself – not at once, lol.
Lulu’s is not far from the Gulf State Park, and combining both can be an amazing way to spend a day at the Alabama Gulf Shores.
Best Fun Activities in Orange Beach and Surroundings
Come for the beach, stay for the fun. The Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area offers amazing entertainment options.
Dolphins? Yep. Alligators? They got it. First-class entertainment? You bet!
Here are some superb add-ons to spice up your trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast and build everlasting summer memories:
Sunset Dolphin Cruise
Yep, you can see dolphins in Orange Beach.
More specifically, you can take a boat ride and be followed by them, what I don’t know about you but to me sounds pretty incredible.
I took the Dolphin Tour with Southern Rose Dolphin Cruises and had a great experience.
They promise you dolphins, and they work hard to deliver the promise – we took a long time to find dolphins, but the crew persevered, and when we did find them, oh boy, it was AMAZING. 
What I did – and recommend – was to take the sunset tour.
It allowed me to enjoy the day by the beach, watch the most amazing sunset ever from the boat surrounded by dolphins (!!!) and top off with dinner at Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina, right next door.
The Wharf
If you need a break from the beach and want to feel a little more urban, head to The Wharf, a high-end shopping and entertainment center.
With over 60 stores and restaurants, and an iconic Ferris Wheel – the largest in the southeast – The Wharf is Orange’s Beach official entertainment district and a great place for an evening stroll after spending the day on the beach.
You can also take a boat tour from there – the Wharf is home to a large marina – and engage in fun activities such as zip-lining and mini-golf.
Alligator Alley
Not for the faint of heart, this top-rated attraction is surely unique. If you’re looking for an exotic experience, make sure to include Alligator Alley in your itinerary.
It is a family-friendly attraction and a great place to experience the outdoors and interact with reptiles and other animals – they also have snakes, turtles, and other creatures there.
Stroll through the raised boardwalk over a beautiful swamp for wildlife viewing in their habitat. Feed the alligators. It’s an unforgettable experience and one that keeps people in awe and coming back.
Summing Up
Superb white sand beaches. Outstanding waterfront restaurants. Dolphins. Swamps. The Alabama Gulf Coast has it all and more and is an amazing summer vacation destination from Dallas.
You discovered 10 amazing things to do in the Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas in this post. Including 4 top beaches, 3 must-try restaurants, and 3 must-visit attractions.
Add these places to your itinerary, and you will certainly love your trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Best things to do in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores
For the best beaches and a perfect day by the ocean, head to Gulf State Park, West Beach, Fort Morgan, and Perdido Key State Park.
For unforgettable dining experiences, try The Gulf, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina, and Lulu’s.
For summer fun at its finest, a Dolphin Cruise, The Wharf, and Alligator Alley are your best bet!
Ready to hit the road?
Make your reservations, pack your suitcase, and bookmark this page to make sure you don’t miss out on the best the Alabama Gulf Coast has to offer. Enjoy! 
Have you been to the Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach? What are your favorite things to do there? Share in the comments below.
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