Top Attractions in Gulf Shores Away from a Beach

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It goes without saying that anyone heading to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama will likely want to take advantage of the miles and miles of pristine beaches that stretch along the Gulf of Mexico. However, what happens when you venture here in the middle of November and it is 50 degrees outside? It’s hardly warm enough to don your bathing suit and head down to the beach, so you need to look for alternatives to entertain yourselves.

Well, this is exactly what happened when we visited Gulf Shores and Orange Beach recently but fortunately, we were able to experience several other attractions that definitely serve as excellent backups should the climate not be conducive to helping your suntan. In fact, after reading this article, I hope these recommendations make you consider visiting this stretch of Alabama coastline at any time of the year because from our experiences, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are both locations that are much more than just a hub for perfect beaches!

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Here are a few suggestions to wet your appetite and hopefully inspire you to visit Alabama in the near future. Some of the top attractions in Gulf Shores involve anything but the beach, so whether you are an avid golfer, a history buff or simply like exploring the outdoors, there is something for everyone!

Peninsula Golf Club

I am a huge golf fan and any opportunity I get to hit the links, I look forward to taking advantage of it! The moment I heard about Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores, I was excited about the potential of playing this resort type complex. 27 holes set along beautiful Mobile Bay, this golf course oozes class, beauty and a challenge for even the most gifted of golfers.

top attractions in gulf shores

Our tee time was scheduled for 11:00 AM on a chilly Friday morning, but pulling into the parking lot about 20 minutes prior to teeing off, I knew we would be in for a real treat. Everything about the golf course was perfectly manicured from the greens to the tee boxes and even the aesthetic touches around the clubhouse and practice areas.

Things to do in Gulf Shores Peninsula Golf

As we drove our cart to the first tee, the starter told us to take our time and enjoy the two 9-hole courses we would be playing today – the Lakes and the Marsh. This resort has a third course, the Cypress and each day the three courses are rotated out to ensure that they all remain in pristine condition (kudos to the greenskeepers for maintaining such a high-quality resort!)

Things to do in Gulf Shores Peninsula Golf

Another nice touch on the first tee was a barrel full of ice and cold apples that provided a refreshing start to your round. Despite the frigid conditions, this still proved to be beneficial later in the round to give an extra boost of energy.

Without going into too much detail of my round, the first 9 holes were a little disappointing as I struggled to find any sort of consistency with my driver and irons. However, the second nine was a drastic improvement as we made our way around the Marsh course, culminating in the highlight of my round on the 18th when I hit a driver, 3-wood to 8 feet on a par 5. It would have been a fitting end to an awesome day had I rolled in the eagle putt but it wasn’t to be and I walked off the green satisfied with just a birdie.

Things to do in Gulf Shores Peninsula Golf

A score of 81 on my first round at Peninsula wasn’t anything to be too upset about and I look forward to heading back here in the near future to hopefully improve on that score!

If you are a golfer of any standard, I highly recommend taking your clubs to Gulf Shores and sampling this beautiful golf course. Peninsula Golf Club is one of the best courses in terms of natural beauty and overall condition of the course that I have played.

Historic Fort Morgan

After a relaxing morning on the golf course, head along Highway 180 to what feels like the end of the world but instead provides an enthralling experience as you explore Historic Fort Morgan.

Gulf Shores

Fort Morgan is a well-preserved historic site that was an active location in four wars – the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Construction of this site was completed in the early 19th century and today this still stands proudly as an iconic preservation site along this stretch of coastline.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

As we walked around the site and learned more about the history of Fort Morgan, it became apparent that this was most famous for the role it played in the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. I am not a history buff but stood there in the spot where torpedoes would have been fired across the Bay was certainly a memorable experience.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

Battery Schenck located outside the main entrance to the fort was a rapid-fire battery capable of firing ten rounds a minute and was named after First Lieutenant William Schenck who was killed in action.

The entrance to the main part of Fort Morgan is a long tunnel that takes you through the embankments into the ‘sally port’ of the fort. The moment you exit the tunnel you are surrounded by the magnitude of Fort Morgan and it really is an impressive spot to peer around the panoramic views. The casemates of Fort Morgan were once smoke-filled rooms, whereas now they are simply historic ruins that are trying to preserve some sort of resemblance of their original condition.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

A trip to Gulf Shores would not be complete without exploring Historic Fort Morgan. There is so much history to be found here and you never know what hidden gem you may come across as you wander around these grounds that were once the site of major warfare.

Top Reasons to Visit Gulf Shores

Biking the Backcountry Trails

While we may not be the next winners of the Tour de France, we love to head outdoors on our bikes and explore. When we were given the opportunity to rent bikes courtesy of Beach Bike Rentals and experience the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Backcountry trails, we were certainly up for the challenge.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

After collecting our 3-speed bikes that would be our form of transportation for the next few hours, we grabbed a map of the trails and headed out to explore. There are a variety of routes and trails that you can take throughout the backcountry. The map details the trails through Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry park as “seven distinct trails through six different ecosystems” so with our backpack and camera accompanying us, we ventured on our way.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

The first thing you notice as you start out is the overall quality of the trails. Paved trails are throughout and all are wide enough to allow for bikers and pedestrians to comfortably pass each other without fear of colliding!

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

The trails vary in terms of distance but all have unique names ranging from Rattlesnake Ridge (fortunately we passed through here without any scary encounters!) to Coyote Crossing. In total there are about 15 miles of trails you can experience, plus a couple of other options that allow you to go even further along Highway 180 by Peninsula Golf Club.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

Here is a map of the trails so you can plan out your route prior to embarking on your adventures: Backcountry Trail Map.

As you meander around the trails, make sure you keep a close eye out for ‘Lefty’, a legendary three-legged alligator that lives along the trail. A plethora of other wildlife along with a flora and fauna trail that will keep you intrigued as you explore every nook and cranny the Gulf Backcountry has to offer.

Top Reasons to visit Gulf Shores

Summary

Three awesome alternatives to relaxing on the beach! In fact, after experiencing all of these during our recent visit to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach I am glad the weather didn’t allow for much beach time because I think we would have missed out on these amazing attractions.

Of course, I was sold on golf the moment I heard about Peninsula Golf Club but Historic Fort Morgan and Biking the Backcountry Trails were two hidden gems I was delighted we were able to experience. Check out these attractions – you won’t be disappointed!

If you would like to see more pictures from our experiences at each of these three attractions, please visit our Gulf Shores and Orange Beach photo gallery here.

Disclaimer – We would like to thank Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for hosting us on this trip. In addition, thank you to Peninsula Golf Club, Historic Fort Morgan and Beach Bike Rentals for providing complimentary access to these attractions. These are solely our personal opinions/experiences and we were not financially compensated for this post. 

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Chris Boothmanhttps://abritandasoutherner.com
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]

12 COMMENTS

  1. Yup, right there with you that I cant stand the cold lol so it’s good to know that there are some great alternatives! Fort Morgan especially looks particularly interesting and I could probably spend a whole day there! Thanks for the great tips!

  2. I’d love to opt for the country road bike rides, I can’t golf, sadly I can’t ever get the ball off the ground. Fort Morgan looks like a super neat hidden gem 🙂

  3. I love when the seaside place has much more to offer than just the beach! And this one looks like a wonderful destination with so many possibilities! I’d love to go for such a bike ride like you did, it sounds great!

    • It was a lot of fun Kami, just like the other attractions. I am not a ‘huge’ beach person when it comes to just laying there hour after hour and always look for alternative options in a region. I think this part of the world has a stereotype of just being about beaches when the reality is as you can see, there is so much more to do here! It’s all about getting out and exploring and what better to do this than on a bike 🙂

  4. The bikes rides and a step back in time wandering around Fort Morgan look like activities we would really enjoy. Not sure the golf is for me – although I have never attempted a game myself as I am frightened I would be unable to actually hit the ball and therefore annoying all those queuing up behind me! Like the idea of the chilled apples though.

    • The bike riding around the Backcountry Trails was really cool and something a little different to the norm. Usually we like to be exploring the main tourist attractions in a destination but it was nice to go ‘off the beaten path’ so to speak here in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and see some of the natural landscapes that this part of Alabama has to offer!

      Hey Tam, everyone has to start somewhere with golf 🙂

  5. I might also add The Wharf in Orange Beach on the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a beautiful facility with shopping, sipping, and fine dining.
    There is also a lot of Antique shopping to be had around the Foley area as well as a nice outlet mall….sprinkled with plenty of local eateries. It’s a great area! I live here!

  6. The men in my life love the Peninsula Golf Club, and I love Fort Morgan! People often forget there is a variety of fun things to do other than the beach. Thanks for sharing!

    • Hi Abby,

      I had a great time playing Peninsula, though I would have liked to play a little better…maybe next time 🙂 Actually heading back to GSOB next week and hopefully, will have the opportunity to play Kiva Dunes! We both love Fort Morgan as well and completely agree with you that this destination is so much more than just gorgeous beaches (though I am sure you will agree they are pretty awesome too!).

      Thanks so much for your comments, we appreciate it!

  7. Hi Chris, thanks for the great travel tips, the reviews, and the hints, including the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama area.

    Pictures are really excellent also.

    It certainly helps when we can read a blog such as yours, and be guided by it. Many adventures to be had by all.

    Cheers Sharon…

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