Gulf Shores is a city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Its Gulf State Park has beaches, trails and a pier, plus a golf course and a zip line over the dunes. To the west, sea turtles and migratory birds thrive among the coastal habitats of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Farther west, 19th-century Fort Morgan guards Mobile Bay. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo offers hands-on encounters with lemurs, kangaroos and sloths.

Orange Beach is a small city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. It’s known as a water sports hub. Located on Wolf Bay, Waterfront Park has a fishing pier and picnic areas. The Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum explores Native American and fishing history. To the west, The Wharf is a shopping area with an amphitheater. The Backcountry Trail winds from the city through Gulf State Park’s beaches in the nearby city of Gulf Shores.