Top Things to do in Alabama
Top Hotels in Alabama
- 1. Best Western Premier The Tides
- 2. The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel
- 3. Perdido Beach Resort
- 4. Drury Inn & Suites Huntsville at the Space & Rocket Center
- 5. Best Western On The Beach
- 6. Drury Inn & Suites Birmingham Grandview
- 7. Hotel Capstone
- 8. Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel
- 9. Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham-Downtown-Tutwiler
- 10. Drury Inn Mobile
10 Outdoor Activities in Alabama That You Shouldn't Miss
If you head for the hills in the state you’ll end up in the northern sector where the inspiring mountains and attractions like the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, the Blue & Gray Museum in Decatur and the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman represent the diversity of experiences available in the area. In the middle of the state you’ll find Birmingham, an urban center with great attractions and museums, and Tuscaloosa, the quintessential college town and home to the University of Alabama. For beach lovers, sandy destinations like Dauphin Island near Mobile, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer beautiful beaches, superb golf, fantastic seafood restaurants and heaping helpings of Southern hospitality.
For those who love to chase the white dimpled ball, Alabama offers one of the best golf values anywhere. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a collection of 468 holes at 11 different sites across the state, features top-notch, championship style courses at affordable rates.
Restaurants in Alabama
1. Smith Lake RV & Cabin Resort
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
EASY lake living can be yours at Smith Lake RV & Cabin Resort. Deeded lots for sale for your RV, a custom cabin or both. Full-time lake living, part time family getaway or retire here and enjoy the best amenities with little upkeep. Bring your cabin plan or choose from one of our plans and we will build it for you. Visit this beautiful Smith lake community soon… You’ll never want to leave! Phase 3 lots NOW OPEN! We do not offer rentals.
2. Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
3. Gulf State Park Nature Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Lkn4me - Knoxville, United States
We stumbled upon this gem while visiting Orange Beach this month. The kids loved seeing turtles,hawks, and owls. Seeing two baby alligators was an added bonus! The staff was very friendly! Would highly recommend a stop in if you're in the area.
4. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 270 reviews
A 6,000-acre nature preserve with a number of endangered species.
Reviewed By 607jayb - Fairhope, United States
Bon Secour NWR is one of the best kept secrets on the entire Alabama Gulf Coast. The Refuge is located a few miles down the Fort Morgan Peninsula Highway 180 (aka Fort Morgan Road) from Gulf Shores. The Refuge consists of a really nice Nature Center and two great hiking trails. The Jeff Friend Trail is the shorter trail and runs partially along Little Lagoon and also features a kayak/canoe launch. The Pine Beach Trail is the longer trail and is very diverse including deep woods, Little Lagoon and even the Gulf beach area. BSNWR is fantastic for hiking, birding or just enjoying the great outdoors. Whether you are a local or a visitor, invest some time here if you are looking for some diverse outdoor activity away from the crowded beaches and attractions. This would be a great option for spending at least part of a day doing something a bit different from typical "beach vacation" fare. NOTE: As an added bonus, admission is entirely FREE! Also be aware the only public restrooms are at the Nature Center and part of the way down the Pine Beach Trail. There are no restrooms at the Jeff Friend Trail.
5. Gulf State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,366 reviews
Gulf State Park's two miles of beaches greet you with plenty of white sun-kissed sand, surging surf, seagulls and sea shells, but there is more than sand and surf to sink your toes into. Inside Gulf State Park there is a brand new Gulf Front lodge and Conference Center, beach pavilion, National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World Cottages, tennis courts, camp sites, 28 miles of paved/enhance trails and a fishing pier that is 20-feet wide and extends 1,512 feet into the Gulf. This and much more make Gulf State Park the perfect in-state vacation or out-of-state adventure.
Reviewed By cyberbubba - Gulf Shores, United States
Gulf State Park is just more beautiful spot to add to the long list of amazing places to see in Gulf Shores, AL. The pier is all new and twice as big since the last hurricane with a great bar/restaurant and a great place to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful Gulf. There's an awesome campground with a ton of amenities, trails and more trails, bike trails, State park hotel resort by Hilton with amazing restaurant, beach front parking with boardwalk vendors and so much more. I would check several other reviews as the Gulf State Park has much more to offer than I covered here. The area is very well maintained and very scenic. There is ample parking and lots of people for fishing off the pier or on the beach with their families and friends. There is tons of beach access for miles and miles. The Gulf State Park Pavilion, for example, has terrific huge beach access. Love it, love it, love it!! We were on this beach when they ran us off @ 5pm a few weeks ago. We were here when for the re-open @ 5pm. Absolutely perfect beach day with 78° sunny day with nice northerly breeze, sweet!!! There's lots of parking and everyone is just happy to have our feet in the sand, wind in our faces & those waves. Ahhhh This uncrowded, natural beach is six miles east of Highway 59 on Beach Pkwy, with beautiful crystaline sand dunes and sea oats. There's lots of room to spread out, making it a great place for families with lots of gear. Surf fishing is a popular activity here. The beach pavilion features air-conditioned restrooms, private showers, a snack bar, plenty of shady spots to sit and eat, and even a huge fireplace for chilly days. There is a $6 fee to park all day ($12 for large vans) (residents park free so do veterans just see Beach Pavilion attendant or pick up an annual pass at Park office headquarters) and there's plenty of spaces, and lots of room for large vehicles and RVs. There's also a BBQ joint seasonally :-) The pavilion is also popular for weddings, reunions and other gatherings but you must call the Park HQ for rental information. The hours are 7:00 a.m. to Sunset, 7 days a week Bottom line; Gulf State Park's beautiful Beach Pavilion is a great place for you to enjoy a day at the beach! SWEET!
6. Montgomery Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 474 reviews
This popular family destination, spread over 40 acres, is home to over 700 animals from five continents, including the famous Bengal tiger. A train ride around the park provides an overview of the site and a chance to determine where you want to go later for a closer look.
Reviewed By lexicsmith3 - Enterprise, United States
My family and I went while bringing along some of my younger cousins and they loved it! From the kangaroos to the buffalos, they loved it all! They also really loved getting to pick out a stuffed animal at the gift shop!
7. Oak Mountain State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 413 reviews
Reviewed By Marvelouslymischief - Pensacola, United States
We are new to RV camping. We decided to make Oak Mountain our maiden voyage for our new rig. We a weekend 4 hour drive to get to Oak Mountain and stayed Friday night and Saturday, leaving Sunday mid-morning. We booked a reservation on Thursday night and drove in after work on Friday. We knew we would arrive after "closing" for the day so we called ahead to find out if that would be a problem. We were told not at all; there would be someone at the 24 hour manned gate and we could check in there. We did checking with the friendly individual at the gate, who shared lots of details and made us a map. We found our campsite easily from the maps and got busy setting up. Mind you this is the first time we've done this but had researched on blogs online, etc. The park ranger came around about 10-15 minutes into the process and stopped to talk. He was very friendly and offered to help. We did not need anything, but he gave us his number in case we needed anything. We quickly got set up, showered, and off to bed for a bright start in the morning. The campground was peaceful, well designed, and clean. In the morning, we hiked to the falls by route of the white to blue trail connection. This section was listed as a moderate hike and around a 1.6 mile hike overall. It was definitely a challenge bringing the dog along on this one. Lots of rocks to climb down and then back up. We are inexperienced hikers and managed it. But won't bring the dog on this trail again.The fall was small this time of year with it being a dryer season. It was still beautiful. We headed back to camp for lunch and to drop the dog off in the RV. Then set out to hike the blue trail from the trail head. We hiked to the king's chair which was breath-taking. The hike was moderately difficult for an inexperienced hiker, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Then we took the red blue connector to hike back to the trail head. The red trail was wide and easy sloping. Easy-peasy and glad we took the red back instead of the blue. Overall we ended up hiking around 10 miles on Saturday. It was exhausting and camp at the end of the day was a welcomed relaxation. We woke up Sunday morning took a short hike around the grounds to see the sites close by the camp ground. Then made a leisurely breakfast and packed up camp. The entire experience was excellent. I will refer all of my friends and return for a future stay!
8. Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,589 reviews
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has become 'The Little Zoo That Grew' when we move to our new 25-acre home! The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is home to exotic animals including lions, tigers, giraffes, reptiles, kangaroos, lemurs, sloths to name just a few. The Zoo features a domestic barn along with seasonal animal encounters, a mining sluice and interactive animal shows during the spring and summer months. The mission of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is to create compelling experiences that connect people and community with wildlife and inspire personal responsibility for conservation of the natural world.
Reviewed By shelbyraye90 - East Troy, United States
A really nice zoo with lots of animals and plenty to do. Both of our kids loved the animals and getting to hold a baby kangaroo was so fun!!
9. Chief Ladiga Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By cmartfamily - Baton Rouge, United States
We road the Chief Ladiga trail from Jacksonville to the state line where it becomes the Silver Comet trail and on into Cedortown GA. The trail was great, wonderful scenery and only very slight inclines. We went to Cedortown spent the night then returned to Jacksonville the next day.It was a great ride both days.
10. University of North Alabama
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 151 reviews
Reviewed By patriciachandler2018 - Florence, United States
Whether you are looking at a college to attend or just to visit, the University of North Alabama is a great option. UNA is a beautiful campus and the city of Florence and surrounding cities of Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals offer great experiences, culture and food. The beautiful TN River gives exceptional views and great for fun activities.
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