Much of Alabama’s Great Outdoors is Still Open for Visitors

Mobile Baykeeper continues working to ensure clean water, clean air and healthy communities during COVID-19. “We believe now more than ever, our community needs to get outside for their mental and physical health,” says Executive Director Casi Calloway. To encourage citizens to enjoy the abundant natural resources of Coastal Alabama, the Mobile Baykeeper team has put together the following list of places for outdoor recreation.

As a reminder, always follow the latest CDC guidelines when out in public and practice Leave No Trace principles to preserve the health and beauty of our natural resources. This includes disposing of waste properly, letting nature’s sounds prevail by avoiding loud voices and leaving what you find—including rocks, plants and other natural objects—as you found them.

Mobile County

• Langan Park is a 720-acre park with beautiful wetlands and room to spread out. The peaceful Longleaf Pine loop trail across the street (on the south side) is open, but the Mobile Botanical Gardens are closed.

• Medal of Honor Park is another great park in West Mobile where you can walk trails and enjoy the outdoors. 

• Tri-centennial Park is the perfect place to stroll along 3-Mile Creek.

• The Glenn Sebastian Nature Trail on South Alabama’s campus includes over three miles of trails winding through 95 acres of native pine and oak woodlands.

• Dog River Park is a fun and scenic place to enjoy beautiful Dog River from land or in a kayak. 

• The Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area in Theodore features a 2.3-mile, easy-to-walk interpretive trail through several distinctive habitats offering excellent birding opportunities. 

• Dauphin Island is renowned for migratory birds. Download a bird identification app before visiting the trails at the bird sanctuary and Cadillac Square.

Baldwin County

• On the causeway, trails are open at Meaher State Park and 5 Rivers Delta Center (but the interpretive center is closed). WildNative is renting out kayaks and offering tours in a safe-distance way.

• Historic Blakeley State Park features 2,100 acres along the Tensaw River where visitors can hike, bike, birdwatch and explore a Civil War battle site. Online ticketing is currently required to ensure proper social distancing.

• The Eastern Shore Trail (EST) is a 22-mile varied-surface national recreation trail that is great for runners, cyclists and walkers. Connecting North Daphne to Weeks Bay, the trail passes through Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Battles Wharf and Point Clear.

• Gator Alley Boardwalk, the northern most trailhead of the EST, is a fun, short walk that offers some gator-watching!

• Daphne’s Village Point Park Reserve trails are open and connect to Bayfront Park, which offers kayak access.

• Other Daphne bayfront parks with beach access include Belrose Park, May Day Park (the playground is closed) and McMillan Bluff.

• Daphne Central Park has walking trails and an 18-hole disc golf course.

• In Fairhope, Quail Creek Golf Club and the Mike Ford Tennis Center are open again, along with sidewalks for walking.

• Henry George Bluff Park overlooking Fairhope’s municipal pier (which is closed) remains accessible with a paved sidewalk and benches to view Mobile Bay. Continuing south on Highway 98 will reveal more bluff access on the right and a public boat launch at Pier Street. 

• Walk the trails and see pitcher plants at the Weeks Bay Pitcher Plant Bog. Trails behind the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve also remain open.

• The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to absorb the beauty of our natural resources on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. The beaches are closed but trails are open so you can explore the wetlands, maritime forests and scrub habitats.

• Gulf State Park campgrounds, trails and other non-beach areas remain open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

For updated information, plus online environmental education resources for grades K through 12, visit MobileBaykeeper.org/covid19-resources.