Campground Review - Gulf State Park Campground, Foley, AL
Rig: 2018 Vista 31BHE Class A Motorhome, No Additional Vehicle
Site: 5 (W/E/S) - Utilities Placement & Location: Good / Power: Clean
Check-in: 2PM / Check-out: 11AM
Free WiFi throughout the campground
Cell Service: We had strong Verizon and T-Mobile cellular service
Nightly Rate (2025): $55 to $77 (plus 13% lodging tax and 15.25% resort fee)
Monthly Rate (2025): $963 to $1159 (plus 13% lodging tax and 15.25% resort fee)
See separate section below on the process of securing a monthly site at Gulf State Park.
About the Park: Situated along the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf State Park encompasses more than 6,000 acres and five distinct ecosystems just waiting to be explored. There are two restaurants, a beachfront lodge (hotel), beautiful 1, 2 and 3-bedroom lakefront cottages managed by Hilton, a fishing pier, a gorgeous, white-sand beach, and so much more. Twenty-eight miles of (mostly) flat hiking and biking trails will satisfy all but the avid hiker or mountain biker. Many are paved or raised boardwalks over marshy areas, although there are some that are dirt, grass or sand. Volunteers, staff, and campers throughout the campground are extremely friendly!
Getting Around: The park offers a free tram service, which completes a route stopping at various locations throughout the park each hour. In busier seasons, they run two trams opposite one another so the wait is never longer than 30 minutes; we visited in January and there was only one tram running at the time. Scan the QR code below to view live tracking of the tram so you won’t miss it when it stops at the Nature Center, the only stop it makes in the campground proper.
Our friendly tram driver, Steve, was very knowledgeable about the park and the general area, so take advantage of the history and eco lessons, as well as local lore and shopping / dining recommendations.
Bike rentals are available in the campground at the hub. The park also offers a free bike share program, with pick-up / drop-off locations throughout the park (but none, sadly in the campground proper). You’ll find the bike share pick-up/drop-off locations noted on the park map at the top of this post.
Within the park (but not the campground), you can also rent e-bikes or participate on a guided Segway Tour; we saw many e-bikers and Segway tour groups on our walks, and everyone appeared to be having a blast!
The campground itself is one of the largest state park campgrounds we’ve visited. It’s walkable, but would probably take about 20-30 minutes from end to end. Depending on where your site is located, you can be at the pristine, white sand beach in as little as 15 minutes (or as much as 45 minutes) on foot. Time your walk to the beach for sunset - it’s worth it!
Trails: The trail system at Gulf State Park is incredible, offering 28 miles of (mostly) paved or boardwalk surfaces and a handful of natural paths for hiking, biking and leisurely strolls. As you meander through them, you’ll find that everyone you encounter - fellow campers, volunteers and staff - offer smiles and a friendly hello. The pups and I love to feel the earth beneath our feet, so we quickly honed in on a few natural paths close to our site.
We were in the park for a historic January snowfall event when we received almost 10” of snow in 8 hours. This Northerner couldn’t resist the opportunity to build a snowman on the beach. It was small by Pennsylvania standards because the snow wasn’t ready for packing yet, and it was a wee bit nippy on the beach! I travel with vegies so I had a carrot nose on hand, but (until now) I don’t travel south with enough layers for a blizzard!
The paved and boardwalk paths sure came in handy after a historic January snowfall event when we received almost 10” of snow in 8 hours; the snow melted within a day on macadam but left mud on the trails for several days. Our favorite was the Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, the length of which is peppered with memorial benches and swings dedicated to campers who have loved the trails. You can feel the love as you meander among the old trees covered in spanish moss.
Facilities: At the centrally located hub of the campground, the camp store stocks some camping essentials (not many perishable items, though), firewood, and lots of souvenirs.
Be sure to check out the weekly activities on the bulletin board outside the store or at the nearby Nature Center. You’ll also find lots of educational programming at the Nature Center. A very active and welcoming snowbird community offers camper-sponsored activities in the nearby Activities Center as well, and all of these schedules are also posted on the bullet board outside the Nature Center.
Additional campground facilities include a huge heated pool and splash pad. Although the splash pad wasn’t operating and the pool was not heated during our stay due to historically low overnight temperatures, we were told it was heated and busy with swimmers through December.
There are also pickleball courts, tennis courts that double as basketball courts, horseshoe pits, several playgrounds, a volleyball net and a large, clean and well-equipped laundromat open 24/7 (quarters only) equipped with 28 washers and 22 dryers, carts, folding stations, and two change machines (both were operating at the time of our visit). Bring your laundry detergent though, because I didn’t notice any dispensers in the laundromat (although they may sell that in the nearby camp store.)
Campsites: All the sites in the campground are generously sized, ample length, some with a bit more space between sites than others. Campsites along the Campground Road tend to have more traffic noise, at least in the central parts of the campground. Mature trees and vegetation are scattered throughout the campground, but not necessarily between sites. Still, you have enough room that you don’t feel like you’re in your neighbor’s living room. 🙂
There are a good number of pull-through sites located along the canal, along the main road, and in the top (quieter) area of the campground. Water view sites overlook two of the park’s four lakes, or the canal that connects them. Alligators and snakes (some poisonous) also make this park their home, although we didn’t encounter any during our stay in January. Refer to the site map for areas where you might anticipate seeing an alligator near your site if you’re visiting during warmer weather with small children or pets.
Rest Rooms: The campground has 11 newly constructed bath houses, conveniently located and maintained by Camp Hosts. Our bath house had 3 shower stalls, one of which was extra spacious and equipped for individuals with disabilities, and four bathroom stalls. The bath houses are spacious, heated/cooled, and immaculate. And, a little thing … but I’ve been in campground showers where it can feel awkward to walk by the shower stalls due to all the gaps … I really appreciated the extra touch of corner molding in the shower stalls and dressing areas to give you complete privacy.
To Do: If you find yourself with nothing to do at Gulf State Park Campground, it will be by choice (which, of course, is perfectly okay)! But if you’re of the sort that looks for entertainment and community at a campground, even one this large, you’ll find that, too.
The park offers regular programming including nature walks, crafts, and educational outings throughout the park. In addition, the robust and very active snowbird community offers camper-sponsored programming. During our stay, regular weekly camper-sponsored activities included daily exercise programs, music night, a weekly music jam, game night, Bingo, weekly arts and crafts, volleyball, euchre, horseshoes, and more. If you’re looking for community at a campground, you’ll likely find it here, as the campers are friendly and incredibly welcoming.
These activity calendars represent one week’s offerings at the campground during our stay, as well as monthly programs sponsored by the state park. As you can see, there are activities for just about any interest, and most of them are free or reasonably priced. Steve particularly enjoyed jamming with other musicians on Friday afternoons and Tuesday evenings, and I enjoyed the weekly Arts & Crafts Social with the snowbird community, which was part arts and crafts and part gabfest. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but the campers were so welcoming and gracious!
We saw some kayakers out on the lake on some of the nicer days. There is plenty of fishing (surf and pier) and lots of happy fisher people riding their bikes and pulling their fishing carts behind them to the beach every day. There is a fish cleaning station right inside the campground near the centrally located dumpsters.
Note the location of the dumpsters on the campground map when selecting your site if you don’t tow a vehicle, as this is the only trash receptacle in the campground beyond dog waste disposal sites (complete with bags) you’ll find conveniently placed throughout the campground. We found that most people picked up after their dogs, and almost everyone kept their pets on leash, something we appreciate as parents of a sometimes reactive pup.
While we didn’t see any alligators or snakes during this particularly cold January, we did see a couple of eagles who arrived early to this popular nesting ground, many hawks and osprey, and a wide variety of birds on the shores and in the park itself. We also saw an armadillo, plenty of rabbits as the temps starting climbing, and a abundance of tree squirrels that tortured poor Bandit endlessly.
Local Attractions: Nearby are the towns of Orange Beach and Foley, each offering a plethora of shopping and dining opportunities, as well as live music (more likely in season). Perdido Beach is a short drive away, and Pensacola and Mobile are not terribly far to the East and the West, respectively. We dined out only once, on a tram-assisted excursion to WalMart, and we had a fabulous meal at the Cove Street Bar & Grille in Orange Beach. The grilled avocado stuffed with shrimp and pico was wonderful, as was the hamburger and fresh cut french fries.
Monthly Rates: Monthly rates are available November through March for up to four months at a time, and are first-come, first-served. The process is extremely competitive, and the application opens annually in mid-November for the following winter season. Be prepared to pay for one month up front, and note the current cancellation policy on the website so there are no surprises. Only certain sites are designated for monthly rental, and they go quickly. It’s best to do your homework in advance by knowing areas where you’d like to camp, and then park yourself in front of your computer so you can be on the park’s website when the form becomes available at 9AM on the specified date. Race through the first part where you enter your personal information to get your timestamp, and then you’ll have all the time you need to zero in on the sites or areas of the campground you’d like to call home for up to four months during the second part of the application process. Expect a call back within a day or two to finalize your site selection if you’re lucky enough to get in! A note about the lodging tax: if you stay for three months or more, you can register as a part-time resident of the state and get a refund on the lodging tax portion of your bill; inquire about this at the park.
OUR RATING & SUMMARY:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
We budget $40 per night for campground fees (and often pay considerably less), so for us, the monthly rate is the only way to get to that sweet spot in our expenditures. Despite the higher than average cost, we give Gulf State Park our highest rating, 5 stars! It has everything a camper might want with the exception of hilly terrain for mountain biking or vigorous hikes. Sites are spacious and offer full hook-ups, facilities are well placed, and bath houses are well appointed and immaculate. If you’re working while camping, there are plenty of comfortable places to do so, and a strong WiFi signal with moderate speed. There are lots of outdoor activities, including a gigantic heated pool, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball, horseshoes, and 28 miles of hiking and biking trails. Campers and staff are all incredibly friendly, and an active community of snowbirds provide lots of value-added programming during the winter months so you can be as busy as you like (or not). Snowbirds can use the lottery system to reserve up to four months in the winter at a discounted rate, and this campground has it all so you really can make it your home away from home. It’s a short drive (in your car or via the free tram which will drop you near the exit in Orange Beach) to get to stores to replenish supplies, visit restaurants, or take in some evening entertainment. The beach is gorgeous and within walking distance from most sites. While the overall park is not the most picturesque of campgrounds we’ve been to, there are so many beautiful gems throughout the park for those who venture out to find them. Here are some of our favorites:
ABOUT US: We are snowbirds who escape our Southeastern Pennsylvania’s chilly winters in our Class A Winnebago Vista 31BE motorhome with our two pups, Bandit & Oakley, for 4 to 6 months at a time. Our pups love the outdoors, but don’t always love each other, so we spend most of our time in the campground with them. For that reason, and because they generally suit our $40/night budget, we favor state and national parks with plenty of outdoor space to explore and keep the pups sufficiently tuckered. Steve is recently retired and Susan is a full-time Ceramic Artist and Teacher who creates nature-inspired colored porcelain ceramic designs and beads for her artisan jewelry while traveling. We blog about our adventures, provide honest campground reviews from our unique perspective, and share lots of inspiring photos of all the beauty our state and national parks have to offer. Join our journey by following #PotterOnWheels on social media, or by subscribing to our blog. See you on the road!
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