Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, United States
4.5 (278 reviews) Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Spent Ranking #3 in Gulf Shores Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Beautiful walk to the Beach. —Pine Beach Trail
A 6,000-acre nature preserve with a number of endangered species.
Address
12295 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores, AL 36542-8203
Mobile
Website
http://www.fws.gov/bonsecour/
Working hours
Monday : 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday : 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday : 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday : 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday : 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday :
Sunday :
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 10:04
User Ratings
4.5 based on (278 reviews)
Excellent
61%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Reviews
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5Jay B 5:00 PM Apr 23, 2020
Serenity On Fort Morgan Peninsula
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.
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4Sue W 5:00 PM Mar 13, 2023
Fun little trek!
Keep an eye out for the turn into the parking area. There is a small sign but it’s easy to miss. There is a fair amount of parking available, and it’s mostly shady. We took the Pine Beach Trail. It was a nice little walk/hike out to a private beach. There is a lookout over Gator Lake and Little Lagoon. There is also a porta potty about halfway that is well cared for; i.e., it was clean, didn’t stink and had toilet paper! It’s mostly a flat, easy hike until about the last ¼ mile to the beach where you walk through sand and between dunes. There is a bench strategically placed just before the sand part so you can take off/put on your shoes. It was fun! We didn’t see much wildlife other than a heron and seagulls. Recommend this for a relaxing trek out in nature!
