4 Star Places To Visit in Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States (8)

4.5 Mobile Bay Ferry (718 reviews)
- Sunset Ferry Ride
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 7:15 PM Spent < 1 hour Ferries

The Mobile Bay Ferry crosses beautiful Mobile Bay, Alabama and connects SR 193 at Dauphin Island on the west side with SR 180 at Mobile Point on the east. Considered “the Gulf-Coast’s Most Scenic Drive”, the ferry saves travelers hours of driving time plus the high cost of fuel by providing a travel link across the mouth of Mobile Bay. The trip between Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan at Mobile Point provides wonderful views of the two historic forts that have long guarded the entrance of Mobile Bay. The trip takes approximately 40 minutes and is a great way for passengers to view birds, sea life and other boats and ships. The ferry service utilizes two ferries, the Fort Morgan and the Marissa Mae Nicole to carry passengers and vehicles across the Bay. At least one ferry operates year-round with both ferries operating during the busy summer months. See more..
4.5 Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (673 reviews)
- Estuary Win!
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Science Museums • Aquariums

The Alabama Aquarium is an exciting educational public aquarium highlighting the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. It includes the 10,000 square foot Exhibit Hall, a 7,000-gallon stingray touch pool, and the Living Marsh Boardwalk. This facility has 31 aquariums totaling over 30,000 gallons with more than 100 species on display. The Alabama Aquarium showcases the plants, animals, and other natural resources found in the Estuary and its surrounding marine habitats. Through beautiful visual exhibits and engaging interactive exhibits, the aquarium will leave you with a broader understanding of the interactions that take place in Mobile Bay, the fourth largest estuary system in the United States. Tickets are available online at: https://disl.yapsody.com/ See more..
4.5 Fort Gaines (533 reviews)
- Very interesting, well preserved and managed. An important part of the Civil War I did not know much about.
Historic Sites

A restored fort that dates back to the colonial era. See more..
4.0 Dauphin Island Public Beach (420 reviews)
- BEAUTIFUL, UNCROWDED, TONS OF BEACH
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

If you don't mind the long walk to the beach from the parking lot, you will enjoy this beautiful, uncrowded beach. There is a ton of room to spread out along the beach so that you feel like you have your own private space. There are dolphins that swam fairly close, and little fish and sizable crabs that our older kids enjoyed netting in the water. Its. A. Long. Walk. Bring everything you need including an umbrella, a ton of sunscreen, chairs, a cooler, towel, camera, a net (even if ur an adult its fun!) I hear vinegar is good for jelly fish but we did not see or feel any of those while visiting, and whatever else you feel necessary! ENJOY! Suncreen even if ur under an umbrella! See more..
4.5 Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary (214 reviews)
- Nice Walk, Plenty to See
Nature & Wildlife Areas

After several tips to the island, we finally made a point to visit the sanctuary. We should've done this sooner! It's a great place to wind down, take a stroll, and enjoy the sights/sounds of nature. Easy trails take you around a small lake (say hey to the alligators) and out to the beach (beautiful views and benches). Parking can be complicated, but it's not terrible. A free, family-friendly, accessible activity you should definitely put on your list! See more..
4.5 Capt. Mike's Deep Sea Fishing (49 reviews)
- Best inshore fishing ever
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Fishing Charters & Tours

We had the deep sea trip with Skipper booked but the Escape broke and the part was delayed (then lost) by the shipping company. We had excellent communication and updates on the situation from Iris as soon as the problem was known and 8 of the guys decided to just wait and rebook which we have done for October. However, with flights already booked, two of us decided to come anyway and fish inshore with Capt. Mike, We’ve fished a lot of fresh and salt water and this was the best fishing we’ve experienced ... caught a bunch of trout and big bull Redfish... a shark and mackerel added more variety. Mike’s a pleasure to spend a day with and he knows where the fish are. He kept us entertained in the very few slow times during the day. Stayed out until nearly dark and brought a ton of fish home. Can’t wait to come back in October for the deep sea 2.5 day trip. See more..
4.0 Action Outdoors (25 reviews)
- Great fishing fun for everyone
Other Outdoor Activities

We did this fishing trip on the Duke with our three children aged 3, 9, and 14. The captain and deckhand were always nice and full of random information on the 4 hour expedition. We dropped anchor off the point near Ft. Gaines and fished for a few hours. My family alone caught many ground mullet, a few hardtail, a couple catfish, and a stingray! I especially appreciated the help with our little one and giving him a chance to "catch a fish" once a few were hooked. He was over the top about that. The deckhand helped bait most of the time, unhook any fish, and even filleted all our spoils at the end of our trip. We split our bounty with the others and still came home with a bag full of fresh fish. I would not hesitate to recommend this outfit to anyone looking for a great way to entertain themselves without breaking the bank. Thank you! See more..
4.5 Dauphin Island Little Red School House Community Complex (6 reviews)
- Schoolhouse rocks
Speciality Museums • History Museums

Great history behind this building. The docents inside will fill you in as well as greet you and give you a tour. The schoolhouse houses a museum, gift shop and library. They also have a collection of flyers from everything interesting on the island and Mobile. Lovely stop. See more..

Filter by Rating

No rating yet