The Beaches of Alabama

The Beaches of Alabama are some of the most pristine and beautiful in the entire country for one major reason: the coastal geology of the State.

These beautiful natural attractions located along Alabama’s coastline with the Gulf of Mexico, are important for several reasons.

They are a very important part of the quality of life for numerous people, as well as one of the State’s greatest assets, both economically and environmentally.

These white and sandy beaches of the three major Coastal towns involved, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, And Dauphin Island, have major impacts of the State.

These Beaches of Alabama are extremely popular as well as beloved destinations for both residents of the State, as well as visitors to it.

The very fine quality of the sand found on them when combined with the gentle surfs, also make them some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The shoreline of Alabama along the Gulf of Mexico stretches over 60 miles.

But that is just the beginning, as the tidal shoreline that borders the coastal bays, rivers, and bayous in both Mobile and Baldwin counties, extends another 600 miles.

The Coastal Geology of the State

The Beaches at Gulf Shores

The Beaches of Alabama all start with the costal geology of the state, and it started a long, long time ago.

The sea-level fluctuations, the waves, as well as erosion and deposition, were among the numerous processes that to this day continue to shape these natural beauties.

The Gulf beach sands are composed almost entirely of quartz grains, which washed out of the ancient Appalachian Mountains thousands of years ago.

Then the sorting by the waves and sea-level changes resulted in almost uniform sand grains, which accounts for the very high quality of sands found on the Beaches of Alamama.

Breaking waves also played a part, as they moved tons of sand along the entire State’s coastline, through a process known as “littoral drift”.

“Littoral drift” refers to the movement of entrained sand grains in the direction of the longshore current.

It can be thought of as a river of sand moving parallel to the shore, moving sand form one coastal location to the next.

The Six Most Popular of the Beaches of Alabama

Dauphin Island

There are other like natural attractions in this beautiful State, but here are the first 3 of 6 most popular Beaches of Alabama.

Gulf Shores Main Public Beach
Dauphin Island
Robinson Island

Gulf Shores Main Public Beach

The first of the most known of the Beaches of Alabama is the Gulf Shores Main Public Beach.

Also referred to as Gulf Place, this beautiful natural attraction sits where Alabama Highway 59 ends at East Beach Blvd.

It is monitored seasonally by lifeguards, and includes several amenities.

These includes three open-air pavilions, a picnic area, a playground, as well as restrooms and on-site showers.

If you and your family or friends like to play beach volleyball, this is the place to go.

There are also four beach mats along this beach, that will make it easy for anyone with limited mobility as well as wheelchairs to be able to reach it.

Dauphin Island

Next on this list in Dauphin Island, which actually has two beaches, the first called the Public Beach located on the west end, and the other is on the east end of the island.

Ther public beach is a beautiful light-tan-almost white-sandy beach, and it is a very large and quite place loved by the locals.

The waters located there are shallow and very clean, and again it is so large that even when it is busy you still have tons of space for your family.

The Hours are 8 AM to 6 PM year around, and there is a small fee to get in during peak spring and summer times.

There is a very long walk to the water, but there are ferries the run periodically for Fort Morgan.

Robinson Island

Robinson Island is next on the list of the Beaches of Alabama, and it is unique from the others.

It has become a very popular day trip for the boaters in and around the Orange Beach area, and it is different in two major ways.

The first is that it is a bird sanctuary, and second there are no facilities or amenities on this Island.

It is a bird sanctuary because of the important nesting area for wading herons and terns.

You can only reach this gorgeous Island and beach by a kayak or stand-up paddleboard or boat, but is well worth the trip.

Because it is isolated, the serenity makes it very popular with visitors all around the State.

The Last Three of the Beautiful Beaches of Alabama

Alabama Point Beach

The last three include the following:

Alabama Point Beach
Cotton Bayou Beach
Fairhope Municipal Pier Beach

Alabama Point Beach

Alabama Point Beach is the next on the list, and it goes by many names.

The names include Point East, Florida Point, or Perdido Pass.

It is a great location for you and your family as well as seniors, as it is a 600 feet-wide white-sand hidden gem.

Located in Orange Beach, it is more than a mile wide, and is located near Gulf State Park.

As it is located near Perdido Pass, you will have a front row view of the boat traffic passing.

It also has picnic areas, a boardwalk, restrooms and showers.

However, make sure you do not forget to explore the numerous sand dunes located here.

Cotton Bayou Beach

Next on the list is the Cotton Bayou Beach.

It is a smaller beach that is located in the Gulf State Park, and is the home of clean and very soft white sand and warm water.

All of the areas located here include restrooms and showers, that are always kept very clean.

There is also a wooden walking zone as well as a pier going to the sea.

One of the best attractions at this wonder is the beautiful sunsets, that you must see to believe.

Fairhope Municipal Pier Beach

Last but certainly not least of the Beaches of Alabama, is the gorgeous Fairhope Municipal Pier Beach.

While it is not located in the major beach areas, this is a must see for you and your family, as this is a spacious sandy beach with a pier that is located in Fairhope, Alabama.

There is also a beautiful park along the calm waters, where you can stroll while your older children play in the playground area.

There is also a picnic area with numerous tables and benches.

You can also fish from the pier, as long as you have a saltwater fishing license.

Located nearby is also a flower garden with rose bushes as well as a beautiful fountain.

There are numerous other beaches in the State of Alabama for you and your family to enjoy, but these are some of the most popular.

References

64 Best Beaches in Alabama to Visit in 2020 | BeachCatcher

Alabama's Coastline - Encyclopedia of Alabama