BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 154: Walk to the end of the Gulf State Park Pier

Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores, Ala. 

The Gulf State Park Pier in Baldwin County, Ala. is the largest pier on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s 1,540 feet long (more than 4-1/4 football fields) and covers 41,800 square feet. To say that it’s one of the most amazing structures in all of Alabama would be an understatement.

I’ve lived near Baldwin County for most of my life, and I’ve driven past the Gulf State Park Pier many times, but I couldn’t honestly say that I’d ever paid it a visit or walked all the way to the end of it, which is why I put it on my “bucket list” a few years ago.

On Friday afternoon, my family and I found ourselves in the vicinity of the pier with a little time to kill, so we stopped to check it out. The park is located at 20115 State Highway 135 in Gulf Shores, Ala., and we pulled into the parking lot around 4 p.m. On the way in, the kids stopped for a few pictures in front of a giant sea turtle statue at the entrance to the pier.

From there, we walked up the ramp, past the beach showers, and into the pier’s main building. This structure contains a restaurant, refreshment stand and eating area. This is also where you’ll find a small gift shop and the ticket and license window.

The pier is open all day (24 hours) on Fridays and Saturdays and is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. all other days. For anglers over 16, you have to have a saltwater fishing license as well as an $8 daily fishing permit. However, just to sight see, it’s only $2 (or $3 for an all day pass).

Halfway down the pier, you’ll encounter another large building that sits on the pier’s halfway point. This building contains more restrooms as well as fish cleaning stations. It's also a nice spot to stop in the shade and look out over the Gulf. 

The further out you go, you’ll encounter more and more fishermen. Some of them look like tourists trying their hand at fishing for the first time, while others are obviously hardcore fishermen who visit the pier several times a week.

We walked all the way to the end of the pier and arrived in time to watch a fisherman reel in a large amberjack. Before he brought it all the way to the surface, we could see the outline of it in the water, and I honestly thought he’d hooked a manta ray. Another fisherman used a sharp gaff to haul the fish up to the pier and a few minutes later the fish was flopping wildly before my wide-eyed kids.

If you’ve never visited the Gulf State Park Pier, I highly recommend it. It’s one of the most awesome sights in all of Alabama, and if you do pay it a visit, be sure to walk all the way to the end. It’ll take a few minutes, but you won’t be disappointed.

In the end, how many of you have ever seen or visited the Gulf State Park Pier? How many of you have walked all the way to the very end? What did you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.