Early morning at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Morgan

Fort Morgan Peninsula

The Fort Morgan Peninsula runs west from Gulf Shores along Highway 180 to the fort and the Dauphin Island ferry, about 22 road miles. Most places to stay are beach houses and a few resorts such as The Beach Club and Kiva Dunes. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge has free trails and beach access from sunrise to sunset.

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Fort Morgan rentals on Vrbo

Checked November 5, 2026About 22 miles end to endRentals and resorts

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama · Photo: Keenan Adams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · Credits

Where to stay

Beach houses, resorts and one bay-side RV park

The peninsula is condo and beach-house country. Resorts such as The Beach Club and Kiva Dunes have their own beach; for most shopping and restaurants you drive back toward Gulf Shores.

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All condo complexes

Fort Morgan among all areas

The Beach Club: 925 Beach Club Trail, Gulf Shores. Five outdoor pools and one indoor pool. Minimum age 25 (Spectrum units). No pets in Spectrum units. 230+ condos and cottages in four Gulf-front towers; parking $40 per vehicle and stay; club and indoor-pool access included with Spectrum, extra with some other managers.
Kiva Dunes: 815 Plantation Road, Gulf Shores. Four resort pools. Minimum age 25; the renter must stay for the whole visit. No pets for renters. Resort beach; some condos sit on the golf course rather than by the sand.
Gulf Shores Plantation: 400 Plantation Rd, Gulf Shores
The Dunes: 1380 Highway 180, Gulf Shores
Fort Morgan RV Park: 35 sites, on the Mobile Bay side, not on the Gulf

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Beaches, trails and the wildlife refuge

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge has public beach access. It is federal land with its own rules, and pets aren't allowed anywhere in it, beach included. Bring binoculars: birding, fishing and paddling without a motor are all allowed.

Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Bon Secour, visit us, trails.

Address: 12295 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores
Trails and beach access: Sunrise to sunset, every day of the year
Admission: Free
Pets: Not allowed in the refuge; service dogs are
Bikes: Not allowed on the trails, which are footpaths
Centennial boardwalks: Closed for safety; you can walk the trail up to the boardwalk from both sides
Visitor contact station: Monday to Friday 9 am–1 pm (Central), closed on federal holidays; 251-540-7720

Chan West Pine Beach Trail
Length1.65 miles, about 2 hours, hardWhat you seeThrough the dunes between a saltwater lagoon and a freshwater lake; observation tower over Gator Lake at the 1-mile mark
Gator Lake Trail
Length0.78 miles, about 1 hour, moderateWhat you seeAlong a dune ridge to the Pine Beach Trail; good for beachcombing
Jeff Friend Trail
Length0.78-mile loop, about 1 hourWhat you seeForest, wetlands and Little Lagoon; universally accessible
Centennial Trail
Length2.06 miles, about 2 hours, moderateWhat you seeLinks Jeff Friend and Pine Beach; the boardwalks are closed, so walk up to them from either end

Beach rules

The county rules outside Gulf Shores

Beaches outside the city limits fall under Baldwin County. Its beach and dune resolution protects the dunes and keeps cars off the sand. Use a marked public access.

Source: Baldwin County Resolution 2015-011 (PDF)

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach rules

Sand and dune plants: Don't remove sand or vegetation from the primary dune or beach
Vehicles: No motor vehicles on the beach or the primary dune
Chairs, umbrellas, volleyball nets: Allowed if posts aren't set permanently in the ground and everything comes off the beach before major storms
Dogs, alcohol, fires: Not covered by the county's beach rules, and the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach bans end at the city limits. Follow the signs at each public access and any Alabama burn ban; questions to Baldwin County, 251-937-0264
Bon Secour refuge: No pets anywhere, beach included; federal refuge rules apply

Food

Places to eat on the peninsula

Jesse's and Tacky Jacks 2 sit on the bay side; Selah is on Plantation Road near the resorts.

Fort Morgan State Historic Site

Mobile Bay Ferry

Jesse's on the Bay: 1631 Crosswinds Court; on the water, kids' menu. Upstairs lunch daily 11 am–2:30 pm; dinner Sunday to Thursday 4:30–9 pm, Friday and Saturday 4:30–10 pm
Selah Coffee Shop: 741 Plantation Road; coffee, breakfast, ice cream and dessert, daily 7 am–8 pm
Tacky Jacks 2: 1577 Highway 180, on Mobile Bay a few minutes from the fort; breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8 am. Temporarily closed for renovations as of November 5, 2026
Fort Morgan Pizza: 9989 Highway 180

Distances

How far the fort is from everything else

Driving times without traffic from Fort Morgan State Historic Site, at the west end of Highway 180. Stock up on groceries on the way out.

Groceries and liquor stores

Gulf Place, Gulf Shores: 21.9 miles, 33 min
Rouses Market, Gulf Shores Parkway: 21.0 miles, 30 min
Rouses Market, Orange Beach: 27.8 miles, 44 min
Mobile Bay Ferry: Leaves from the fort

What people ask

Quick answers

Where are the beaches on Fort Morgan?

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge at 12295 Highway 180 has public beach access: free, open sunrise to sunset, and no pets. Gulf-front resorts such as The Beach Club and Kiva Dunes give their guests direct beach access.

Are there restaurants in Fort Morgan?

A few: Jesse's on the Bay serves lunch and dinner on the water, and Selah Coffee Shop opens daily at 7 am. Tacky Jacks 2 on Highway 180 was temporarily closed for renovations on November 5, 2026.

Can you rent a beach house on Fort Morgan?

Yes. Most stays are beach houses and condos, among them The Beach Club with four Gulf-front towers and Kiva Dunes with its own resort beach; renters must be 25 or older (Spectrum units at The Beach Club), and pets aren't allowed for renters.