Boardwalk across white sand dunes and sea oats

Plan your trip

Getting around Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Plan on a car here. City beach parking in Gulf Shores costs $2 to $3 an hour from March through November, and the state park beach lots $15 a day. Parking at The Wharf is free. Golf carts are allowed only on certain streets. In Gulf State Park, free bikes and miles of paved trails get you around without a car.

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Beach parking

Checked November 5, 2026Beach parking $2–$15Free bikeshare

Alabama's Gulf Coast · Photo: A. E. Crane, U.S. Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · Credits

Parking

What beach parking costs

Gulf Shores charges $4 an hour from 11 pm, but parking on city land is banned after 2 am, so don't plan to leave your car out overnight. The Wharf is free.

Gulf Shores city beach lots: $3 an hour south of Beach Blvd, $2 north of it, $4 from 11 pm to 6 am, March 1 to November 30; pay with ParkMobile using the zone number on the sign
Where the city rates apply: Gulf Place, West Gulf Place, Lagoon Pass Park, public parking north of AL 182 between East 3rd and West 2nd Streets, and marked spaces on West 5th, 6th, 10th and 13th Streets
Overnight and fines: No parking after 2 am on city land or at Lagoon Pass Park. Ticket $75, plus $75 every 24 hours; cars can be towed or booted
New from January 1, 2027: Park front end in at Gulf Shores beach lots, except in marked parallel spaces; removing a boot costs $50
East Gulf Place lot: Residents and property owners with a decal only, all year
Gulf State Park beach lots: $15 a car per day, $35 with a trailer, a bus or a large RV; Pier, Pavilion, Romar, Cotton Bayou, Alabama Point East and Shell Beach. Pay by QR code with your plate or at the kiosk (cash or card, no change). No overnight parking
Gulf State Park annual pass: $200 for 2026, sold only at Park Headquarters, 20115 State Park Road, Monday to Friday 8 am–4 pm; veterans and military get one pass free
The Wharf: Free, in two garages east and west of Main Street, first come first served; no trailers, no sleeping in RVs. Overnight only for guests of Levin's Bend or SpringHill Suites
Wharf Amphitheater concerts: Free; a paid premier pass at some concerts

Sources: Gulf Shores beach parking, Gulf State Park beaches, Orange Beach: state beach access parking, The Wharf parking and FAQ.

Beach access points

Golf carts

Where golf carts may drive

A rental contract doesn't make a road legal for a cart. In Gulf Shores, only designated streets are open to carts; the police have the list, 251-968-2431.

Sources: Gulf Shores golf cart registration and inspection form, Gulf State Park trails, Gulf Coast Rental Co terms, Orange Beach codes and ordinances.

Gulf Shores, your own golf cart: Only on streets the city designates, not as a general right on Beach Blvd; $25 permit sticker a year, insurance, inspection, seat belts, an orange flag 6 ft high; driver needs a valid license
Rented street-legal carts (LSV): Gulf Coast Rental Co: driver 21+, driver's license, credit card and your own car insurance; its contract allows only roads with a limit of 25 mph or less
Gulf State Park trails: No golf carts without a permit
Orange Beach, your own golf cart: Only on designated cart streets and cart paths, with a city permit: $25 a year after an inspection of license, insurance, headlights, mirror, brake lights, turn signals and windshield; headlights on at all times
Orange Beach, rented carts: Must show the rental company's name and a white rental flag, and may not use any street with a limit over 25 mph; no unlicensed drivers. Questions to the police, 251-981-9777

Bikes and walking

Bikes, trails and getting by without a car

Bikes aren't allowed on the trails of the Bon Secour refuge. Free park bikes wait at The Lodge; the park office is at 251-948-7275.

Sources: Gulf State Park trails, The Lodge FAQ, Bon Secour refuge, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism: getting here, Orange Beach bike rules.

Airports and rental cars

Gulf State Park trails: More than 28 miles of paved trails and boardwalks, open dawn to dusk
Free bikes: Bikeshare at The Lodge and stations around the park, free
Bike and e-bike rules, Orange Beach: Since September 9, 2026: 15 mph on sidewalks and multi-use paths, 12 mph on the Backcountry Trail, 10 mph within 50 feet of someone walking; helmets under 16; no high-powered e-motos on paths or trails; fines up to $500
Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge: No bikes on the trails
Bike and e-bike etiquette, Orange Beach: Walkers have the right of way; give an audible warning before you pass
Without a car: Uber, Lyft, shuttles and nine taxi companies, among them Coast Cab (251-968-8294) and A1 Taxi (251-981-9300)

Rentals and tours

Golf carts, Slingshots and Segways

The golf cart and Slingshot come from Gulf Coast Rental Co in Orange Beach; the Segway tour rolls through Gulf State Park. Prices and ratings checked on November 3, 2026.

Gulf Coast Rental Co

Golf Cart Rental, 4 to 7 Days

4 to 7 days

Get around Orange Beach, Gulf Shores or Fort Morgan in a street-legal golf cart for four to six people, electric or gas. The cart is delivered to your address; delivery isn't offered to condos or on Beach Blvd.

Seats 4 to 6 people
One price for the whole group
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Good to know

Driver 21 or older; the rental contract allows only roads with a limit of 25 mph or less, per Gulf Coast Rental Co

4.0 · 1 review on Viator

From $942.09 per group on Viator

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Orange Beach seen from a plane — Photo: divemasterking2000 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Gulf Coast Rental Co

Polaris Slingshot Rental

24 hours

Cruise Beach Boulevard in an open-air, three-wheeled roadster that sits low and turns heads. Helmets, riding glasses and ponchos come with it.

The rental includes 24-hour roadside assistance.

Helmets and riding glasses included
24-hour roadside assistance
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Good to know

Meets: Gulf Coast Rental Co, Suite B, Orange Beach
Insurance covers one driver; more drivers cost extra

4.8 · 18 reviews on Viator

From $302.50 on Viator

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Segway eco tour in Gulf State Park — Photo: Ike's Beach Service via Viator

Ike's Beach Service

Gulf State Park Segway Eco Tour

2 h 15 min

Roll through the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail with a guide who shows you the park's habitats and wildlife, without a long walk.

Kids 12 and up can ride, and anyone who finds long walks hard still gets deep into the park.

Guided tour, helmet included
Several tour times a day, weather permitting
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Good to know

Meets: Ike's check-in counter; park in the free lot and follow the signs
Ages 12 and up

4.9 · 22 reviews on Viator

From $93.50 on Viator

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