Gulf State Park

Gulf State Park Campground

The campground in Gulf State Park sits on Middle Lake, 1.5 miles from the beach, with 496 full-hookup sites and 8 primitive tent sites; a separate RV resort has 104 more. You can book up to a year ahead, and stays run from 2 nights on weekends up to 14 nights. Monthly winter sites go by application.

Booking rules
Checked November 5, 2026496 hookup sitesBook 1 year ahead
Sites

What the campground has

Alligators live in the park, so stay alert near the water.

Sources: Alabama State Parks: RV and primitive campground, reservations.

More about Gulf State Park

Where
On the shore of Middle Lake, 1.5 miles from the beach
Full-hookup sites
496, with paved pads of 45 to 85 feet, a picnic table and a pedestal grill top
Tent sites
8 primitive tent-only sites; tents are welcome on every site
Bathhouses
11, air-conditioned, plus laundry
Pool
A swimming pool with a splash pad
Courts
Tennis and pickleball, horseshoes and volleyball
Trails
A connector to all 28 miles of the park's trails
Fires
No fire rings; your own fire pit must stand off the ground
Map
Gulf State Park map 2026 (PDF)
RV resort

The newer RV resort

The resort adds patios, fire pits and up to 50-amp power at every site.

Source: Alabama State Parks: RV resort.

Sites
104 full-hookup sites with large concrete pads, up to 50-amp power, water and sewer
At each site
Paved patio, pedestal grill, fire pit and picnic table
Bathhouses
2, with private shower suites, plus laundry
To do
Saltwater pool with a splash pad, pickleball, playground, putting green, clubhouse, mulched trails and the Backcountry Trail
Ice
Bagged-ice machine at the pool, 24 hours
Entrance
From Canal Road at the new roundabout
Both areas
Campground and RV resort guests may use both, with the park pass in the windshield
Rates

What a campsite costs a night

Lowest nightly rates for a January weeknight and a July Saturday, before taxes and the reservation fee. Rates change with the season and with how many sites are free.

Prices as of November 5, 2026.

  • Full-hookup site, campground

    Tue, Jan 12, 2027From $64Sat, Jul 10, 2027From $68

  • Full-hookup site, RV resort

    Tue, Jan 12, 2027From $68Sat, Jul 10, 2027From $72

  • Primitive tent site

    Tue, Jan 12, 2027$23Sat, Jul 10, 2027$24
Booking

When to book and how to cancel

Book online with Alabama State Parks; you enter your zip code and dates to see the open sites.

Sources: Gulf State Park campground rules, October 2025 (PDF), state park reservation policy (PDF).

Reserve with Alabama State Parks

Check-in / check-out
2 pm / 11 am
Office
7 am–5:30 pm daily, 251-948-7275; arriving later, you get a gate code by email
Book ahead
Up to one year to the day; Alabama residents 13 months
Payment
Short stays are paid in full when you book; the $5.25 transaction fee isn't refunded
Minimum stay
2 nights on weekends, 3 nights on holidays and special events
Longest stay
14 nights per site
Cancel
More than 72 hours before arrival for a refund, minus the $5.25 fee; later, everything is forfeited
No-show
Not checked in by noon the day after your first night: the stay is forfeited
Discounts
15% off nightly rates for seniors 62+, military and veterans, and Alabama state employees, with proof at check-in
Renter
At least 18, and staying on the site
Winter months

Monthly camping from November to March

Monthly sites are handed out by application, separately from regular stays.

Sources: Alabama State Parks reservations, reservation policy (PDF).

Season
November through March, from the first of a month to the first of the next
How to get a site
By application, now for the 2027–2028 winter; choose Campground South or the new RV resort
What it means
An application doesn't guarantee a site; there's a callback list and no queue numbers
Fee
The application payment can't be refunded
Cancel a monthly booking
By August 1 for a refund minus $5.25; after that the deposit is forfeited
Questions
[email protected]; changes 251-948-7275 ext. 62020, Monday to Friday 8 am–4 pm
Rules

Campground rules to know

Alcohol isn't allowed on the park beaches or at the Lake Shelby swim area. Camping overnight in the beach parking lots isn't allowed either; book a site instead.

The pier, free sightseeing for campers

Quiet hours
10 pm–6 am
Per site
1 RV, trailer or pop-up plus 1 tent, or 2 tents; up to 8 people, immediate family excepted
Vehicles
Up to 2 registered vehicles per site
Visitors
$3 per vehicle
Second tent
$5 a night plus tax, only for children under 18 on the site
Firewood
Don't bring your own; buy it at the camp store, $9 a bundle
Wildlife
Alligators live in the park; jet skis aren't allowed on Lake Shelby
Swimming
Only at the Lake Shelby day-use area, not from campsites
Bad weather
No refund after check-in
Dogs

Camping with a dog

Dogs are welcome on a leash at your site, but not on the park beach.

Sources: Dog Pond at Lake Shelby, reservation policy (PDF).

Dog-friendly stays and beaches

At your site
Up to 2 dogs, on a leash of 6 feet or less, never left alone outside or in a parked car
Dog Pond at Lake Shelby
At the Lake Shelby picnic area, 8 am to sunset; dogs can run and swim
Dog Pond rules
Current vaccinations and an ID tag; leash on the way in and out; no choke, prong or spike collars; no dog food, treats are fine; under 16 only with an adult
Camp store

Camp store and day fees

Sources: Gulf State Park camp store, campground.

Grocery stores near the park

Camp store
Near the Nature Center and pool, across from the laundry; daily 8 am–4 pm
What it sells
Staple food, cold drinks, ice cream, camping supplies, beach gear, souvenirs and firewood
Free to borrow
Sports equipment for campground guests, at the pool
Day visitors
Nature Center $5 per car, pickleball $5 per person, boat launch $6 per car
What people ask

Quick answers

What are the Gulf State Park Campground rates?

For a Tuesday night in January 2027, full-hookup sites in the campground started at $64 and in the RV resort at $68; for a Saturday in July 2027, at $68 and $72. Primitive tent sites were $23 and $24. Rates are before taxes and the reservation fee, as of November 5, 2026.

How do I make a Gulf State Park Campground reservation?

Online through Alabama State Parks, up to a year ahead to the day, or 13 months ahead for Alabama residents. Short stays are paid in full when you book.

Is there a Gulf State Park Campground map?

Yes, as a PDF: the 2026 Gulf State Park map from Alabama State Parks.

Can you camp at Gulf State Park by the month?

Yes, from November to March, from the first of a month to the first of the next. Monthly sites at Campground South or the new RV resort go by application, and applying doesn't guarantee a site.