Whether you’re vacationing along the spectacular beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach or simply passing through on a day trip, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge offers a welcome break from the crowds and reminds visitors of the coast as it once existed.
Derived from the French translation for “safe harbor,” this 7,000-acre natural habitat is a quiet refuge for the migratory birds, Alabama beach mice, nesting sea turtles, raccoons, opossums, red fox, bobcats, amphibians, and reptiles it protects. Free to the public and open daily from sunrise to sunset, the sanctuary is located on the Fort Morgan peninsula just west of Gulf Shores and comprises the last large parcel of undeveloped accessible land on the Alabama coast.
When visiting, take time to discover different habitats, including beach, scrub dunes, fresh and saltwater marshes, maritime forest, and open freshwater. And whether you’re up for meandering the one-mile Jeff Friend Trail loop or hiking the more rigorous four-mile Pine Beach Trail, maps available at the refuge visitor center will point you in the right direction.
Among the 100,000 visitors that flock to Bon Secour each year are bird lovers attracted by the 370 species of feathered friends found here, including the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and a wide variety of hummingbirds, osprey, and heron. A two-story observation tower at the Gator Lake/Little Lagoon intersection is a great place to stop and do a little bird watching. And, as one of the stops along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, the refuge provides vital year-round habitat for migrating birds as they journey to nesting grounds in North America in spring and make their way south to lower Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America for the winter. Birders planning an autumn visit to the area shouldn’t miss the Alabama Coastal Bird Fest featuring presentations and exhibits by notable ornithologists, or the community-led migratory bird-banding exercise.