Coastal, Gulf Shores - Orange Beach Loop | Baldwin | Best Seasons: Fall | Spring | Winter
Little Lagoon is now essentially surrounded by development, but birds can be seen from this little park provided by the City of Gulf Shores. From here you may scan a sandbar (north) and part of Little Lagoon. A fair number of gulls, terns, Brown Pelican and, occasionally, American White Pelican and shorebirds are generally found here. Chances to see rarities increase during migration. Reddish Egret occurs here regularly. Birding is usually best around low tide.
Little Lagoon is 10 miles long and 1/2 mile wide on the north side of the Gulf of Mexico on the Alabama coast. It is separated from the Gulf by a 1/2 mile wide stretch of beach known in Gulf Shores as West Beach. Its brackish water is a mix of overflow from the mostly fresh water Lake Shelby and salt water from the Gulf of Mexico that enters through the pass 3 miles west of Gulf Shores Parkway (St. Hwy. 59) under the Lee Callaway Bridge on West Beach Boulevard (St. Hwy. 182).
GPS: N30.24180 W-87.73671
If following directions provided in the Coastal Birding Trail booklet, from the Gulf State Park fishing pier, turn left (west) on AL 182 and drive through the main beachfront intersection at AL 59 and continue to the bridge over Little Lagoon Pass [4.2]. There is a parking lot on the right (north) with restrooms.
Amenities Available:
Nearby Sites
5 Rivers Delta Resource Center
5 Rivers sits on the banks of one of the canals that traverse the Mobile-Tensaw delta. The decks of the Delta Hall and the perimeter trail around the facility provide excellent vantage points to observe birds of the surrounding marsh and waterways. I …
Boggy Point
Boggy Point Boat Launch, an Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources facility, offers a small beach with an excellent view of Robinson Island, a roosting site for herons and egrets, to the east. Robinson Island offers important habita …
Bon Secour Bay
Bon Secour Bay is found on the eastern edge of Mobile Bay and provides a protected area for wintering waterfowl and seabirds. Scan the bay and the small canal for gulls and tern. Black-crowned Night-herons may be found roosting in the oaks scattered …
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge – Jeff Friend Trail
The Jeff Friend Trail is a one-mile loop to Little Lagoon. Habitats include maritime forest, freshwater marsh and open water along the north shore of Little Lagoon. A variety of species are possible-waterbirds, raptors, songbirds and other passerines …
Bon Secour NWR – Mobile Street
Mobile Street is a paved road leading to the beach, with a parking area for the one-mile (each way) Gator Lake Trail, which connects Mobile Street with the Pine Beach Trail. This narrow trail can be good for winter birding where you may see Blue-gray …
Bon Secour NWR – Pine Beach Trail
At the Pine Beach trailhead stands an interpretive kiosk with trail maps and bird lists. This is a two-mile trail (each way) southeastward to the beach by way of Little Lagoon and Gator Lake. The hike is an enjoyable walk through a variety of habitat …