Gulf Shores, Alabama is known for its beautiful beaches and economical prices. Every winter snowbirds flock to the town and every spring college kids travel south to work on their tan.
Before you rent a generic beach-themed condo, we encourage you to consider the wonderful Gulf Shores campgrounds. The town offers everything from luxury RV resorts to rustic cabin camping.
Today we’re sharing the 5 best campgrounds in the area. For each featured site we’ll include price, amenity and location info. Additionally, each spot will be scored on our “Gulf Shores Campgrounds Vibe” scale for easy head-to-head comparison.
Let’s dive in!
#1 Island Retreat RV Park
Price: $50 and up
Miles to Gulf Shores Public Beach: 3 miles
Why You’ll Love It: There are a few key reasons Island Retreat RV Park is amazing. Firstly, its location is close to the beach and has boat launching access across the street. Secondly, the wifi is super fast and reliable. We received at least 20mb down (even during the busiest hours) with the campground’s wifi network. Thirdly, the park connects to a huge, paved trail system for biking and walking.
What’s The Word: A recent contributor on Campground Reviews says, “The resort is under new management and it has many new improvements. The resort was quiet and the campers were very respectful of others and followed the rules. The staff was very polite and helpful.”
Gulf Shores Camping Vibes: 8.9/10 Trails, wifi & good proximity to the beach!
#2 Luxury RV Resort
Price: $60 and up
Miles to Gulf Shores Public Beach: 0.3 miles
Why You’ll Love It: You can’t get much closer to the main beach than at Luxury RV Resort. It’ll also position you in the heart of downtown Gulf Shores. The sites at Luxury are large cement pads. Big rig friendly, for sure.
This is the ideal RV campground for anyone who wants walking access to shopping, dining and beaching!
What’s The Word: Teb on Campground Reviews says, “This campground is in a great location and reasonably priced. The sites are spacious, but no vegetation between sites. You can walk to the Gulf Shores Beach, which is very spacious and very well done”
Gulf Shores Camping Vibes: 8.2/10 Amazing location!
#3 Gulf State Park
Price: $50 and up
Miles to Gulf Shores Public Beach: 3 miles to Gulf Shores main beach, 1.5 miles to Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion.
Why You’ll Love It: Gulf State Park offers the most diverse camping experiences in Gulf Shores. You can camp in a tent, RV, cabin or cottage. They also offer many trails for hiking & biking.
The amenity list is pretty dang big! It includes a swimming pool, splash pad, pickleball court, horseshoes and daily activities.
What’s The Word: Cara on Campendium says, “I’ve been vacationing in Gulf Shores since I was a child and I can’t believe I’ve never stayed here before! Forget the condos and hotels , I’m bringing my camper down every year!”
Gulf Shores Camping Vibes: 8.1/10 Great State Park with nearby beach access.
#4 Pandion Ridge RV Resort
Price: $50 and up
Miles to Gulf Shores Public Beach: 6 miles
Why You’ll Love It: Pandion Ridge RV Resort provides many luxurious amenities. They have a “resort style, zero entry” pool, fully equipped business center, curbside garbage pickup, and beautiful fitness center.
Even though you’ll be a 6 mile drive from the main beach, the Wharf shopping and entertainment center is very close to the RV resort.
What’s The Word: Ann on Campground Reviews says, “The check-in process was efficient and the staff was very friendly. We stayed in a large concrete pull-in site overlooking the water. All connections worked perfectly. The sky WAS open for satellite. They also have cable with a good selection of channels.”
Gulf Shores Camping Vibes: 7.5/10 Luxurious & new!
#5 Doc’s RV Park
Price: $40 and up
Miles to Gulf Shores Public Beach: 3.6 miles
Why You’ll Love It: Doc’s is a no frills campground with a wonderful, laid back vibe. Even though you won’t get many amenities at Doc’s, you will get sites in the shade of oak trees.
Like Island Retreat RV Park, Doc’s is located on Fort Morgan road. This means you’ll have great access to the Fort Morgan trail for hiking and biking.
What’s The Word: A recent post on Campground Reviews says, “Nice small RV park off Ft Morgan Road – 10 minute drive to most beach areas. Park is older yet with attention to maintenance is holding up well. Many long term seasonal campers. Bike trail right outside the park connects up to 20+ miles of biking at nearby Gulf State Park”
Gulf Shores Camping Vibes: 6.9/10 Small, minimal & well kept!
Trip Routing to Gulf Shores, Alabama
If you’re traveling with an RV, trip planning to Gulf Shores is essential. Alabama has a few tolls and low hanging bridges. After spending a big amount of money on an RV, you don’t want to run into a low hanging bridge!
We use RV Trip Wizard to route our cross country trips. With tools like budgeting, fuel planning, and avoiding bridges, we can easily travel safely through the USA.
You can also avoid steep passes, tolls and tunnels when you select the appropriate filters. Give RV Trip Wizard a try!
The Best FREE Camping in the USA
We love camping across this amazing country. And, we really love it when its free. Here’s our list of the 20 Best Free Campsites in the USA.
If you haven’t tried free camping before, also known as boondocking, take a look at our beginners guide to boondocking filled with everything you need to know to get started.