8 Fun Outdoor Activities in Mobile, Alabama
Outdoor recreation along the Alabama coast is rated G, as in, Gulf, golf, gardens, goals and – most of all – gorgeous scenery. Get ready to explore the best of coastal Alabama with this list of eight fun outdoor activities in Mobile, AL.
In This Article
Tee Off
Rarely is it too cold to play golf along the Alabama coast, making it a popular outdoor activity in Mobile, AL, for locals and visitors alike.
Magnolia Grove in Mobile is the southernmost course on the state’s 11-location Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, with two regulation 18-hole courses and a par-3 short course. Magnolia Grove has been recognized by Golf World as one of the Top 50 Public Courses in the country and by Golf Digest as one of the Top 50 Affordable Courses.
Meanwhile, Azalea City Golf Course has been a fixture in Mobile since 1957 and was once a stop on the PGA Tour. And for those who enjoy golf but don’t want to be bothered with getting around from hole to hole, Topgolf Mobile provides one-stop swinging.
Swim & Sun
White-sand beaches are a major attraction year-round, particularly for travelers from Northern states who migrate south during the winter. The 35-mile stretch from the Florida state line through Orange Beach and Gulf Shores to Fort Morgan caters to many of the tourists, with a steady offering of restaurants and entertainment options.
A short ferry ride across Mobile Bay leads to a more secluded retreat on 15-mile-long Dauphin Island. The anticipated Mobile County Aquatic Center is set to offer another way to enjoy the water, supporting competitive, recreational and instructional swimming.
Go Hunting
Sure, the sand and surf are a primary attraction, but you don’t have to travel very far inland to discover why the Sportsman’s Guide named Alabama the No. 3 best state in the country for hunting. There are three official state Wildlife Management Areas in the coastal region open to hunters: the Upper Delta WMA near Stockton, Grand Bay Savanna near Bayou La Batre and Mobile-Tensaw River Delta just north of Mobile Bay. Combined, they offer nearly 100,000 acres for game and waterfowl hunting.
Explore a Garden
Known as “The Charmed Spot of the South,” Bellingrath Gardens & Home lives up to that moniker with an ever-blooming rotation of flowers providing a colorful backdrop on this 65-acre estate. Enjoy camellias in the winter, azaleas in the spring, roses in the summer and chrysanthemums in the fall. In addition, you can tour the 15-room, 10,500-square-foot home that was built in 1935 for Walter and Bessie Bellingrath.
“Rally” Your Friends Together
There is tennis for anyone and everyone at numerous parks and facilities throughout the region. The sprawling Mobile Tennis Center has 60 lighted hard courts spread across its 46 acres, making it one of the largest tennis facilities in the world.
The center hosts numerous United States Tennis Association and collegiate tournaments. Casual players can also take to the court at Stotts Park, Lavretta Park and Seals Park.
Cast a Line
Anglers have plenty of places to cast about for redfish, flounder and speckled trout. The most obvious is Mobile Bay, with a coastline that stretches for 100 miles. But the most prominent is the Gulf State Park Pier, which recently underwent a $13.6 million renovation. At 1,540 feet long (with 2,448 feet of fishing space), it is the second-longest pier on the Gulf. Fishing fun also can be found at Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort (has a 300-foot pier and boat access to the Blakely River), Chickasabogue Park near Prichard (located along Chickasaw Creek) and the newly opened Bayfront Park in Coden (with fishing from a 900-foot-long beach, the largest on Mobile Bay).
Score a Goal
To the locals, it is the MoCo SoCo. But for area soccer clubs and traveling teams, the Mobile County Soccer Complex is simply a beautiful place to play the beautiful game (as well as lacrosse and rugby). Located on approximately 150 acres at the intersection of Interstate 10 and I-65, the complex features three lighted fields and parking for more than 200 vehicles.
Go Boating
Boating is hands-down one of the most popular outdoor activities in Mobile, AL. At 250,000 acres, the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta is the second-largest river delta in the country, and approximately 40% of this marsh and swampland is publicly owned and managed. To experience this ecological treasure, adventurers can have a guided experience on an airboat tour or explore part of the region on their own along the vast Bartram Canoe Trail just north of the Stockton community.
Get to Know Mobile, AL
Want to learn more about living and working in Mobile, AL? Check out the new edition of Livability Mobile – Coastal Alabama.
