This was the only spot I really got to see on Dauphin Island before a massive all day storm popped up. This is a free spot with some nice trails. I saw some turtles in the swamp and even a turtle on one of the trails laying an egg! The dunes are beautiful. It was cool wating the storm roll in from the ocean. The boardwalk is nice to walk along. They are pet friendly. read more

Eastern kingbird. Belted kingfisher. Blue heron. Cardinal. These are just a few of the majestic and breathtaking birds that I saw when visiting the Audubon Bird Sanctuary on Dauphin Island near Mobile, Alabama. If you are a birdwatcher, or if you just love nature and walking along wooden footpaths through groves of trees and lagoons covered with lily pads, you'll enjoy spending some time here. I walked for an hour with my binoculars, listening and looking for birds. I saw birds that I knew, and birds that I've never seen before. I stood and gazed at the lagoon and lily pads, enjoying the quietude of nature and water. I walked through the shade of trees, listening the the hum of silence broken only by birdsong. Birding is a peaceful hobby. It's about listening, looking, and patience. Being at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary gave me the sense of peace and calm that only nature can provide. read more

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We stopped here first after getting off the ferry. My parents had their yappy dog along. I thought this would wear her out walking. The hike was basically in a small loop. A majority of it is an on boardwalk. Many trees were labeled and one assumes a controlled burn. The spruce smells were very nice. I didn't really look for birds. Drats, I didn't see any alligators either. My parents sat on a bench, while I walked barefoot on the beach. There was a huge bird in a huge nest. Thats all the birds I saw. The parking lot was small. The park was free. Definitely worth it to access nature and the beach. read more

Audubon Bird Sanctuary - Found on the beach. Lobster trap? Idk? - Parks Near Me - Dauphin Island, Alabama

Not very kid friendly; "danger alligator" signs throughout, didn't see very many birds, but a lot of turtles in the swamps. It's July, and the humidity and heat about killed us. Lots of loops. Come prepared! read more

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I came here with my friend Mackenzie. It was pretty cool. They have lots of maps and walking trails to help guide you through the sanctuary. There is an alligator supposedly in the Wetlands. I thought I would see a lot more birds here, but we really only saw one I think. It was still a great place for a nature hike, and we ended up finding a beach as well which was a neat surprise. You should definitely bring bug spray! We got bit by mosquitos, so come prepared! read more

Audubon Bird Sanctuary - Wetlands sign - Parks Near Me - Dauphin Island, Alabama

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Love this place. It has been a few years since I was here last and I am so happy it hasn't. Changed. Saw many turtles. An eagle and lots of birds. Even strolled on the beach a bit and enjoyed the trails. One of my most favorite place on the island! read more

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We hauled our bikes to Dauphin Island, and found the bike path that runs alongside and parallel to Bienville Blvd. adequate for morning rides. It's asphalt, and a bit bumpy where tree roots have created a washboard effect. Riding into Audubon Bird Sanctuary, we found a sign posted not to ride on the trail. We used the bike rack to secure our bikes, and took a hike. There are portions that are boardwalk that seem accessible by wheelchair, with a viewing platform over the lake, and another on the high point of a modest dune from which you can look out over the bay. We saw plenty of plants and trees that were marked with name and description, and some turtles, but not that many birds (coming during "migration season" probably would be better). Still, a pleasant family activity that gets everyone outside and into nature. Thanks, ABS. read more

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Really lovely place to walk with the family after a day of the beach. Bald eagles were nesting & I saw a sandpiper for my first time in a while. My daughter even found a sand dollar. read more

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This is one of my favorite places in the South. Located on Dauphin Island, a barrier island connected to the Alabama coast by bridge, the Audubon Bird Sanctuary is just a little over 30 minutes from downtown Mobile, AL. There is no admission, but there are hours with the parking lot closing at sunset. There is no camping allowed. The sanctuary is close to the east end of Dauphin Island, just before the Mobile Bay Ferry toll booth. Look close or you will miss it. When turning in, be cautious of the bike/walking path that will be crossed before going through the gate. There is single entrance lane and a separate exit lane, so be careful. Parking is a dirt/shell parking area. While quite small, people often park under in and around the trees on the east side of the parking area. There is a beach at the south end of the trails. You can walk for miles through a piney savannah, wetlands, beach dunes and around several lakes that do have gators, so beware. At the western beach trail head there is a nice platform at the top of the dunes with a bench and a wonderful view of the Gulf of Mexico. On clear days you can see the Sand Island Lighthouse. Closer to the platform there is an aerie with ospreys in the spring and sometimes eagles in the fall and winter. The natural beach can be dangerous. There are no life guards and no flags to warn of dangerous conditions or sea life. Swim with care and at your own risk. We pick up small shells and every now and then you can find a sand dollar. You will almost always see egrets, herons, and gulls around the beach and ponds. We have seen beautiful wild flowers throughout the Sanctuary. A couple things to remember. There are no restrooms, water fountains, vending or shelters in the park. It is truly a natural area. There are trash receptacles in the parking areas and at the beach trail heads. Make sure you pack your trash back out from the trails. Bring plenty of water to prevent dehydration as in the summer heat and humidity can be deadly. Enjoy the beautiful area but remember that the park closes at sunset and your vehicle may get locked in. Be sure to not get caught up in the beautiful sunsets too long before heading back to the parking lot. read more

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Awesome place for a walk or hike. There is some litter, and there are no trashcans. If you follow the trails, they will lead you to both a small lake with alligators or a path to the beach. The beach was very clean, beautiful views. read more

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Free nature walk, I recommend staying on the boardwalk unless you have lots of time to walk the paths. Once the boardwalk ends you have to figure out where to go on your own, may a compass would be helpful. Did see a alligator and lots of turtles. Great time. read more

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Oh so recommend!!!! They have handicap spaces but they are limited so plan accordingly. The Lake Loop trail is a mixture of boardwalk and nature trail. We took the boardwalk to the lake overview and got lots of great pictures from there, mostly of turtles. We then left the boardwalk and were able to take the nature trail. The trails are compacted enough to where a wheelchair can roll on them. You will have to watch for some really sandy spots and roots, but other than that my husband, in a wheelchair, was able to enjoy the sights of the trail and take some nice pics. When the trail looped towards the beach and we took the boardwalk up and over to the dune trail observation point we saw an Osprey in their nest. Got a great pic of a shrimp boat in the water. Finished the trail around to the boardwalk and got back to the parking area. One thing I enjoyed was that there were benches at random areas around the trail, that for folks like me, can take rest breaks and sit without being in the way and could be in the shade. Definitely will be back. read more

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A great place to spend some time when on island. Easy to walk. The non board walk areas are flat. You can walk to a beach area and see swap and lake area. We were there in December so didn't see too many birds besides cranes. Bench at the lake and on the beach. Free entry and easy to park. A nice walk for about a hour. I would come back if in the area. read more

We were in Dauphin Island for a long weekend and visited the bird sanctuary every day for a walk. It is beautiful -- with varied environments -- marsh, pond, forest, dunes and beach. We saw turtles, the alligator, osprey, a great blue heron and a white crane. The boardwalk and trails are well-maintained. read more

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If you like birds this is where you should visit. The peak times to see them are late March to mid April and again Oct. and Nov. when they are migrating through. We visited in early May and there were very few Migrants there however, if we would have been there very early in the morning we probably would have seen a few. The weather was mild and there were zero bugs so it was a most enjoyable way to spend a few hours walking the easy level boardwalk. There is a small lake with a deck and if you bring some crackers you can feed the turtles. Part of the trail will also take you out to the dunes area where you can see a few shore birds flying. Audubon does some great work nationally so give them a donation sometime if you can. They will appreciate it. read more

Audubon Bird Sanctuary - Bird Check List - Parks Near Me - Dauphin Island, Alabama

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This place is beautiful! It's truly a walk through sanctuary that is filled with great natural wildlife and sights! We saw an alligator as well as many fish, frogs and birds! The trail map does need slight updating, at one point we ran into a dead end which wasn't listed on the map we came across. Overall such a wonderful experience and definitely a place to see if on Dauphin Island! read more

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Well-marked trails to lake, swamp, sand dunes, and forest. Connects to the city-run Dauphin Island campground (which is also wonderful.) Enjoyed walking in the forested area, listening to birds, and reading the flora and fauna identification signs. read more

Great FREE option to visit on Dauphin Island, and it's even dog friendly (on leashes of course). The trails are largely flat and not very strenuous plus they're generally covered in shade and there are a ton of different trail options at reasonable lengths (though the signage can be a bit difficult at times). If you're a hardcore hiker this may not be for you, but for most this will be a very enjoyable hour or two and there's even public beach access from the trails which I presume is much less crowded than the other two main public beach areas. Great space on Dauphin Island, lots of birds and a great hike especially if you're traveling with your dog. Bravo. read more

Great spot to enjoy the outdoors. Enjoyed a nice afternoon walk here with family. Beautiful scenery along the maintained trails - from beach, to swamp, to lake. Saw a few alligators, plenty of different turtles, and lots of interesting plants. read more

This a gem of a hike with beautiful smells, beautiful birds and birdsongs. The trail is well maintained. Yesterday portions were quite flooded after our massive storm. read more

The Audubon Bird Sanctuary is perfect for taking a break from the beach. The walking trails provide excellent shade from the Alabama sun. Lots of beautiful landscape to take in while walking the clearly defined trails. We didn't see any alligators during our visit, but the turtles didn't disappoint. ** Tip: make sure to bring some bread to feed the turtles from the Gaillard Lake viewing deck read more

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Do Not Enter This Place Without a bottle of DEET! We really enjoyed our run through the Audubon Mosquito Sanctuary...I mean Bird Sanctuary. Seriously though, if I had known about how bad the mosquitos were here, like a sign in the parking lot warning us not to feed the mosquitos, I would have sprayed us down in before we started our hike with Deep Woods Off. We had a pleasant 15 minutes of walking, we saw the "Don't feed the Alligator" signs, and then we were descended upon by an epic cloud of zombie vampire mosquitos. We passed a Cub Scout pack that was under siege, and a young woman with a newborn who was trying to keep the mosquitos from taking her baby (we did what we could to help, but without DEET, we were helpless). There was no escape. If you stopped walking your brisk pace, 20 of them would be upon you. The only respite was the beach. We took 20 minutes on the beach to come up with a game plan to reach the parking lot as quickly as possible. Once we started our rushed hike back to the car via the shortest path, there was no stopping. I make the mistake of briefly slowing when a saw an information board discussing the 100 species of mosquitos, and 10 of them flew into my face. I had to run, slapping myself the whole time. I assume the sign said there were 100 species of bloodthirsty mosquitos in the sanctuary, but to be honest I only read the first few words. We pretty much ran back to the truck and lept inside. Once the doors were closed, we had to manually dispatch about 15 of the little buggers that entered when we briefly opened the doors. They appear to have really nice hiking trails, and I will be back, coated in DEET before we leave the parking lot. read more

A beautiful, quiet walk. A warning says gators are present so keep the kiddos close by. We didn't see any. Beach access. read more

Audubon Bird Sanctuary - Entrance to the sanctuary. - Parks Near Me - Dauphin Island, Alabama

Amazing to have such a beautiful place to walk and bird watch. Good photography opportunities here. Leashed dogs are welcome. Walk through the forested areas and back along the beach. read more

Great place to walk and see the diversity of the areas. They have lots of signage warning of alligators, unfortunately we didn't see any.

Great little park in Dauphin Island! We stopped by here for a short trail walk after our visit to Fort Gaines. The trail paths are nicely maintained with pine straws, and you feel like you're walking through a natural habitat listening to bugs and variety of birds. The Audubon Bird Sanctuary is built for the migratory birds who are forced to land due to harsh weathers during their journey. Their survival depends on the shelter and food they find during this temporary break. It's great knowing that this Bird Sanctuary must have saved and helped many birds. It is very well shaded so it was very pleasant to walk through. There are many different routes you can take. There are no bicycles allowed in the main hike, there's a bicycle ramp for you to keep your bicycles by the entrance. read more

You can almost pass the entrance if not looking intently. Definitely do NOT pass this place up. It's very nice and has excellent trails. Great beach with a bit of a walk to get to it. Live alligators in the pond. Yep. I said that. We stared at one just today as it was below the observation deck just hanging out. We had our golden retriever with us and he enjoyed everything as well. Plenty of very big turtles. And an even larger snapping turtle. Go here. Don't miss it read more