Programs

One of a Kind Experiences Designed for Your Group

The Learning Campus at Gulf State Park offers immersive and hands-on programming designed to provide visitors with a unique opportunity to connect with the natural and cultural heritage of the park. The curriculum, which meets AL Course of Study and Next Generation Science Standards, leads students through the discovery of the nine ecosystems and environmental diversity found within Gulf State Park. Whether housed on-campus in our modern Bunkhouse or only spending a day, visitors may apply the programs and sample itineraries found below to enhance any agenda. Programs may be tailored to meet a variety of age groups and educational interests. For more information, please contact the Learning Campus at 251-923-3107 or info@learningcampusgsp.com.

Course Catalog

K - 5th Grade Field Trips

6th - 8th Grade Field Trips

9th - 12th Grade and College Field Trips

Please select any of the course topics to review activities, time frame, standards alignment and other details to assist in planning your field trip. For more information and to further plan your visit, please contact the Learning Campus at 251-923-3107 or info@learningcampusgsp.com.

Sample Group Itinerary 5-Day/4-Night

Day 1

Activities

Welcome & Ice Breakers

Learning Campus Sustainability Tour

DINNER

Woodside Restaurant

Outdoor Lawn Games

Activities

S’mores and Social at Bunkhouse

Day 2

BREAKFAST

Woodside Restaurant

Outdoor Lawn Games

Activities

Coastal Ecology

Beach Hike / Dune Restoration

LUNCH

Picnic on the Gulf Beach Pavilion

Activities

Beach Ecosystem Wildlife Monitoring

Conservation Ecology

DINNER

Island Dining

Activities

Movie Night

Day 3

BREAKFAST

Breakfast in the Bunkhouse

Activities

Guided Kayaks Lake Shelby

LUNCH

Green Space Grill

Activities

Birds of the Gulf Coast

Guided Field Work / Bird Identification

DINNER

Woodside Restaurant

Outdoor Lawn Games

Activities

Stargazing at Interpretive Center

Day 4

BREAKFAST

Woodside Restaurant

Outdoor Lawn Games

Activities

Sands of Time History Hike

LUNCH

Backcountry Picnic

Activities

Indigenous Cultures

Paleontology

DINNER

Pizza Party

Activities

Scavenger Hunt

Day 5

BREAKFAST

Woodside Restaurant

Outdoor Lawn Games

Activities

Check-out

Alligator Adventures at Nature Center

LUNCH

Boxed Lunch

Activities

Interpretive Center: Alabama’s Living Building

Activities: This itinerary reflects a small sampling of activity and class offerings that are available locally which may be selected based on curriculum interest and age level. For more information, please contact the Learning Campus at 251-923-3107 or info@learningcampusgsp.com.

Nature's Calendar

With nine different ecosystems spread across 6,150 acres, the natural life within Gulf State Park evolves with the changing seasons. To highlight these progressions, the calendar below outlines seasonal flora and fauna, so visitors can enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer any time of year. Check out our calendar of activities to learn more about our amazing biodiversity of natural resources!

Winter

December

With the position of the sun located over the Gulf, we have our best sunrises and sunsets of the year (though we can’t complain about their beauty the rest of the year)!

January

Bald eagles and osprey are common; look for the adult Bald Eagle pairs on their nests, incubating their eggs; when the chicks hatch, you’ll see evidence of the parents feeding them and soon you may see heads appear above the nest.
Juvenile pelicans will begin feeding on their own.
Look for columned stinkhorn (fungus) in the park; you are likely to smell it before you see it!
Yellow-rumped warblers are common; listen for their chirping among the wax myrtles.
Look for cedar waxwings showing up in large numbers, feeding on holly berries.
Stargazers will see Orion shining bright in the sky.

February

Purple martin houses are put up the first week of February in anticipation of their arrival.
Great horned owl chicks can be seen in their nest.
Spring peepers and cricket frogs begin calling.
Wildflowers, including Carolina jessamine, begin blooming.
Bald eagle chicks become more active and you can see them moving around the nest.
Volunteers will place recycled Christmas trees in the sand dunes to act as sand fencing which allows the dunes to continue to grow.
Osprey begin nesting.
Wax myrtles have lots of berries for overwintering and migrating birds.
Red sorrel and toadflax begin to show signs of spring.

Spring

March

Alligators can be seen sunning as the days begin to warm up.
Bald eagle chicks are getting bigger and can be seen stretching and flapping their wings.
Green tree frogs and leopard frogs can be heard calling.
Dune restoration continues this month with volunteer opportunities to plant sea oats.
Conradina (false rosemary), swamp titi, and quaking grass are all abloom.
Starling and redwing blackbird murmurations can be heard in late winter and early spring.

April

April is the big spring bird migration period. A variety of songbirds can be heard as they return from their winter grounds. Watch for fallout—birds that are so tired after their long flight over the Gulf of Mexico will quite literally fallout from exhaustion; they will rest, feed and rebuild their strength to continue their northern journey.
Be watchful of our nesting shorebirds—least terns, snowy plovers, and black skimmers; they nest on top of the sand and are well camouflaged, so they can be easily disturbed or stepped on.
Fowler and narrow-mouth toads, gray tree frogs, squirrel tree frogs, green tree frogs, southern leopard toads and southern toads (among others) are all heard calling mates. How many can you identify just by listening to their calls?
Alligators are more active and mating season begins; listen for the males bellowing.
Sparkleberry and serviceberry are producing fruit.
Prickly pear cactus is blooming.
Cinnamon ferns begin unrolling their fronds.
Baby animals are abundant in the park—look for baby raccoons, squirrels, marsh rabbits and others.
Pitcher plants will begin blooming in early spring.

May

Sea turtle nesting season begins; mostly loggerhead nests, but occasional Kemp’s Ridley or green sea turtle nests are possible; if you spot sea turtle tracks or a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report. Be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures.
Osprey chicks are in the nest while the juvenile bald eagles are finally beginning to fledge.
Coral bean, blue curl flower, and tickseed are in bloom.
Willet and other shorebirds are commonly seen foraging along the beach.
Yellow flies are biting! To deter them, wear light-colored clothing and look for insect repellants with citrus oils like orange or lemon.

Summer

June

Sea turtle nesting season picks up; volunteers continue patrolling at sunrise looking for tracks from the previous night; nests are marked and monitored. If you spot sea turtle tracks or a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report. Be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures.
Baby raccoons, armadillos and marsh rabbits abound.
Alligators are claiming their territories; be on the lookout along the waterways in the park.
Looking for ghost crabs on the beach at night is a favorite family activity—just be sure to use a red filter or flashlight so that you don’t disturb nesting sea turtles.
Scarlet hibiscus, previously thought extinct in Alabama, is blooming.
Be mindful of the cicada wasps—while they may look intimidating, only the females have stinging capabilities but they are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are handled roughly, get stepped upon with bare feet, or they get caught in clothing.

July

Sea turtle nesting continues while hatching begins; if you are lucky enough to witness a nesting sea turtle or a hatching taking place, be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures so that the baby turtles can get safely to the Gulf; if there are no volunteers around, please call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report turtles.
Marsh hibiscus and pickerelweed are in bloom along the freshwater lakes and wetlands. Also look for cattails and swamp hibiscus.
Look for the purple berries of the beautyberry.

August

Dragonflies, damselflies, tadpoles and frogs are abundant.
Juvenile osprey are learning to fish.
Sea turtle nesting season winds down but hatchings will continue until the last nest is finished (usually in October); be on the lookout for Share the Beach volunteers monitoring nests in the evenings for hatchings. If you spot sea turtle tracks or a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report. Be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures.
Liatris is blooming and prickly pear fruit is ripening.

Fall

September

Gulf fritillary butterflies are common.
Sea turtle hatching season is winding down; Share the Beach volunteers will be monitoring the last nests so watch for nest excavations. If you spot sea turtle tracks or a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report. Be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures.
Baby alligators are hatching; look for them near their mamas (sometimes you will see them riding on top).
Wild persimmons can be found.
Look for jelly made from beautyberries.

October

Tree swallows will be abundant.
Goldenrod is in full bloom.
Several butterflies can be spotted as they are migrating through—Gulf fritillary, monarch, eastern black swallowtail, common buckeye, cloudless sulphurs, and long-tailed skippers; check the milkweed varieties for butterflies.
In addition to butterflies, the fall bird migration is in full swing.
Any last sea turtle nests will be hatching and final nest excavations being performed by Share the Beach volunteers. If you spot sea turtle tracks or a nesting or hatchling sea turtle, call 1-866-SEA-TURTLE to report. Be sure to turn off all lights and refrain from taking pictures.
Common loons begin arriving; they will spend the winter with us (until about March); we will also begin seeing red-breasted mergansers and cormorants.
When conditions allow during the fall and winter months (October through February), park staff will be performing prescribed burning operations in the park.
Groundsel and showy jointweed can be found in the park.

November

Adult bald eagles return and may be seen rebuilding their nests getting ready for the breeding season.

Year-round

Join our naturalists for guided hikes on the beach, pier or trails, as well as other educational programs and activities (check the Learning Campus calendar for specific programs throughout the park)
Dolphins can frequently be spotted in the Gulf and back bay waterways.
Beachcombing is wonderful after a storm; check the beach to see what treasures the waves have left behind.

Remember, while you’re enjoying our beautiful natural resources, to

respect all of our wildlife by observing them from a distance without following or approaching; never feed them; and do not disturb them while they are mating, nesting, or raising young;
pack up and take all trash with you and dispose of it properly;
take only pictures, leave only footprints.