ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Alabama's Coastal Connection

White sand and beach grass curving along the Gulf shore
White sand and beach grass curving along the Gulf shorePhoto: A. E. Crane / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

Alabama's Coastal Connection is a National Scenic Byway in Alabama. Within Alabama it covers roughly 130 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Alabama's Coastal Connection with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

This byway loops around the Alabama Gulf Coast and Mobile Bay, linking the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach with historic Fort Morgan at the mouth of the bay. It passes the Bon Secour wildlife refuge, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, and the fried-seafood culture of the coast. A ferry across Mobile Bay connects the two arms of the loop.

Designated for its scenic qualities

Plan a drive on Alabama's Coastal Connection → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Alabama's Coastal Connection

  1. Bellingrath Gardens and Home

    Sixty-five acres of gardens on the Fowl River, with azaleas in spring and a 1935 house full of porcelain.

    Website

  2. Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary

    Maritime forest, dunes, and a swamp lake that catch exhausted songbirds crossing the Gulf in spring.

  3. Fort Gaines

    An 1800s brick fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay, a key site in the 1864 battle where Farragut ordered 'Damn the torpedoes!'

  4. Mobile Bay Ferry

    A car ferry across the mouth of Mobile Bay between Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, saving a long drive around.

  5. Fort Morgan

    A star-shaped masonry fort completed in 1834, guarding the bay entrance across from Fort Gaines.

  6. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

    Undeveloped dunes and beach where sea turtles nest and migrating birds rest, with trails to the Gulf.

  7. Gulf State Park

    Beaches, a fishing pier, and miles of paved trails through coastal forest in Gulf Shores.

  8. Fairhope

    A bayside town of flower-lined streets, galleries, and a long municipal pier.

Where to Stay along Alabama's Coastal Connection

10 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Alabama's Coastal Connection.

Gulf Shores, ALTwo Lakes RV ResortBook a site →Orange Beach, ALSun Outdoors Orange BeachBook a site →Foley, ALAhoy RV ResortBook a site →Foley, ALCreekside RV ResortBook a site →Foley, ALTropic Hideaway RV ResortBook a site →Elberta, ALSunCity RV ParkBook a site →Summerdale, ALSunset Grove RV ParkBook a site →Elberta, ALJellystone Park Alabama Gulf CoastBook a site →Hotels & motelsNear Fairhope, ALSearch stays →Renting an RV?Near Fairhope, ALSee RV rentals →Harvest Hosts20% offPark free overnight at farms and wineriesSee membership →

Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

Photos of Alabama's Coastal Connection

Sunset over the dunes
Sunset over the dunesPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain
A great blue heron wading along the shore at Orange Beach
A great blue heron wading along the shore at Orange BeachPhoto: A. E. Crane / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
Hay bales in a field along the byway
Hay bales in a field along the bywayPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain
Sunset over Mobile Bay from the ferry
Sunset over Mobile Bay from the ferryPhoto: Ikroop Kaur / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

What is a National Scenic Byway?

National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.

← All scenic roads in Alabama