Gulf Coast Guide

Dauphin Island

Island Time

Everything for a slow day on Alabama's barrier island: conditions, parking, the sunset over the Sound and where to eat after the beach.

Today on the Sand

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Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

more tools coming

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Pick Your Sand

north to south

East End Public Beach

Guarded sand by Fort Gaines · pier

Public lot · fee

West End Public Beach

Long quiet sand at the far west tip

Public lot · fee

Pelican Point

Sandspit sandbar off the east end

Walk or boat-in

Fort Gaines Shore

Historic fort at the bay mouth

Historic site

Dauphin Island Park

Bird sanctuary trails & bay beach

Free park lot

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Fort Morgan

40 min ferry

Civil War fort across the bay via the Mobile Bay ferry

Bellingrath Gardens

35 min north

65 acres of gardens on the Fowl River

Mobile

45 min north

Historic port city & the original Mardi Gras

Gulf Shores

Ferry + drive

The busier main-strip beaches to the east

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Dauphin Island. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.