Best Beaches in Orange Beach, Alabama

The best beach in Orange Beach depends on how you want to spend the day. Families may prioritize restrooms, outdoor showers, and an accessible route to the sand. Other visitors may want a quieter shoreline, plenty of room to spread out, or views of boats traveling through Perdido Pass.

Orange Beach has four primary public Gulf State Park beach access points along Perdido Beach Boulevard, along with private and resident-only access points that are not open to the general public. Use this guide to choose the right beach and understand the parking, safety, and beach rules before you arrive.

Which Orange Beach, AL, Beach Should You Visit?

Closest to Buena Vista Motor Coach Resort: Romar Beach

Best for families and accessibility: Cotton Bayou Beach

Best for wide sand and boat views: Alabama Point East

Best for a simple, quieter beach visit: Shell Beach

Romar Beach

Address: 24450 Perdido Beach Blvd.

Romar Beach is the closest Gulf State Park beach access to Buena Vista Motor Coach Resort. It offers parking, restrooms, and a convenient location for a morning walk, a few hours in the sand, or a return visit later in the day.

The parking lot is smaller than some of the other Orange Beach access points, so arriving earlier is helpful during busy travel periods.

Best for: Convenient Gulf access near the resort and a relaxed beach visit without driving farther into Orange Beach.

Cotton Bayou Beach

Address: 25900 Perdido Beach Blvd.

Cotton Bayou is one of the most convenient public beaches in Orange Beach. Amenities include parking, restrooms, outdoor showers, an accessible boardwalk, and an ADA beach-access mat at the east ramp.

The mat provides a more manageable route across the sand for visitors using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers. Cotton Bayou’s location near Highway 161 also makes it easy to reach from many Orange Beach hotels, condos, and resorts.

Best for: Families, visitors carrying beach gear, accessibility, and convenient restroom and shower facilities.

Alabama Point East

Address: 28100 Perdido Beach Blvd.

Alabama Point East sits just east of the Perdido Pass Bridge and offers more than 6,000 feet of beach. Amenities include parking, restrooms, outdoor showers, boardwalks, dunes, and picnic areas.

The beach’s location beside Perdido Pass provides views of boats traveling between the Gulf and the inland waterways. Its wide shoreline also gives visitors plenty of room for walking, setting up chairs, and finding space away from the main entrances.

Best for: Wide-open sand, boat watching, beach walks, and a full day near Perdido Pass.

Shell Beach

Address: 28282 Perdido Beach Blvd.

Shell Beach is the easternmost Gulf State Park beach access in Orange Beach. Amenities are limited to parking and a portable restroom, so visitors should arrive with everything they need for the day.

The smaller setup makes Shell Beach a good option for visitors looking for a straightforward beach trip without needing showers, picnic facilities, or extensive amenities.

Best for: Beach walking, shell searching, and a simple visit with fewer facilities.

Orange Beach Parking Fees

Gulf State Park charges daily parking fees at its beach access points.

Current rates include:

Personal vehicles: $15 per day

Vehicles with trailers, buses, and large RVs: $35 per day

Annual parking permit: $200 per registered vehicle

Large RVs, buses, and vehicles pulling trailers cannot park at the four Orange Beach access lots. Visitors traveling in an oversized vehicle will need to use an approved Gulf State Park parking location outside these access points.

Parking payments are completed through QR codes posted at the lots. Visitors enter their license plate information into the payment system, so a printed receipt does not need to be displayed.

Orange Beach residents may qualify for a free annual parking decal. Active-duty military members and veterans may also qualify for a free permit with proof of service.

Beach Safety and Flag Conditions

Gulf conditions can change throughout the day. Always check the warning flag at the beach access before entering the water.

Yellow indicates moderate surf or currents

Red indicates high-hazard conditions

Purple indicates dangerous marine life

Double red means the Gulf is closed to the public

Orange Beach operates seasonal lifeguard towers and roving beach patrol units along the shoreline. Visitors can receive beach-condition updates by texting ALBEACHES to 888777.

A lifeguard’s presence does not replace close supervision. Keep children nearby, avoid swimming alone, and stay out of the Gulf whenever double red flags are flying.

Orange Beach Rules to Know

Orange Beach prohibits several items and activities on its beaches, including:

Fires, grills, generators, and lanterns

Fireworks

Glass containers

Loud music

Metal shovels

Holes deeper than 12 inches

Overnight camping

Pets

Vehicles

Drones

Tents and shelters cannot exceed 12 feet by 12 feet. Larger structures must remain north of the Leave Only Footprints marker posts.

All chairs, tents, toys, and other equipment must be removed from the beach within one hour after sunset. Beach patrol may remove and dispose of anything left behind. Fill in holes and remove all belongings before leaving. These steps keep the beach safer and help protect nesting sea turtles and the surrounding dune system.

Stay Near the Best Beaches in Orange Beach

Buena Vista Motor Coach Resort is located at 23601 Perdido Beach Boulevard, across the street from the Gulf and beside Gulf State Park.

Guests have convenient access to Romar Beach, Cotton Bayou Beach, Alabama Point East, and Shell Beach. The resort also offers landscaped motorcoach sites, coach houses, an outdoor pool and lazy river, an indoor heated pool, pickleball courts, a fitness center, a stocked lake, and direct access to nearby Gulf State Park trails.

Plan your stay at Buena Vista Motor Coach Resort and explore the best beaches in Orange Beach from a comfortable location near the Gulf.