Press Release

Gulf State Park Breaks Ground for New Pavilion and Cabins

April 28, 2005

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to announce the construction of a new 10,000-square-foot beach pavilion and 11 new cabins on Lake Shelby (Ten additional cabins plus an 11th cabin to replace one that was damaged by Hurricane Ivan).

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Friday, April 29, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. at 22250 East Beach Blvd. Hwy. 182, Gulf Shores, AL 36542 on the beach near the site of the future pavilion.

“Our goal is to truly make Gulf State Park a destination for travelers from across Alabama and Florida,” says Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Barnett Lawley. “The new pavilion and cabins mean even more people will be able to enjoy the park’s resources.”

The beach pavilion will have multi-purpose educational and special events areas. The proposed pavilion is a 10,000-square-foot structure, half of which is open-air and the other half is enclosed to accommodate restrooms and storage. The open-air portion will provide a 180-degree view of the beach, perfect for watching the sunset or hosting formal ceremonies. It is scheduled to be completed in January 2006.

The new cabins along the coast of Lake Shelby are 12 feet above ground. Cabin rates will vary depending on the season, type of cabin and length of stay.  Once construction is completed in January 2006, Gulf State Park will have a total of 30 cabins.  Two will be handicap-accessible.

On April 8, 2005, The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reopened 100 renovated campsites at Gulf State Park.  The 100 campsites have larger, newly paved pads with 50-amp electrical service to accommodate larger, late-model RVs. All sites have water and sewage hookups. Rental rates begin at $23 and go up to $30.

Renovations are continuing on the remaining campsites at Gulf State Park, and they will open in phases later this year.  Twenty-eight new campsites are being added as well. Gulf State Park will have 496 campsites open to the public by the end of 2005.

A new 350-room hotel and a convention center able to accommodate 2,000 people are also planned at Gulf State Park.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes the statewide stewardship and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy them. The department also advises the state government on management of freshwater fish, wildlife, marine resources, waterway safety, state lands, state parks and other natural resources. This includes the administration, management and maintenance of 22 state parks, 23 public fishing lakes, three freshwater fish hatcheries, 34 wildlife management areas, two waterfowl refuges, three nature centers, two wildlife sanctuaries, a mariculture center with 35 ponds and 645,000 acres of trust lands. Other departmental functions include maintenance of a State Land Resource Information Center and administration of the Forever Wild land-acquisition program.

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