Dauphin Island, AL - Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Alexandra Proctor
Jan 29
3 min read

State: Alabama

Trailhead Location: https://share.google/PxdePmzGegPqYpMrj

Park: Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Length: 3.4 miles (including the beach walk to Fort Gaines)

Fee: Free

By the time I arrived on Dauphin (Daw-fin) Island, the journey had taken me 1200 miles through the ice and snow-covered Chihuahuan Desert, past the hill country, over the Delta, and deep into the southeast pines. The 4runner and I had left El Paso the prior morning and dipped into a silent, white world of frozen creosote and desolate arroyos obscured by fog. It felt alien and foreboding, yet exciting.

The drive through to Alabama was long. And this hike was one of my rewards. The last time I'd looked out onto open water was May 2024 on a trip to Carolina Beach, NC. I was hankering to see something vast. And my excitement grew as I anticipated the smell of salt water.

To access this hike, you drive south from Mobile, AL. The causeway takes your over Mississippi Sound to the Island, and from here it's a short drive to the Audubon Society Trailhead. Keep in mind, the parking lot is small. On a nippy winter morning in January, I had the whole place to myself.

Now I love birds and ornithology, but wouldn't consider myself avid enough to keep a pair of binoculars at the ready in the 4runner. For those seeking feathery sightings on this hike, you won't be disappointed. I spotted my first Northern Cardinal in a while. And saw plenty of gulls and egrets along the beach. The Dauphin Island website states that this land is one of the best places in the country to observe "neotropical migrants" - birds that fly south each fall to the tropics, and north each spring.

The trail within the park is only 1.6 miles. But I extended the path to approximately 4.5 miles in total by walking east along the beach to Fort Gaines and back. See my path from AllTrails below.

The trail within the park will take you over boardwalks and sand and pine-needle covered paths. You'll walk beneath live oaks and Southern magnolias, with views of a fresh water lake, swampland, and the white sand beaches of the Gulf.

As I walked towards the shoreline, two animals broke the water and eased back into the depths. Dolphins. I stood on the shore transfixed for a moment. And then walked with the beach, paralleling their journey in the water. If you look closely below, you can see one of them barely break the water.

I traveled along the shore to Fort Gaines, a historic fort built in 1821, but best known for its part in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War. This is an optional detour, but one I highly recommend. Keep in mind, there is a small admission fee.

After touring Fort Gaines, the walk takes you back along the beach and through the Audubon grounds back to the parking lot.

If you're hungry, and you probably will be, after this hike, check out one of the locally-owned seafood restaurants on the Island. The shrimp at the Dockside Seafood Restaurant hit the spot with the seasoning.