Birdwatching
While the dolphins often steal the show at Dauphin Island, this is also a prime spot for birdwatching. Every spring, 420 species of birds fly into town for a pit stop along their migratory path north from Central and South America. You can best spot them at Audubon Bird Sanctuary, with its 137-acres of protected marshes, dunes, swamp, and beach.
Fort Gaines
The pentagonal outline of Fort Gaines stands at the eastern tip of the island, guarding Mobile Bay as it has done for over 150 years. Visitors head here to explore the tunnel system, visit the blacksmith shop, and inspect original cannons fired during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. The on-site museum showcases period clothing and local photographs, while the lookout points provide commanding views of the ocean.
Shell Mound Park
Shell mounds — or handmade layers of oyster, mussel, and various other shells to form hills — can be found sprinkled around the Gulf Coast and usually demarcate an important Indigenous settlement. Traditionally, tribe leaders would have their houses at the top of the mounds, with the rest of the community living below. These sites were hubs for gathering, trading, and celebratory feasts, and have lasting cultural and historical importance. Today, this park and bird sanctuary is a scenic and informative place for a stroll.