The Cabins at Gulf State Park

From the cabin windows, the view of Lake Shelby was unbelievable. Wildlife was abundant, and the sunrises and sunsets were better than anything on the Gulf, in our opinion. We stayed in cabin 8 from Dec 1 - Mar 1 as snowbirds, and couldn't have asked for a more satisfying experience. The cabins are top notch, clean, well stocked, and well located. We highly recommend them.

The patio needs a place to lounge. The breeze off the lake is lovely, but those hard chairs force you to sit upright. A hammock might help, though I guess it might not get cleaned either. A supervisor should check the cleaning crew's work before guests arrive. I would rate this five stars, but the cleaning needs to be better. The patio ledges were dusty, and the bathroom bulbs looked like they'd never been wiped. I'm very allergic to dust. If there's a cleaning fee so the next guest can feel at home, well, unless their home is full of dust, then yeah.

The beach was super clean and much less crowded than the hotel beaches. We had a great time and will definitely be back. The front office staff were helpful and informative, and the cabin rental also got us free beach parking, access to campground amenities like the pool and nature center, and free pier access. We stayed in woodside cabin #25. It was clean and comfortable, with a well stocked kitchen, good quality towels and bedding, including the pillows. Outside were a small charcoal pit and fire pit area with four chairs, plus a very nice screened-in front porch. The campsite was well maintained. The state park itself is amazing too, clean, with trails in great shape. You can tell they take pride in it. We didn't get to try the on-site restaurants, but it's nice to have options, and one was within walking distance. The campground facilities were great. The pool is massive, and even at peak time we found chairs. The splash pad is massive too. Everything was clean and in great condition. My son loved the nature center with snakes, baby alligators, owls, and more. It was a good option for one of our rainy mornings. There's also a big pavilion with a pier, where the laundry mat and a nice convenience shop are located. The shop came in handy after we forgot water for the cabin.

We spent January and Feb, 2025 in Cabin 17, and it was the best winter ever!!!!! The cabin was clean, new, and comfortable. We kept our kayak downstairs and could pull it out to Shelby lake for those beautiful views. We rode our bikes daily on the 28 miles of trails. It was a seven-minute walk to the bald eagle nest and a 15-minute bike ride to see alligators in the swamp, plus all kinds of birds, deer, and armadillos.