Alabama’s Gulf State Park pier to be renovated following hurricane
Gulf State Park Pier at sunset, showing the break in the structure caused by Hurricane Sally. (Lisa Comer)
The popular pier at Alabama’s Gulf State Park will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12, so that work can begin to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sally in 2020. The pier is expected to remain closed for several months during the renovations.
“We are excited to announce this project to restore Gulf State Park Pier,” Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), said in a news release.
“The pier provides quality recreational fishing for thousands of anglers each year. Once the work is completed, anglers and other park visitors will have full access to one of the premier fishing and sightseeing destinations on the Gulf Coast,” Blankenship said.
M.D. Thomas Construction, based in Orange Beach, Alabama, is contracted to make the repairs, which include rebuilding a 200-foot section of the pier that collapsed during the storm. The pier is slated to reopen in summer 2024.
On Sept. 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally crawled ashore at Gulf Shores on Alabama’s Gulf Coast as a category 2 storm. Strong winds and a powerful storm surge were intensified by Sally’s sluggish pace. The storm caused significant damage to the pier and other structures at Gulf State Park. Prior to Sally’s formation and landfall, the pier had been scheduled to reopen after the completion of a $2.4 million renovation.
Just half of Gulf State Park Pier has been open to the public since the facility was damaged by Hurricane Sally. (Alabama State Parks)
“The pier partially reopened to fishing and sightseeing in 2021,” Greg Lein, director of Alabama State Parks, said in the news release. “Since then, visitors have had access to half of the pier. We look forward to welcoming anglers and sightseers back to the full pier next summer.”
State parks officials encourage anglers to check out other fishing locations along Alabama’s Gulf Coast including Gulf State Park’s Alabama Point, Romar Beach and wheelchair-accessible Cotton Bayou, as well as the Steve McMillan Fishing Pier and Boat Ramp at Fort Morgan.
For more information, visit the fishing section of the ADCNR website, outdooralabama.com.
