Fort Morgan with the Fam
Fort Morgan is one of our favorite places on the Alabama Gulf Coast for a family vacation—especially if your idea of a good beach trip involves more than sitting between rows of condos and crowded beach chairs.
Out here, kids can explore an old fort, ride a ferry across Mobile Bay, bike the trails, look for dolphins and wildlife, spend the day on the beach and, of course, go fishing.
If you’re staying in Fort Morgan—or making the drive down from Gulf Shores or Orange Beach—here are some of our favorite things to do with kids.
1. Explore Historic Fort Morgan
If you’ve driven all the way down Fort Morgan Road, don’t stop before you get to the place that gave the peninsula its name.
Historic Fort Morgan sits at the entrance to Mobile Bay and is one of those history stops that actually works well with kids because they aren’t expected to just stand around looking at exhibits.
They can walk through the fort, explore tunnels and passageways, climb the old fortifications and look out over Mobile Bay.
The fort played an important role in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War, but even kids who couldn’t care less about a history lesson usually have fun simply exploring the place.
KOKA Tip: Go earlier in the day during the warmer months. Exploring an old masonry fort is considerably more fun before the Alabama afternoon heat kicks in.
2. Take the Mobile Bay Ferry to Dauphin Island
Don’t think of the ferry as transportation. With kids, the ferry ride is the activity.
The Mobile Bay Ferry crosses the mouth of Mobile Bay between Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island. You can take your vehicle across or ride as a passenger, depending on your plans.
The ride itself gives kids plenty to watch—dolphins if you’re lucky, huge ships moving through the shipping channel, working boats, birds and views of both sides of Mobile Bay.
Once you reach Dauphin Island, you can turn around and ride back or make an entire day of it.
3. Visit the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab
If you do take the ferry across, this is an easy addition to the day.
The Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab focuses on the habitats and marine life found right here in coastal Alabama—from Mobile Bay and the barrier islands to the northern Gulf of Mexico.
It’s especially good for kids because it gives them a chance to see and learn about some of the animals and ecosystems they’ve been looking at all week from the beach and boat.
Pair the aquarium with the ferry and you’ve got a pretty great family day trip without having to drive all the way around Mobile Bay.
4. Take the Kids Fishing
Yes, we’re a fishing charter, so we’re obviously going to put this on the list.
But there’s a reason fishing is such a classic Gulf Coast family activity.
Kids don’t need any experience. They don’t need to know how to tie knots, bait hooks or identify fish. That’s what the crew is there for.
At KOKA Fishing Charters, families fish aboard the 60-foot No Doubt, which gives everyone plenty of room to spread out. There’s an air-conditioned cabin, private bathroom and a huge back deck—and private groups can include up to 23 guests.
For families with younger kids or first-time fishermen, a shorter trip can be a great introduction. Families with older kids who are ready for a bigger adventure can head farther offshore.
And fishing isn’t the only entertainment.
On the way, kids may see dolphins, offshore platforms, giant ships entering and leaving Mobile Bay and all kinds of activity on the Gulf.
Then somebody’s rod bends over—and suddenly everybody is paying attention.
5. Spend a Day on Fort Morgan’s Quieter Beaches
Sometimes kids don’t need an itinerary.
They need a bucket, a shovel and several hours of sand and water.
One of the best things about staying in Fort Morgan is having access to a quieter side of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Depending on where you’re staying, a beach day can mean swimming, shell hunting, building sandcastles, throwing a football, looking for little creatures along the shoreline or doing absolutely nothing.
Pack a cooler, bring plenty of sunscreen and let them wear themselves out.
That’s a pretty good vacation day.
6. Bike or Walk the Fort Morgan Trail
The Fort Morgan Trail recently got even better with the addition of a new 4.4-mile extension, bringing the trail along Fort Morgan Road to about 10.5 miles.
The paved trail is great for walking and biking, and the newer section includes bridges that carry you through portions of the coastal wetland environment.
Even better, the Fort Morgan Trail connects into the larger Gulf State Park trail network, opening up miles of additional exploring for families who bring bikes.
You certainly don’t have to tackle the entire thing. Pick a section, let the kids ride and enjoy seeing Fort Morgan from somewhere other than the car.
7. Look for Wildlife at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Fort Morgan isn’t just beaches and vacation houses.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge protects thousands of acres of coastal habitat and gives families a chance to see what this part of Alabama looks like when nature is allowed to do its thing.
You’ll find trails through maritime forest, dunes, wetlands and other coastal habitats, along with opportunities to see birds and other wildlife.
For kids who like exploring, bring water, bug spray and maybe a pair of binoculars and turn it into a wildlife hunt.
Just remember: this is real wildlife habitat. Admire the animals from a safe distance and leave everything the way you found it.
8. Watch the Big Ships Come Through Mobile Bay
This one costs exactly $0, and kids can get surprisingly excited about it.
Fort Morgan sits right at the entrance to Mobile Bay, which means some seriously big ships pass through the shipping channel.
Depending on the day, you might see container ships, tankers, tugboats, fishing boats and other vessels moving between the Gulf and the Port of Mobile.
It’s one of those simple Fort Morgan experiences that’s easy to overlook.
Grab a drink, find a good view and see what’s coming through the bay.
9. Let the Kids Experience the Marina
If you’re already heading down to the marina for a fishing trip, give yourself a little extra time instead of treating it like an airport terminal.
Kids love docks.
There are boats coming and going, fish being cleaned, pelicans looking for an easy meal and usually something interesting happening around the water.
Fort Morgan has a much more laid-back feel than the busier parts of the beach, and sometimes wandering around and seeing what everyone is catching becomes part of the fun.
10. Don’t Overplan It
This might be our most important Fort Morgan-with-kids advice.
You don’t need an attraction scheduled every two hours.
Some of the best memories down here happen when the plan falls apart a little.
Ride bikes in the morning. Go to the beach. Stop somewhere for lunch. Watch the ferry come in. Look for dolphins. Let the kids stay in the water longer than you planned. Go fishing. Eat whatever you caught for dinner.
Fort Morgan is a good place to slow the vacation down.
Our Pick for a Great Fort Morgan Family Day
If we were putting together one really good Fort Morgan day with kids, we’d keep it simple:
Start with an outdoor adventure in the morning—fishing, biking or exploring Historic Fort Morgan.
Grab lunch somewhere casual.
Spend the afternoon at the beach or take the ferry over to Dauphin Island.
Then come back, eat some seafood and watch the sun go down.
Nobody needs matching shirts. Nobody needs a spreadsheet.
You’re at the beach.
Planning a Family Trip to Fort Morgan?
Fort Morgan gives families something that’s getting harder to find on the Alabama Gulf Coast: room to slow down and actually spend time together.
There’s history, wildlife, beaches, biking, boating, fishing and plenty to explore—and Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are still close enough when you want something busier.
If you’re planning your vacation, check out our Best Things to Do in Fort Morgan, Alabama: A Local’s Guide and our guide to the new Fort Morgan Trail extension for even more ideas.
And if fishing is on the family’s list, we’d love to take you.
KOKA Fishing Charters
Fort Morgan, Alabama
Private Fishing Charters • 60-Foot Boat • Groups Up to 23
Call 251-752-1535 or explore our fishing trips to start planning your family’s day on the Gulf.