Garden & Gun loves Dauphin Island and we couldn't agree more.
Who hasn’t dreamed of an island escape? Some people might envision palm fronds swaying in the breeze, while others might fantasize about sand dunes where wild ponies run free. Or perhaps they long for the Gilded Age, when tycoons had their own private retreats. Southerners have all of these locales and more.
Three miles south of Mobile Bay, the fourteen-mile-long Dauphin Island protects the Gulf coastline, even though it’s just under two miles wide at its widest point. One of the state’s few barrier islands, with only 1,300 permanent residents, it’s a popular destination for visitors for its low-key beaches. Birds love it too; during spring migration, at least 420 avian species have been sighted on the island. The Audubon Bird Sanctuary’s acres of maritime forest, swamp, and sand dunes are a first stop for many weary migratory birds crossing the Gulf of Mexico, making the island a top birding location in North America.
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