I've always thought that a public state park belonged to the residents of the state. But now we have to pay to park while visiting one on the beach.

https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county/pay-to-park-begins-friday-at-gulf-state-park-beaches-in-oba/

"The City says the money will be used for upkeep of beaches, trails and facilities."



Isn't that what our existing park fees and other costs are used for?

Sounds like a privilege license permit fee enacted by other divisions in the M'gumry department.

Never been to that beach

we've only been to that particular one once, but we were camping in the campground. It was my understanding you already had to pay to park there unless you were staying in the campground.

I’m sitting on the beach there reading this thread. I noticed the kiosks, but we’re staying at the campground so we don’t have to pay. I thought you had always had to pay to park, maybe they installed the kiosks to make it easier to pay??

Have you priced a room at the new hotel? $500+ per night. Can stay at Caribe for much cheaper. I thought the State Parks were for us common folks?!

Georgia is like that now. I use to park at Cloudland Caynon and work on my iPad at times. Not anymore they starting charging about a year ago

I may be different but I can't wrap my head around camping at the beach.

I thought the same thing....but we recently bought a pop-up camper and our first trip in it was to Gulf State Park and we had a great time. Also didn't hurt that we paid less for 4 nights in the campground than 1 night in a condo.

State owns it but it’s managed by Marriott. Everybody has to pay their rate. No exceptions even for state employees doing business. Ain’t nothing affordable at the beach for us common folks. Not even our State parks. That’s why I stay in a bathroom stall at Buc’ees.

That hotel can be cheap’ish mid week during the off season.

This is the reason and I have been in a lot of these meetings. Condos only have a one or two parking spaces per unit but five people show with five vehicles. Something had to be done. Go to beach a 5am, not a parking space or a person on the beach. People park for a week without moving.

It's a good time. Bring a bike and ride all you want on the backcountry trails. You can now ride your bike over to the beach from the campground. Tons of fishing opportunities within the campground, even more with a kayak. To me it's not really camping, just having your own place across the road from the beach. We just got us another camper, can't wait to hit GSP and Topsail Hill.

John why not a parking pass like the ones given at inland state parks? And if you don’t have one on your dashboard then the park rangers should have the vehicles from the condos towed. The general public shouldn’t have to pay to park because of the condo vacationers. I’ve seen what you are talking about early in the mornings but there has to be a better way. Hopefully this is just temporary.

I've never known a revenue source to ever have been temporary.

Well atleast veterans get free parking. Hate seeing everyone else getting screwed though

Meh. I'll stay at the island house

This is the same reason they tow cars from the Wal Mart parking lot in Gulf Shores. I know a guy from Selma who works for a wrecker company down there and he told me about it. People who don't have parking spots at their condo would drop their car off at WM and leave it all week. They got wise to this and tow cars by the dozens every week.

Gomer this isn’t directed at you because I don’t know you’re personal situation, a lot of guys I work with say that it’s so much cheaper. I don’t really understand that logic because you have to pay that payment every month and after a while when they sell them they complain about not being able to get their money back out of it. Most of them have basically brand new 5th wheels.

Nothing at the beach is for common folks anymore, except for the jobs at the small kiosks.