Did you know during the first year of the Leave Only Footprints operation in 2016, more than 161 tons of materials were removed from the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach? Below are some other numbers we hope will encourage you to keep the trash out of the splash and the beaches clear:

  • 101.3 tons of trash collected in cans on four miles of beach
  • 18.5 tons of aluminum cans collected (equivalent of 814,000 cans)
  • 23.8 tons of plastic
  • 18 tons of metal tent frames and chairs

Help do your part to keep the beaches clean by removing all tents, chairs, toys, trash and beach gear from the beaches within one hour after sunset each day. In addition to collection, Beach Ambassadors helped educate beachgoers on the Leave Only Footprints principles and beach rules while providing 5,653 trash bags and filling more than 2,000 holes to protect people and sea turtles from accidents.

Thinking Clean and Green

Ready to do your part to keep our coast clean? Start by learning these eco-friendly facts and sharing them with a friend.

Fact #1

Alabama’s 32 miles of white-sand beaches are made almost entirely from quartz grains washed down the Appalachian Mountains thousands of years ago.

Fact #2

The sand dunes are a vital part of Alabama’s clean coastal ecosystem. The sea oats and plant life that create such a beautiful backdrop for family beach photos hold the sand in place, so always avoid walking on the dunes.

Fact #3

Beginning in May of each year, female sea turtles make their way onto Alabama’s white-sand beaches to lay their eggs. Between 2010 and 2020, an estimated 70,786 hatchlings have made it to the water from Alabama’s beaches.

Fact #4

In 2019, more than 420,000 volunteers picked up over 35,000 pounds of debris during the International Coastal Cleanup.

Fact #5

More than 106,000 volunteers have removed 1.7 million pounds of trash from our coastline during the 34-year effort of the Alabama Coastal Cleanup.

Know Before You Go

Choose the Right Path

Trash Your Trash

Leave What You Find

Be Careful with Fire

Respect Wildlife

Be Kind to Other Visitors

“EduVacation” for a Clean Coast

Want to learn more about the beautifully complex coastal ecosystem of the Alabama Gulf Coast? The Gulf State Park Nature Center and Learning Campus, the Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center are three kid-friendly locations for family fun and discovery just a stone’s throw from the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.