More than seven million travelers head to Gulf Shores annually because of the beautiful beaches along the coast. The clear waters and soft, white beaches are enough to make any beachgoer feel drawn to Alabama’s shores.
The sugary, white sand isn’t just a publicity hook when describing the Gulf Coast of Alabama. The beaches along the coast are as white as sugar for a reason.
The sand here is made up of tiny grains of quartz crystals. These crystals have been washed down from the Appalachian Mountains for thousands of years. The dirt and sand flow into the Gulf of Mexico, whereas the darker, heavier sediment sinks to the bottom. This leaves the sparkling, white grains to settle onto the beaches.
You may even hear a squeak or a whistle from the tiny grains beneath your feet. You are not imagining it! Those quartz crystals are little spheres. As we walk, the crystals rub against each other, and the air around them escapes. When this happens, you will hear the whistling or squeaking sound. When we say our sand is squeaky clean, we really mean it!
Please do your part in keeping the beaches clean and beautiful. Follow the Leave Only Footprints guidelines to keep our coast as squeaky clean as possible!