Want to take in some of the beauty of the Alabama Gulf shore? Like to take a walk? Like to see some native plants and animals, maybe see an eagle or osprey? Like it when these activities don’t involve admission charges or equipment fees?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, head down to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge off of Fort Morgan Road (State Highway 180). The trails there are open during daylight hours only and range from the easy, handicap-accessible, one-mile Jeff Friend Trail to the moderate to strenuous two-mile Pine Beach Trail. The Jeff Friend Trail is gravel with a rubberized base wheelchairs can manage and boardwalks with ramps. There are other trails with varying levels of difficulty. Go to fws.gov/bonsecour/trails.html to see a map and trail listing.

“The trails are self-guided,” said Jackie Dearborn, an intern at the refuge. She said the Bon Secour site is part of 150-plus refuges protecting a million square miles of land throughout the country. The Bon Secour site was established in 1980.

To save wear and tear on the preserve, visitors are askedd to stay on the well-marked trails. There is no hunting, and if you see some sort of artifact, don’t touch, (take photos) and please let someone at the visitor center (12295 State Highway 180) know about it. You are welcome to take as many photographs as you like and, of course, all the memories you can hold.

Those who have salt-water fishing licenses are welcome to fish in Little Lagoon. Taking the Jeff Friend Trail, it was possible to see several paths fishers had cut through the vegetation to get to the lagoon.

For Pat Evans of Orange Beach, the Friend trail was a revelation. She just moved to the area from Kentucky, and wanted to learn more about the nature of the Gulf Coast.

“I did not know that,” she would say as she scribbled another note.

The refuge, Dearborn explained, is a place where heron, otter, sea turtles and other species live. Some, such as the Alabama Beach Mouse is only found at the refuge. During the Monarch butterfly migration to Mexico in the fall, the insects stop and cover some of the trees, using some of the flowering shrubs as food for their journey. The 6,700 acres also serve as a stop-over for birds on their migrations.

“A lot of bushes have berries,” said Dearborn. “There are wax myrtle and other berry-producing plants the birds like.”

A number of dead trees in the park are relics Hurricane Ivan, which raked the Gulf Shores area in 2004. The refuge was closed for a couple of years for repair work after the hurricane.

“The dead trees are called ‘snags’,” said Dearborn, explaining that the trees now serve as homes to wildlife such as owls and osprey.

The Little Lagoon serves as a “nursery” for many fish species, and it’s not unusual to find that octopus and manatee have taken up residence.

“It is amazing what you can see here, and it changes every season,” said Dearborn.

After walking the trail, it’s a good idea to head over to the Visitor’s Center. There, a hiker can look at samples of the bones of wildlife found in the park, and there is an impressive photo display of the wildflowers and plants in the park. That way, if you’ve seen something you can’t identify, you might get a clue. The refuge also has a number of trail and birding guides at the center.