Things to Do
Biking at Gulf Shores
Destination: Biking is a great way to explore Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. You’ll find miles of trails lining business districts amid sugar white dunes and a multitude of habitats and landscapes. Why not get out and explore? Biking Experience: Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail Description: Just minutes from the Alabama Gulf Coast beaches is a 28-mile trail system within Gulf State Park’s 6,180-acre footprint. Winding through six of the park’s nine distinct ecosystems and offering several direct-access trailheads, the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail sits between the sister beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. The series of multi-use interconnected trails is designated as a National Recreational Trail and -34- | WEEKENDEREXTENDED.COM ~ June, 2021
part of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trails. The trail even offers cyclists an amazing camping area: the Outpost features three primitive campsites, which are only accessible by bicycle or walking. The park recently introduced a free bike share program, which allows visitors to borrow one of 200 bikes for up to three hours at a time. Many choose to stop and enjoy a leisurely break at Lake Shelby’s picnic area, the Butterfly Garden on Catman Trail or one of several newly constructed observation areas. Trails also provide access to the park’s interpretive and nature centers, beach pavilion, fishing pier and new lodge and conference center. Beyond Gulf State Park, roadside trails offer more opportunities for exploring the island. In Gulf Shores
you’ll find a multi-use path westward along Fort Morgan Road (Highway 180) for more than five miles. Sidewalks and bike lanes line both neighborhood streets and Gulf Shores Parkway (Highway 59). Beach Boulevard (which extends from Gulf Shores and through the park and into Orange Beach) is lined with bike lanes, taking riders among the white sand views of the beachfront as well as offering convenient access to accommodations, restaurants, and retail stores. Website: https://www. gulfshores.com/things-to-do/ hugh-s-branyon-backcountrytrail/
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