We finally got a chance to get back down to Gulf Shores to ride most of the trail segments of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail located in Gulf State Park, Alabama that we missed the last time we were down here. This time Scott brought his Allant and I brought my FX.
As I mentioned recently, we use an app called Wanderer Earth that allows us to make a game out of finding and riding trails and roads that we have never been down before. It makes exploring just a bit more fun. On this day, Scott had made a route out of all the segments in this trail system we missed the last time we rode here. See this post for that ride information.
This route ended up being 20.4 miles round trip and with a minimal elevation gain of 313 feet. It was a really beautiful ride and it was pretty amazing how many hidden things we found on these trail sections that we totally missed the last trip.
The resting stops along the bay and the small ponds located throughout the park are fantastic. There is always somewhere to stop and relax or walk the dog, keeping ever mindful that there are snakes and alligators in these parts. We only saw one snake and he was minding his own business, so we passed on by without incident.
To get to the Gulf Pier below, you have to cross over a trail causeway that is a little challenging and perhaps where the majority of the 313 feet of elevation comes into the ride (see Gulf Shores State Park Pier in a Storm if you want to see some photos of the pier). The elevation is less of a problem than the cornering around the switchbacks to go up and back down the other side. We were able to ride it, but walking your bike is always an option if you feel you cannot make the tight turns.
We returned to the truck by riding the bike lane on Perdido Beach Boulevard from the Gulf Pier, taking a left on the Orange Beach Boulevard bike lane which took us back to the parking lot where we started. The actual ride details are below.
On a final note, on this particular ride, I made it to the Gulf Pier “causeway” without ever turning on my motor and wondered if I could actually ride up and back down the thing under my own power. I am pleased to report that, not only did I make it over, but at that point I decided to leave the motor off for the rest of the ride.
If you ever have the chance, we highly recommend riding this set of trails. They are fantastic year round, which is a rare thing.
Ride with GPS Route
Below is the embed for our actual Ride with GPS profile ride from this trip, you can click on the title for more details.
