Explore the best rated trails in Fairhope, AL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Fort Morgan Road Trail and Rattlesnake Ridge Trail. With more than 14 trails covering 61 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Dauphin Island is a quaint, beach town located on a narrow barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is known as a resort town, with tourist attractions including its white sandy beaches and...
A sidepath trail that follows a stretch of its namesake roadway south of Pensacola, the Gulf Breeze Parkway Trail offers a useful transportation route for cyclists and pedestrians looking to navigate...
On the southern end of Mobile, a short paved trail runs from Doyle Park, along the edge of the city's airport, to the waterfront. The park makes a nice place to begin with parking, restrooms, and...
Fort Morgan Road Trail begins just outside the western border of Gulf State Park and travels more than 5 miles west through the coastal community of Gulf Shores in southwestern Alabama. The paved...
The Rattlesnake Ridge Trail is one of six in the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails network that run through one of Alabama's most popular parks, Gulf State Park on the Gulf of Mexico. At its western...
This is a multi-use trail that runs along Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road in Pensacola Beach, Florida. It mostly runs along the two roads but does offer some great ocean views along the way -...
The Gulf Oak Ridge Trail is part of a network called the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails, located off the Gulf of Mexico coastline near the Alabama/Florida border. The trail starts at a paved...
The Eastern Shore Trail runs along the east side of Mobile Bay from Spanish Fort to Weeks Bay, passing through the communities of Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Battles Wharf and Point Clear along the...
As its name implies, the Cotton Bayou Trail begins near the tip of the Cotton Bayou and a small beach area in southern Alabama's Orange Beach. From there, the trail heads northwest for a mile through...
The Citronelle Walking Trail is a paved rail-trail through the Citronelle Railroad Historic District to points south in the small city in southwestern Alabama. The community is named for the...
The Catman Road Trail is one of several in the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails network in Alabama's Gulf State Park. It directly connects to several others: Twin Bridges, Rattlesnake Ridge, Cotton...
The Robertsdale Trail (a.k.a. Central Baldwin Rail-Trail) is a short linear route through the heart of Robertsdale that follows the former Louisville & Nashville Railroad line. While you won't find a...
The Rosemary Dunes Trail is one of six pathways in a network called Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails running through Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. The trail begins on Beach Road, just off a...
The Twin Bridges Trail is only a mile long, but offers a tranquil journey through part of Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. At its northern end, it connects to the 3-mile Gulf Oak Ridge Trail and,...
The Rattlesnake Ridge Trail is one of six in the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails network that run through one of Alabama's most popular parks, Gulf State Park on the Gulf of Mexico. At its western...
As its name implies, the Cotton Bayou Trail begins near the tip of the Cotton Bayou and a small beach area in southern Alabama's Orange Beach. From there, the trail heads northwest for a mile through...
The Gulf Oak Ridge Trail is part of a network called the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails, located off the Gulf of Mexico coastline near the Alabama/Florida border. The trail starts at a paved...
The Citronelle Walking Trail is a paved rail-trail through the Citronelle Railroad Historic District to points south in the small city in southwestern Alabama. The community is named for the...
On the southern end of Mobile, a short paved trail runs from Doyle Park, along the edge of the city's airport, to the waterfront. The park makes a nice place to begin with parking, restrooms, and...
The Twin Bridges Trail is only a mile long, but offers a tranquil journey through part of Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. At its northern end, it connects to the 3-mile Gulf Oak Ridge Trail and,...
The Robertsdale Trail (a.k.a. Central Baldwin Rail-Trail) is a short linear route through the heart of Robertsdale that follows the former Louisville & Nashville Railroad line. While you won't find a...
The Catman Road Trail is one of several in the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails network in Alabama's Gulf State Park. It directly connects to several others: Twin Bridges, Rattlesnake Ridge, Cotton...
Dauphin Island is a quaint, beach town located on a narrow barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is known as a resort town, with tourist attractions including its white sandy beaches and...
Fort Morgan Road Trail begins just outside the western border of Gulf State Park and travels more than 5 miles west through the coastal community of Gulf Shores in southwestern Alabama. The paved...
The Rosemary Dunes Trail is one of six pathways in a network called Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails running through Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. The trail begins on Beach Road, just off a...
The Eastern Shore Trail runs along the east side of Mobile Bay from Spanish Fort to Weeks Bay, passing through the communities of Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Battles Wharf and Point Clear along the...
A sidepath trail that follows a stretch of its namesake roadway south of Pensacola, the Gulf Breeze Parkway Trail offers a useful transportation route for cyclists and pedestrians looking to navigate...
Dauphin Island is a quaint, beach town located on a narrow barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is known as a resort town, with tourist attractions including its white sandy beaches and...
The Gulf Oak Ridge Trail is part of a network called the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails, located off the Gulf of Mexico coastline near the Alabama/Florida border. The trail starts at a paved...
The Rosemary Dunes Trail is one of six pathways in a network called Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails running through Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. The trail begins on Beach Road, just off a...
The Rattlesnake Ridge Trail is one of six in the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails network that run through one of Alabama's most popular parks, Gulf State Park on the Gulf of Mexico. At its western...
The Robertsdale Trail (a.k.a. Central Baldwin Rail-Trail) is a short linear route through the heart of Robertsdale that follows the former Louisville & Nashville Railroad line. While you won't find a...
Fort Morgan Road Trail begins just outside the western border of Gulf State Park and travels more than 5 miles west through the coastal community of Gulf Shores in southwestern Alabama. The paved...
This is a multi-use trail that runs along Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road in Pensacola Beach, Florida. It mostly runs along the two roads but does offer some great ocean views along the way -...
The Citronelle Walking Trail is a paved rail-trail through the Citronelle Railroad Historic District to points south in the small city in southwestern Alabama. The community is named for the...
The Catman Road Trail is one of several in the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trails network in Alabama's Gulf State Park. It directly connects to several others: Twin Bridges, Rattlesnake Ridge, Cotton...
As its name implies, the Cotton Bayou Trail begins near the tip of the Cotton Bayou and a small beach area in southern Alabama's Orange Beach. From there, the trail heads northwest for a mile through...
The Eastern Shore Trail runs along the east side of Mobile Bay from Spanish Fort to Weeks Bay, passing through the communities of Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Battles Wharf and Point Clear along the...
On the southern end of Mobile, a short paved trail runs from Doyle Park, along the edge of the city's airport, to the waterfront. The park makes a nice place to begin with parking, restrooms, and...
The Twin Bridges Trail is only a mile long, but offers a tranquil journey through part of Gulf State Park in southern Alabama. At its northern end, it connects to the 3-mile Gulf Oak Ridge Trail and,...
A sidepath trail that follows a stretch of its namesake roadway south of Pensacola, the Gulf Breeze Parkway Trail offers a useful transportation route for cyclists and pedestrians looking to navigate...
Came over to the area for a job I needed to do on Sunday and Monday. Got here early on Sunday and after reading reviews and knowing the area we started in Fairhope and rode south. Nice path for leisurely riding. Only one at a time though so can’t visit with others. Nice and shady but best for fat tires. Some rough patches and a few spots missing pavement but not bad. Enjoyed it.
Five stars? Really? Okay, for the walkers and joggers in town, I can see five stars. For us folks on bikes, not so much,
On an absolutely perfect spring morning in late March, we started from the west trailhead where we were greeted by pristine white sand and a beautiful great blue heron. After that, for the next seven full miles, it was all downhill (figuratively, not literally). The first seven miles is essentially a poorly maintained asphalt sidewalk which crosses a multitude of hotel, restaurant, resort, and rental property driveways. In addition, there are an extreme amount of streets to cross. Again, fine and dandy for the huge numbers of pedestrians on Spring Break on the Redneck Riviera, not so great as you pedal along on high alert for two tons of steel possibly veering your way.
The Fort Pickens Road parking lot at the western trailhead has restrooms and beach access to the amazing white sand and rolling breakers, but once on the official Pensacola Beach Trail through town there's very little to see but hotels and businesses. After a few miles you reach the Highway 399 portion the trail parallels, but once you finally leave the business district it's then miles of homes and still no gulf views.
Finally, after passing the Portofino Resort, no more driveways or cross streets, nothing but white sand dunes on both sides of the trail with views of Santa Rosa Sound and occasional glimpses of the gulf. Unfortunately, the trail quality doesn't get any better for us bike riders, but at least your head doesn't have to be on a swivel to avoid being run over.
The payoff is reaching the eastern terminus of the trail. Be sure to cross the highway and soak in the natural beauty and tranquility. The beach was pretty much deserted since there are no homes, resorts, or parking lots at that spot. We had the beach all to ourselves! It was just us, the immaculate white sand, gentle waves, and yet another great blue heron!
For bicyclists, seven-ninths of the trail in my opinion is below average; two-ninths of it is pretty cool!
For walkers and people getting around town, 100% great.
SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT: On the way back to town, we turned onto Avenida 22 toward Santa Rosa Sound to avoid the hustle and bustle of Highway 399. We enjoyed marvelous views of the sound and amazing homes on quiet residential streets for a mile or two before being forced back onto the trail and the commotion along Highway 399.
Rattlesnake Ridge Trail is another short link in the awesome chain of Gulf State Park trails. Not quite as shady or busy as its parallel sister trail Catman Road, it nonetheless has its own charm with its twists, turns, trees, benches and swing. Don't skip this one!
A typically perfect Gulf State Park trail. Flat, smooth, picturesque, woodsy, and tree lined with plenty of extremely friendly walkers and bicyclists. Enjoy the views of the majestic pines and Little Lake.
Twin Bridges is essentially an extension of the Gulf Oak Ridge Trail. As a first time Gulf State Park rider, I didn't even realize I was on a "different" trail until I came to its conclusion at the junction of it with Catman Road Trail and Rattlesnake Ridge Trail and saw the signs. I guess I should have known since I crossed two bridges, eh? Anyway, the "twin" bridges make the short, curvy, tree lined path a typically enjoyable Gulf State Park trail experience, especially when combined with all of the other miles of trails in the park!
Of all the trails in Gulf State Park, this was my favorite. An easy, gradual climb from the trailhead provides a spectacular view from an awesome viewing platform at the ridge's summit! The well maintained trail is fun to ride as it gently meanders through the woodlands. Benches and swings are plentiful along the tree lined trail to give one an opportunity to relax and enjoy the serenity of this path. Be sure to appreciate the variety of trees and the Spanish moss growing in some of them.
After reading the reviews on the north section, parked at Fairhope pier and road north. If you can tolerate the first 1.5 miles of narrow trail next to the road and some pedestrians who do not move to one side to allow bikes to pass, the trail does widen and can see the bay.
Hard to rate as a bike trail because this was nothing more than broken up sidewalk with deep craters and curbs. Lots of trip hazards for pedestrians and not ADA compliant. We aborted after 7 miles and the only other biker we saw was on the road risking his like without a shoulder. Hopefully the local communities can take a look at how improvements to the trail system results in huge economic benefits. One example is the Pinellas trail Tarpon Springs to St Pete FL.
Except for a few improved bridges the trail is still in same poor condition as described on the previous reviews. In addition, as of yesterday there was a road closure and detour just as you start to get into Fairhope. The detour takes you onto a skinny sidewalk along a busy road. We chose to turn around at that point and return to our vehicle parked at a gas station in Daphne. We would recommend 1) reading all these reviews first and 2) using public transportation to return to Daphne if you DO manage to get to Fairhope. Fairhope is a lovely destination but this trail is not for a casual cyclist on a cruiser. We have very good bikes and lots of experience and found it to be just plain dangerous.
Branyon Backcountry Trails are several connected trails through a variety of scenery from coastal dunes to hardwood forest. Rode 28 miles on wide asphalt trails, all in excellent condition.
This trail which goes west from Route 59 in Gulf Shores Alabama is a nice approximately 5 mile long trail heading out towards Fort Morgan They have done some work to the trail and it’s a lot better than it was this past fall. We are here in March 2021 and enjoyed the ride immensely. The problem is it stops only about 25% of the way out to Fort Morgan and riding on the road the rest of the way to the tip of the peninsula would be difficult because of the traffic out there. I wish they would continue that trail further west.
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