County Road 2 or Catman Road as it was known to locals began as a farm to market road in the 1950s. As the area grew and the Beach Road was developed the County Road was abandoned. The Gulf State Park used part of the road within the campground area but the remaining road was unattended.
The park superintendent at the time, Hugh Branyon, realized the importance of the unused road and began working on a plan. He wanted to turn the road into a hiking and biking trail.
Then along came Hurricane Fredric in 1979 which heavily damaged the area. The Gulf State Park received major damage and all funds were redirected to repairing the park. Branyon’s trail project was put on the back burner and once again the road became full of weeds, trees, and grass. With so many repair projects, Branyon’s dream was just that a dream, for now.
The dream would not die. Every so often someone would venture onto the old county road. Naturalist, Kelly Reetz, believed the old road “would make a great bike trail!” Then in 2002 Phillip West, the Environmental Planner for the City of Orange Beach, realized the potential of Catman Road, old County Road 2. Hugh Branyon’s dream came to life with the development of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail.
What began with a little over two miles of a trail on Catman Road has turned into over 20 miles of multi-use trails running through the Gulf State Park, the City of Orange Beach, AL, and Gulf Shores, AL. Besides Catman Road, there are Rattlesnake Ridge, Gulf Oak Ridge, Rosemary Dunes, Cotton Bayou, and Twin Bridges. All of the trails intersect which gives you many miles of riding or walking enjoyment. With the latest addition of the trail linking to Hwy 59 and the Fort Morgan Trail of 6.5 miles, the trails offer various eco systems along with wildlife, flowers, and nature abounding.
There are more than just trails to be explored. Amongst the various trails there is a Butterfly Garden, Boulder Park, Freshwater Marshes, and Coastal Hardwood Swamps. There have been glimpses of bobcats from the Twin Bridges, white tail deer on the Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, and alligators enjoying the sun on both the Rosemary Dunes and the Gulf Oak Ridge Trails.
Photo opportunities abound with wildlife, flowers, and magnificent scenery. Even more than photos the quietness of nature and the serene settings give each trail something to enjoy and remember.
Trails
Butterfly Garden
Little Lake
Flowers
Interesting Mushroom
