One of the most beloved attractions in the Gulf Shores area is the Hugh S. Branyon Back Country Trail. Each year thousand of visitors and locals walk or ride along the trail to take in the beautiful nature and relax amongst the peaceful surroundings.

This year the trail earned the title of Attraction of the Year at the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism.

The trail has been recognized as the best recreational trail in the United States for two consecutive years by USA Today readers, a testament to its unique features and popularity among outdoor enthusiasts.

RELATED: Most Recent USA Today Readers' Choice Awards Results

The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail began construction in 2003, after Orange Beach city staff collaborated with the longtime Superintendent of Gulf State Park, Hugh Branyon, on a vast trail network concept throughout Gulf State Park and the undeveloped property of the City of Orange Beach.

The following years saw the trail system grow rapidly, adding several miles of trails, with the system stretching over 10 miles in length. During this period, the city proposed to name the trail system the "Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail" in honor of Mr. Branyon. The trail also became the state's first multi-use recreational trail - and the first in a State Park - to be recognized as a National Recreation Trail.

Other trail alignments within the system followed. The system was now over 14 miles in length, and traversed nine distinct ecosystems, including the globally endangered "mature live oak maritime forest" on Gulf Oak Ridge. By this time, the Backcountry Trail project was gaining attention beyond the regional level and was proving to be a bona fide economic engine for the area. Beginning in 2013, the State embarked on a massive Gulf State Park Enhancement Project, which would not only include building a world-class Lodge, but would also include significantly expanding the existing trail network. Nine new trails, which added another 14 miles to the trail system, making it one of the longest ADA-compliant recreational trails in the Southeast.

By 2023, the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail system was well-known at the National Level, and that same year received USA Today's Readers' Choice Award for "Best Recreation Trail in the U.S." The Trail won again in 2024 and then again in 2025. In 2024, the trail experienced over 770,000 unique visitors according to a study conducted by researchers at Jacksonville State University. By then, the economic impact of the Trail was truly staggering, generating more than an estimated $100 million in economic impact.