New Executive Campground Under Construction at Gulf State Park

By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

With a planned opening in the first half of 2026, the new Gulf State Park Campground will make many campers happy with its extra space. a little more privacy and an abundance of amenities. The new campground will be built in two phases on the park's former golf course. A new entrance will provide convenient access to the campground from State Road 180 (Canal Road) near the new Beach Express bridge in Gulf Shores.

"There will be two phases, based on current funding levels; the first phase will consist of 100 campsites with about 100 more planned for phase two," said Matthew Capps, Director of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) State Parks Division. "We're going to have a new entrance that comes off Canal Road at the new overpass. It will be only a few hundred feet from that.

"I think this project is transformative. It's going to allow visitors easy access straight into the new campground so they can start enjoying the amenities, like the trails, as soon as they park."

Gulf State Park includes the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, which runs through portions of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. It has been ranked the top trail in America for the past three years, and it was also recently deemed the state's top attraction at the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism Awards Banquet. Visit www.alapark.com/parks/gulf-state-park/trails for more information.

"The new campground has been a long time coming." Said Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship. "One of the hardest decisions I have had to make as Commissioner was the decision to close the golf course. It needed a tremendous amount of work and was not cost effective from a return-on-investment perspective to renovate. Building a new campground to add more opportunities for people to camp at Gulf State Park is a far better investment. I can't wait to see it open next year!"

The new Executive Campground will cover about 200 acres and will have its own amenities as well as easy access to the rest of the park. Capps said the new campground will be notably different from the south campground.

"We're building an executive style campground, and what that means is more space," Capps said. "Typically, we would have about 30 feet between campsites. This campground will have between 60 and 100 feet between campsites."

Additional features will include a large pool, splash pad, pickleball court, putting green, activities center with public restrooms, washers, dryers, event space and recreation space.

"We're really excited about the improvements coming to the park," Capps said of the $24 million project.

Matt Young, State Parks' Southern Operations Supervisor, said the new campground will provide welcome campsite space to accommodate more guests who want to experience Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast.

"When you look at our existing campground that runs in excess of 90% occupancy for 11 months of the year, this affords another location for folks who aren't able to get a campsite because it has such high occupancy," Young said. "Some of the sites at the new campground will be shaded, and most will be back-in compatible. All will be in proximity to a bathhouse, and all are within walking distance to the amenities on the site.

"There's something for everyone in the family. If you want to putt a golf ball - kind of like an ode to the old golf course - or jump in the pool, it's there. We will have a connector from that campground to the greater trail network that leads to the beach and all other aspects of the park. It just gives the visitor a different aspect of the park, including to the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trail."

Young said the activities center will be a multi-purpose facility that will meet many guest needs.

"We'll have rooms available for rent for special events. It's going to be a nice, comprehensive facility with a great room to entertain guests as they come in," he said. "It will have a full laundry facility that will operate 24/7, and the external restrooms will be accessible 24/7.

"Another thing about the new campground is it will be much more private. With the south campground and its location near other amenities, like the Nature Center and boat launch at Middle Lake, folks come in and out of there that are not associated with the campground. The new Executive Campground will be more private with the way it's operated. You will be able to enter and exit on Canal Road."