Southern Living names GSP Alabama’s best park

Southern Living names GSP Alabama’s best park

Pleasure Island’s Gulf State Park was named best state park in Alabama by readers of Southern Living magazine for a story titled “The Best State Parks In Every Southern State 2023.”
“We asked our readers to share the state parks that they like the best and they delivered a diverse list that includes something in each state. You’ll likely recognize some old favorites, and some that might not be as widely known. Get ready to start exploring,’’ the magazine stated in its story.
About Gulf State Park, Southern Living wrote: “With the Gulf of Mexico on its Southern border, miles of white sand beaches, three lakes within the park, and nine ecosystems on its 28-mile paved trail system, Gulf State Park is popular with anglers, beach bums, and naturalists alike. Visitors can fish, swim, and paddle on Lake Shelby, see native flora and fauna at the Nature Center on Middle Lake, and flit around the Butterfly Garden east of Little Lake. At nearly 2,500 feet long, the Fishing and Education Pier is the largest in the Gulf as well as Alabama’s only public gulf pier, open for fishing or strolling.’’
In June of 2022, USA Today named Gulf State Park one of the 10 best state parks in the country for camping and RVing. According to USA Today, there are more than 10,000 state parks in the country, and Gulf State Park’s campground made the list because of its 500 accessible RV sites and 11 modern bathhouses.