The trailhead for the Cotton Bayou Trail is located on Hwy 161, across from the tip of Cotton Bayou waterway and behind the Publix Shopping Plaza.  This once sandy path nestled in the Gulf State Park has been paved to meet the Foundations 2013 goal, bringing the vision of the interior network near completion.

Travel the lush pine laced trail with sweeping 12-foot wide curves to connect further into the park and tour the other Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails. As the Cotton Bayou Trail heads northwest, it  intersects at Catman Road, you can choose from a number of daily activities; picnic at the Pavilion, climb the Boulder Park, relax in the Butterfly Garden or take a tour onto Rosemary Dunes and visit the alligator habitat sunbathing along the banks of the wetlands.

Cotton Bayou functions as a transportation alternative to the Gulf State Park’s campground village and cabins providing easy access to the shopping and entertainment complexes without ever getting on the highway.