Gulf Coast Region - Hiking Alabama: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures - page 1

Gulf Coast Region
The Gulf Coast region of Alabama supports not only a wide variety of endangered
wildlife, but also countless perches from which to view them.
Traveling by foot in this region is rarely strenuous. Elevations range from sea
level to around 100 feet. It's in this region that the Mobile and Tensaw Rivers con-
verge to form the Tensaw River Delta and ultimately empty into the Gulf of Mex-
ico. The Tensaw River Delta has the distinction of being the second-largest river
delta in the country—second only to the Mississippi Delta. The American alligator
calls this area home, as does the largest population of black bear in the state and the
once-endangered brown pelican.
This region is also home to the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange
Beach. The Pine Beach Trail in Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge takes hikers
directly to the beach. The refuge protects such endangered species as the beach
mouse and the loggerhead sea turtle.