Thread: Hangout Fest Weekend?

Have been during Memorial Day and it was a little to much for me won't do that again. Shrimpfest on the other hand wasn't to bad. The wife had plenty to do without me which gave me some extra fishing time and the crowds seemed more tame. Plus October is my favorite time to be down.

Oh goodies, I'm going to miss that crowd. I'm nervous being so close to a city at all. This is my first "non-rural" beach trip in years.

Is there a road that cuts through the main park and comes on down to the public beach and pier. I'm getting dragged for a family vacation next wednesday through the weekend totally forgot about the festival. We are staying in Elberta i think its called it was a last minute idea of the wife had vacation planed for months but was supposed to be to the mountains up here in Arkansas not down to the coast with the crazies on fest weekend. Looking for a way to bypass all that and get to the pier and public beach there just stay away from down that way if at all possible. Thanks.

There used to be a road that cit through the park but not anymore. Now you must go through the main strip to get to the pier

Above post is incorrect.

Yes, you can bypass the area of the Hangout Fest and go directly to the pier:
From Elberta, Foley & other points north, come down AL 59 to the intersection with AL 180/135.
Take left (east), stay in the right lane and then stay right on HWY 135 which takes you into the Park.
This will bring you out onto the beach road at the pier.

Originally Posted by Baughjl

There used to be a road that cit through the park but not anymore. Now you must go through the main strip to get to the pier

That is Gulf State Park Road #2 (aka Campground Road).
They cut it just east of the Golf Course late last year :-(

Originally Posted by Pier#r

That is Gulf State Park Road #2 (aka Campground Road).
They cut it just east of the Golf Course late last year :-(

So are you saying you can't through the park anymore?

Originally Posted by spottedbass

So are you saying you can't through the park anymore?

Yep...closed State Road 2 to vehicle traffic

State stuns mayor, slams door on road to Gulf State Park | AL.com

Originally Posted by spottedbass

So are you saying you can't through the park anymore?

The part of the road that goes from the Park entrance (over near WalMart) to the Pier is still open (State Road 135). You can no longer go straight through from the Park entrance to the Main Campground. To get to the campground you have to go out to the beach road at the Pier, go east on the beach road for about 1/2 mile and turn left back into the Park (Park Rd 2).

Park Road #2 is blocked between the Golf Course and the Campground.

Yes, you can go through the park on State Rd. 135 as stated above. I did it just yesterday.