We visited Gulf 
Shores in 2002, before we started full timing. It was one of the most beautiful parks we visited, with tall pine trees, in a heavily wooded area on a lake, and 1/4 mile from the Gulf of Mexico. It is only 100 miles east of Destin and the beaches are just as nice.
We met Diane and Ken at Top Sail in Destin and they were on their way to Gulf Shores, so we said we'd meet them there. We parked across the street from each other. We were shocked when we pulled into the park and saw the devastation left from Hurricane Ivan. The trees were GONE! It looked like a desert with just sticks for trees. Our BEFORE picture, taken in 2002, is just a few RV sites away from the site where Ken and Diane parked. Notice all the trees in the before picture.
The destruction was caused mostly by the flooding rather than the wind of the hurricane. The water rose about 14 feet and covered the area. The salt water killed all the vegetation and trees. The park only recently reopened and will take a long time to return to the beauty that it once was.
