I was talking with my neighbor from California the other day and he was remarking how there aren’t any good resources online to find out where to go walking around Birmingham. In addition, he said that while he’s met lots of people from California who’ve moved to Birmingham (who knew?!) that there wasn’t any way to connect with them. As anyone who’s “not from around here” knows, it can be challenging to plug into a community like Birmingham where it seems like all the insiders know each other and if you didn’t grow up here, you feel like a real outsider!
So this post is my first attempt to pull together many of the wonderful parks and trails around the greater Birmingham, Alabama area. Granted, a blog post isn’t the best format for searching and sorting where you want to spend a weekend, but it’s a start and if there’s any interest that develops, we can certainly look into making a site out of it (complete with maps, pictures & reviews and all that stuff!).
Downtown Birmingham
The crown jewel of downtown’s green spaces at the present is Railroad Park. This one gets all the publicity and is one you’ve probably already heard of. But if not, definitely check it out. Right in the heart of the awesome revitalization that is Birmingham, this is a great place to spend time walking, running, playing with the family & relaxing. Railroad park has a nice mix of walking paths, playground areas, plenty of grass to throw footballs or frisbees, skateboard space (even though I broke my wrist in one of the bowls!) and seating to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Rotary Trail is a short but really scenic walk and is a sort of connector from Railroad Park to the Pepper Place entertainment district. Since I work close by, I often walk a loop from Rotary trail to Morris Avenue and back over both the
Take a walk along Highland Avenue from Bottega to Independent Presbyterian Church & back. This out and back stroll is just over 2 miles and winds along tree lined streets in, what is in my opinion one of the prettiest urban neighborhoods in town, past Caldwell, Rhodes and Rushton parks. Stop by O’Henry’s Coffee Shop while you’re out and if it’s around lunchtime, definitely visit Rojo for a casual meal outside or a drink at the bar.
Vulcan Park is another place to check out. In addition to having one of the best views overlooking downtown Birmingham, there’s a pretty cool museum there (there is a fee) and there’s also a walking trail that’s roughly 2-3 miles out and back. I prefer to park at the small lot off of 20th street at the trailhead (this is the backside of the Vulcan complex… not to be confused with the famous backside of the statue!). From there you can walk the trail and also walk the sidewalk on 20th street for a really nice scenic vista. One note about the Vulcan trail is that while it is pretty, particularly in the fall, the trail itself does not have the scenic views that you’d expect walking along the ridge of Red Mountain. But it’s definitely worth spending a morning or afternoon there, then swinging down into Southside to grab some lunch or dinner.
Avondale
Homewood
Red Mountain Park is one of my favorite places in Birmingham for a hike or trail run!
Check out the Lakeshore Trail in Homewood. You can park by Target next to Brookwood Mall where you got your Mac fixed. There’s also a parking area at the other end near the Interstate 65 exit at Lakeshore drive. It’s about 2 1/2 miles between the mall and the other end, so it’s 5 miles round trip. I run there all the time & it’s one of my favorite walking trails. The trail runs along Lakeshore drive next to a creek.
Homewood Central Park near downtown Homewood.
Mountain Brook
Extending the other way (toward Mountain Brook) the trail continues along Mountain Brook Parkway for another mile and a quarter. Here it’s called Jemison Trail and there’s a section of it that extends along the parkway and another section that’s mostly gravel and trail that follows the creek along Cahaba road. This is a really pretty section of town.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Mountain Brook
Helena/Alabaster Area
The Helena Amphitheater along Buck Creek was one of our favorite places to hang out with kids when we lived that direction. The website doesn’t do the park justice as far as pictures. This is a very pretty area right by the “Old Town” strip in Helena and there’s a good lunch spot, The Depot, across the street. Not to be confused with Buck Creek Park in Alabaster (another nice place with a short walking path and a playground), the Helena Amphitheater boasts a waterfall and plenty of green space to wander and play right along the creek. The creek is also a starting point for some good canoeing and kayaking (as long as we’ve had some rain and the water levels are good) which eventually flows into the Cahaba River. We’ve spent many fall days picnicking, walking and even fishing in the creek.
The Hillsboro Trail in Helena is another great place to take a walk, particularly in the fall. This is the other one I was telling you about. It’s pretty close to Buck Creek park where you went the other day and there’s a nice parking area off Highway 52 in Helena by the Appleford neighborhood.
- Veteran’s Park in Alabaster
- Cahaba Lilly Park in Helena
Montevallo
If you’re up for the drive, Orr Park in Montevallo is a fun place to spend an afternoon. There’s a playground there are probably a couple miles or more of waling trails. Montevallo is a little college town south of Birmingham and has some of that small town feel. The park is next to a creek and has a bunch of funky carvings in the trees.
Hoover Area
Veteran’s Park in Hoover off of Valleydale Road is also a great place to take kids. There are a couple of playgrounds, a lake and a few miles of walking trails.
Moss Rock Preserve – I almost forgot this one and how could I! This was where I used to rock climb and boulder when I was a kid and there was nothing around but miles of woods. What a gem in Hoover! If you like to hike & be outdoors, make plans to go there this weekend. Take some water & snacks in a backpack (or take some money for an expensive lunch at The Preserve, put some hiking shoes on and plan to spend an entire afternoon there. Or better yet, go to the Moss Rock Festival and spend an entire weekend there!
Aldridge Gardens in Hoover
Hoover Municipal Complex, right by Hoover’s awesome library and a mile or so from Aldridge Gardens, connected with sidewalks.
Oak Mountain State Park – Easy to find, everyone knows about it, but it is really awesome.
Some more…
Here are some others that are worth checking out. I’ll try and do a better job with descriptions, pictures and recommendations as I go, but I wanted to get these worthy links on here while I’m thinking about them!
- Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve – I love this place!
- Tannehill State Park & Ironworks
I know there are lots of others & I’d love to hear your favorite places in the comments.
Ed