Red Mountain Park

My husband and dogs and I really enjoyed this park. It was free! The trails were really nice. We didn’t make it up to the overlooks, but hope to visit again.
We visited on a warm Saturday in February, and the parking lot was overflowing. They will definitely need more parking as the park grows and becomes more popular. Even though there were a lot of people, once you got to the trails it was not overcrowded.
We had never been to a dog park before, but this one seemed pretty nice.
Now to try to convince my mother-​in-​law to visit and take her on the zip line!

Red Mountain park encompasses 1,500 acres of land along the Red Mountain Ridge outside Birmingham (15 minute drive from downtown)! The park contains 14 miles of trails, 2 city overlooks (partially obstructed by some industrial stuff, to be fair), 3 tree houses, a dog park, and more. You can also use the zip line if you’re so included (we didn’t). You can also hike to several historic iron ore mining sites.
We spent about two hours hiking and exploring Red Mountain Park when we were visiting Birmingham last weekend, and it was great to spend some time outdoors. The hiking was pretty good — although the views were sometimes obstructed by industry or telephone towers. It was interesting to see the historic iron ore mining sites! And it was fun to see the goats — the park has 150 goats that intended to graze on kudzu and other invasive species in the park! We happen to be hiking by at one of their meal times, so we saw them all walking along in a single person line making their way to their food.
We focused our hiking on one side of the park — next time I’d definitely try the other areas that we missed for something different!

My husband and I ran the BUTS Bearly Half Ultra here last month. It was a brutal 13.5 miles for me, being my first trail race ever, but that didn’t keep me from falling in love with the park.
Running the trails is extremely challenging, especially if you are an inexperienced trail-​runner, as I am, but hiking them is, at most, probably only moderately strenuous. There are many interesting things to see, such as several overlooks and historic iron ore mining sites. At one point, along of the trails, there must be a farm of some sort because there were a ton of goats. I love goats! So this was a highlight for me. There is also a 6-​acre, off-​leash dog park near the entrance.
The park is clean, family– and pet-​friendly, and seems very safe. It’s almost difficult to believe it’s tucked away in the middle of Birmingham and is definitely a pleasant escape from the city!

It’s a great deal (free), with lots of trails focused around early 20^th Century mining sites, and a very large enclosed dog park. But every time I go there’s more evidence of development for attractions, more signs, more chemical toilets, more vehicles and bikes, and fewer trees. I’m worried they are only interested in preserving enough nature to serve as a backdrop for their fundraising and corporate bonding events.

Great park! Free admission to walk, run, cycle as much as you want all around these well made trails. Open for pets. They also have lots of really neat ropes courses and climbing and zipline action in here.
This is an easy active life win decision. You can even get a decent view of Birmingham from somewhat far away. Give yourself at least a couple of hours to walk around a good bit of this park. Much more if you want to try to do it all.

We came for the Beanstalk forest zip line tour and it was so much fun! Terrifyingly awesome. I was out of my comfort zone the whole time but I was so glad I did it. It was a full body workout. The straps were easy to move and very safe. The different courses were challenging and fun. I can’t wait to go back and try something different!

I have a new appreciation for this local park. Red Mountain Park has numerous running and hiking trails, a dog park, Red Ore Zip line, Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, and the Kaul Adventure Tower, and Mega Zip Line. Last week, I got the lofty idea to go zip lining with my brother at Red Mountain Park’s newest addition, the Kaul Adventure Tower, on its opening day. After hiking about 2 miles in the park, we headed to the trail that leads to the tower and zip course. The park staff was very friendly and walked us though all of the safety steps before suiting us up for the tower line. We climbed the 80 foot tall tower and zip lined 1,300 feet from the top of the structure. The rush from the 80 foot drop from the top of the tower zip line was an exhilarating and highly addictive experience. We actually climbed the tower a second time and zip lined again! Overall, I really love this park’s amenities, staff, and zip line attractions. I’m already planning my next outdoor adventure at Red Mountain soon!

I love this park!
— It’s free
— there is always a ranger on duty
— diverse trails, wide for family time to rocky and steep for great trail running
— Alabama Outdoors sponsors a free trail run Tuesdays at 6pm during summer
— I have heard the zipline is great
— cool old stuff to see everywhere
— treehouses with great views
— they are opening a dog park that should be really nice
— 11 miles of trails

It’s really hard to believe, but Birmingham has some incredible natural areas within a matter of minutes of the city center. We decided to go the Red Mountain Park for the heck of it, and found a great oasis. 1200 acres of peaceful wooded hills.
There is no water fountain and no bathrooms. So take care of biz before you set out. Just saying.
Only quibble? The trails aren’t as well marked as I would have hoped.

After the Civil War, Birmingham was the industrial face of the «New South.» Ore was harvested from the foothills of the Appalachians and taken downtown by railroad to be made into steel. The industry closed up shop in the early 1960s; downtown eventually became blighted (but less polluted), and Red Mountain returned to nature. With the dawn of the twenty-​first century, both sites have become the beneficiaries of revitalization efforts. Thanks to a donation of 1,300 acres by U.S. Steel in 2007, we now have access to the natural beauty of Red Mountain. Eleven miles of mostly wide, well-​marked trails lead visitors to overlooks, mining ruins, and a zipline course.

What a nice surprise… a trail in the woods that has quite a bit of traffic in and out. This may not be one of the most talked about parks in town, but it is a nice one. I like the underdogs… parks included:)
Great trail… not ideal for running, but hiking & brisk walking… awesome. Pet friendly (be sure to clean up after your pets however) — also family friendly for all ages. I would feel comfortable bringing my parents/​in– laws to this trail to get away from the noise of the world and relax.
Stay on the trail and rest assure that whenever the park is open, a park ranger will be on duty. Aside from hiking, this park has lots to offer… so I guess we’ll return for an adventure really soon.
leading happy healthy lives

The trails are better to navigate and the zip line, tree house etc add to the adventure. Try it out! This is a treasure in our own back yard!

Birminghamians (–ites?) are in the tough position of having an overabundance of parks and nature reserves in close proximity. And by «tough position» I mean, «which one of a dozen should I hike/​walk/​run in on this gorgeous fall afternoon?» Well, as you ponder, let me proffer Red Mountain Park as today’s choice.
There are several trails crossing and crisscrossing the park which you can combine in myriad ways for a tailored experience. Want an overlook of the city? Head up to Grace’s Gap for a lookout platform with a view and a couple picnic tables in the shade. How about a more secluded trek with few reminders of the city nearby? Hit the Ike Maston trail which runs the length of the park for a challenging trip through the Red Mountain woods. Hiking isn’t your thing? Try the Red Ore Zip Tour for a high-​level view of the park. Or perhaps a visit to the new high-​ropes course, the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, is in order. Does your furry best friend want to join in the fresh-​air fun? Leashed pets are welcome into the park, and there are a few new «bark park» areas under construction as well.
Whatever your choice of recreation, a visit to Red Mountain Park is one you definitely won’t want to miss!

Great job Birmingham! I introduced Leah to Los Dos Hermanos, so she introduced me to Red Mountain Park. We had a great 4.8 mile walk today. Mostly shaded, with the occasional quarter of a mile in the sun. We took a new trail and enjoyed the rocky terrain… but not the bugs. That’s what you get when you’re in nature, though! So glad to have another hiking option in Birmingham!

My husband recently surprised me for my birthday by taking me to the zip-​line tour at Red Mountain Park and WOW. Never having zip-​lined before, this was an awesome way to spend the afternoon! I’ll be the first to admit my slight fear of flying through the air 50+ feet above the ground, but once you get started you’ll never want to stop.
There are seven zip-​lines, a rope bridge, and a rope swing included in the tour. The tour guides were extremely knowledge and even pointed out different mining artifacts and spots along the trail as we zipped over them. Be sure to get there on time (there’s a bit of a hike to the actual zip tour site) and make reservations if you go!
We’re already making plans with friends to do the zip-​line tour again. I also can’t wait to go back and explore the trails at Red Mountain Park.

Love it! Embrace it! Red Mountain Park is only getting warmed up…1,200 acres, 10 miles of multi-​use trails, ‘surprise’ historic destinations, universally-​accessible Zip Line and MUCH, MUCH more to come in 2013 alone!