WHERE TO COMMUNE

For more information, visit our website at inbirmingham.com

Hiking and Outdoor Enjoyment

Aldridge Gardens

Aldridge Gardens, a 30-acre natural garden with a 5-acre lake, beautiful hydrangeas and now features the largest Frank Fleming Collection in the area, an art gallery on site and sculptures throughout the property. Aldridge Gardens is truly Birmingham area’s “best kept secret.” Aldridge Gardens, Nature and Art in Balance. 3530 Lorna Rd, Hoover

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 205-682-8019 or aldridgegardens.com

AVONDALE PARK

Recent major renovations at Avondale Park led to revitalization in the area with the opening of Avondale Brewery, new restaurants, a pub and a fresh market. The 40-acre park has a 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a large villa for events such as weddings and family reunions and a rose garden. The park also has small lake, baseball fields and other areas that are often in use for sports activities and cultural events. The park lies between 40th and 42nd Streets South and 5th Avenue South and Woodvale Rd.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 205- 254-2391

MOSS ROCK PRESERVE

This 250-acre preserve has boulders for climbers of all skill levels. It is home to four rare plant species, rock outcroppings, streams, waterfalls and wildlife. The wilderness within the preserve continues to improve as hardwoods grow and age and trails become more defined by continued use. For maximum mileage, take the loop made up of the Blue and White Trails, which is a little more than 3 miles long. Or just spread out in the shady coolness of the preserve and picnic. Please remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 205-444-7866 or ci.hoover.al.us

GETTING THERE: From I-459 in Birmingham take Exit 10 onto Alabama 150. Turn east toward downtown Hoover. Turn left on Stadium Trace Parkway. Stay straight; this road becomes Sulphur Springs Road. Go about two miles to the intersection with Preserve Parkway. This road leads to Moss Rock Preserve and to parking for the boulder field.

Oak Mountain State Park

Alabama’s largest state park o ers plenty of trails for hikers who want a peaceful outing apart from the mountain bikers. New park goers might want to try the Eagle Trail or Treetop Nature Trail for starters, but those are only two of many. The Peavine Trail, fourand-a-half miles round trip, is moderate to di cult, but it’s still a popular hike because of the payo : It leads to Peavine Falls, which cascade down a rock wall and splash into a pool below.

Three suggested hiking loops begin at the North Trailhead. Maggie’s Loop is an easy two-and-a-half-mile walk. North Loop is three-and-a-half miles long; it’s rated easy to moderate because of some ascents. Shackelford Loop is rated moderate to di cult because of its six-and-a-half-mile length. Maps for these and other Oak Mountain trails are available at the park o ce.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 205-620-2524 or alapark.com

FRONT GATE ENTRANCE: Take exit 246 o I-65. Turn west onto Alabama 119, left at the first light on State Park Road. Follow one mile to stop sign, and turn left onto John Findley Rd through the front gate into the park.

BACK GATE ENTRANCE: Take U.S. 280 to Alabama 119. Follow three miles to left turn at Oak Mountain Public Lake sign.

Railroad Park

A 21-acre park in downtown Birmingham gives the city a historically rich green space for recreation, concerts and cultural events. Called Railroad Park, the area is designed to highlight Birmingham’s development at the crossing of two railroad lines. The park runs along a railroad corridor at First Avenue South from 14th to 18th Streets and includes a lake, a natural amphitheater and several playgrounds. Ten acres of open provide a strolling garden landscaped to bloom with various perennials throughout the year. The park is an essential piece of a long-term plan that will give Birmingham the greatest amount of green space per capita of anywhere in the country.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: railroadpark.org

Red Mountain Park

With 1,200 acres, Red Mountain Park is one of the largest urban parks in America. The park has more than 10 miles of trails and a universal-access zip line canopy tour. The Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest is a treetop challenge course with 20 ropes course obstacles, including bridges, tightropes and zip lines.

Remy’s Dog Park is designed with three designated fenced-in areas, each with ample running space for large, small and special needs dogs. The Kaul Adventure Tower is an 80-foot-tall climbing tower with eight climbing lanes, two rappelling lanes, a 72foot climbing wall and a mega zip line 1,300 feet long. The entrance to the park is just o Lakeshore Parkway at the end of Frankfurt Drive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: redmountainpark.org

Red Rock Trail System

A project of the Freshwater Land Trust, this network of trails is made up of six major corridors spanning Je erson County. Each corridor consists of di erent types of trails that connect the county together. To learn more about Red Rock’s variety of trails, use their interactive trail guide at eshwaterlandtrust.org.

Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve

Eleven miles of nature trails, ranging from easy to arduous, route visitors through this thousand-acre park. Hawk’s View Overlook is a moderate, three-mile, round-trip hike with a challenging incline. Along the way you’ll reach Cambrian Overlook and proceed with a switchback climb to a stunning vista of downtown Birmingham.

The new Visitors Center o ers lessons in nature and the environment and has exhibits including raptors, turtles and other native Alabama wildlife. The Visitor Center is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9am – 5pm; Sunday, 1pm – 5pm. Hiking trails are open daily, dawn to dusk. Donations welcome. 1214 81st St S. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 205-833-8264 or ru nermountain.org

GETTING THERE: The center is at 1214 81st St. South in Birmingham’s East Lake area.

STEELE’S HORSE PENS 40

Horse Pens 40 is a 120-acre nature park atop Chandler Mountain, and one of the Southeast’s best boulder fields. There’s a warm-up field with relatively easy routes to the top as well as more challenging climbs. Instructions on the rocks tell climbers how to start their ascents. A national bouldering competition held each fall draws hundreds of climbers from around the U.S.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 256-570-0076 or hp40.com.

GETTING THERE: From I-59 North, take the Ashville exit. Go north on U.S. 231 for about four miles. Watch for signs. For RVs and campers, the easy way is to take I-59 to exit 174. Go north on Steele Station Rd. At U.S. 11, take a left. You’ll soon see a sign at St. Clair 42. Take a right and go to the top of Chandler Mountain. After this road turns left, follow it for three miles to the entrance; look for signs.

Vulcan Trail

At slightly more than a mile in length, the Vulcan Trail is a gem carved from the rough stone of what was once part of the old L&N Birmingham Mineral Railroad.

Located o Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard, at the base of Vulcan Park and Museum, the trail o ers a quiet stroll along a shaded path and fantastic views of the city skyline below.

In 2003, a volunteer group of citizens formed “Friends of Vulcan Trail” to work to make the experience of visiting the trail a highlight for all who walk it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 205-254-2699 or visit informationbirmingham.com/parksrecreation

Canoeing and Kayaking

CAHABA RIVER

Alabama’s longest river is a great place to canoe or kayak. Just remember along the way that you’re sharing space with several rare and protected fish and the imperiled Cahaba Lily which once thrived across the southeast.

Floating down the Cahaba’s gentle waters provides a pleasant respite and a close-up look at some of the interesting species. If you’re looking to make a bigger splash, head to the river’s northernmost portions for some Level I-III whitewater rapids.

The Cahaba River Society hosts canoe trips down the river, including day trips, moonlight trips and overnight canoeing. Among the most popular outings are the Lily Trips, which run when the rare and endangered Cahaba Lily is in bloom, from mid-May to mid-June. Trips are free if you bring your own canoe, and reservations are required.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Cahaba River Society, 205-322-5326 or cahabariversociety.org.

For boat rentals: Alabama Small Boats, 205-424-3634.

LOCUST FORK

Just a short drive from Birmingham, Locust Fork is on the Black Warrior River. This is an excellent white water run with some very di cult rapids known as Double Trouble and House Rock. Beginners will do best to avoid these rapids. Beautiful limestone blu s accent the rapids. The National Park Service places Locust Fork in the top two percent of rivers in the country for its recreational value, among other assets.

GETTING THERE: Take I-59 North to Tallapoosa Street Exit (Tarrant). Take Alabama Hwy. 79 North through Cleveland (about 40 minutes). Follow signs to Blountsville and cross the bridge over the Locust Fork River. Just past the bridge on the right is King’s Bend. Turn into King’s Bend and follow the gravel road through the gate.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: fl .org (Friends of Locust Fork River) ❖