Red Mountain Park
Park
1,047 acres9.5 mi of trail
Ike Maston TrailSkyhy Ridge WalkShook TrailSpring Gap Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Birmingham
Birmingham has 4,458 acres of parks, 22 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Red Mountain Park (9.5 mi), Ruffner Mountain (8.3 mi), Birmingham Botanical Gardens (2.8 mi). 77% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 70 miles of mapped trail cross Birmingham, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns · #12 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
4,084 acres · of 147.0 sq mi of land
Trails
70 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,458 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
77%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
37 mi
12 mi lanes · 16 mi paths
Highest peak
1,142 ft
Pilot Knob
Lakes & rivers
17
What kind of outdoors town is Birmingham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Birmingham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Birmingham is ahead of 69% of U.S. towns, #12 of 187 in Alabama. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, conserved land lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Birmingham’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical AL town 1% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (70 mi) · AL 0.1 · U.S. 0.4BPark land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,458 acres) · AL 8 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home77% of residents within a half mile of a park · AL 36% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 69%
LessMore
Alabama towns of 2,500+ (187)Ahead of 94%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Birmingham ranks #274 on Outdoors.
Few Alabama towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Birmingham’s 4% is ahead of 85% of Alabama towns, while its trails per square mile lead 83% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be B+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Red Mountain Park, with 9.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ruffner Mountain
Nature preserve
1,396 acres8.3 mi of trail
Possum Loop TrailPipeline TrailLizard LoopQuarry Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Managed by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
50 acres2.8 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
East Lake Park
Managed by Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
62 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
WC Patton Park
Managed by Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
39 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Flora Johnston Nature Park
Managed by Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
54 acres1.1 mi of trail
Flora Johnston Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Greenwood Park
Managed by Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
44 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 78 parks & preserves
Red Mountain Park1,047 acres · 9.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRuffner Mountain1,396 acres · 8.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBirmingham Botanical Gardens50 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
DirectionsEast Lake Park62 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsWC Patton Park39 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Railroad Park16 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFlora Johnston Nature Park54 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Greenwood Park44 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsUAB Campus Green21 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsLinn Park7 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsAvondale Park37 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsCrestwood Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsKelly Ingram Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsEnsley Park33 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsCity Walk BHAM21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRushton Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVulcan Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsAvenues of Lakeshore Greenspace2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Tom Bradford Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Parks & Recreation Board
DirectionsBessie Estell Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsNorwood Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
UAB Minipark3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBrother Bryan Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsGeorge Ward Park94 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsAlabama Veterans Memorial Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oxmoor Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
A.G. Gaston Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsHenley Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Zoo
DirectionsCaldwell Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsAlabama Wilds2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Valley View Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsBevill Building Courtyard2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · UAB
DirectionsCooper Green Park80 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsMcLendon Park52 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsEast Pinson Valley Community Park29 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsWiggins Park23 acres
DirectionsNorwood Boulevard Park Trail21 acres · City of Birmingham
DirectionsWahouma Park16 acres
Fountain Heights Park16 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
North Birmingham Park13 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsLowery Park13 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsDorothy Spears Park11 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Pratt City Park11 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Altamont Park10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Vulcan Trail10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsCentral Park10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsDowney Park10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Lynn Park10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsInglenook Park10 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Green Acres Park8 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Memorial Park8 acres · City of Birmingham;Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsMaclin Park8 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Howze-Sanford Park7 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsWoodward Park7 acres
DirectionsMacAlpin Park7 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsStockham Park7 acres
Hooper City Park7 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens7 acres
DirectionsMcMahon Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
One Pratt Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsMartin Luther King Junior Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsRamsay Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Rhodes Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsCrestline Park5 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Beulah Lewis Park3 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Marconi Park3 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsUnderwood Park3 acres
DirectionsDuke Park3 acres
Arthur Shores Park3 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsGreenacres Park2 acres
Fairview Park2 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Spring Haven Park2 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Barker Park2 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsKingston Ridge Park2 acres
Erskine Hawkins Park2 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
Rotary Trail Park2 acres
DirectionsHugo Black Park2 acres · Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
DirectionsGeorge Ward Disc Golf Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,084 conserved acres
4% of Birmingham’s land. Who manages Birmingham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,562 ac
Private owners1,506 ac
State natural resources943 ac
Other state land75 ac
Local Park · 2,701 acResource Management Area · 717 acPrivate Conservation · 442 acResearch or Educational Area · 226 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mountain Park Local Park | Private owners | 1,058 | Open |
| State-owned Submerged Lands Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 717 | Open |
| Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Private owners | 442 | Open |
| Ruffner Mountain Nature Center Research or Educational Area | State natural resources | 226 | Open |
| Tom Bradford Park Local Park | Town or city | 176 | Open |
| Roebuck/Hawkins (Don) Local Park | Town or city | 115 | Open |
| George Ward Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| Highland Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| Cooper Green (Crumpton) Local Park | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Mclendon (Legion Field) Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
102 places to go in Birmingham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Birmingham
Splash Pad
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Birmingham
Carousel
DirectionsKids Zone
DirectionsKingston Ridge PlaygroundIn Kingston Ridge Park
DirectionsNature Play
Directions62 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Birmingham
Avenues of Lakeshore Bark ParkIn Avenues of Lakeshore Greenspace
DirectionsDog Relief Area
DirectionsGood Dog Park & Bar
DirectionsRemy's Dog Park (Large)In Red Mountain Park
DirectionsRemy's Dog Park (Small)In Red Mountain Park
DirectionsRemy's Dog Park (Special Needs)In Red Mountain Park
DirectionsThe BarkeryHours: Mon–Fri 12 pm – 7 pm; Sat–Sun 10 am – 6 pm · Fee
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Birmingham
Blazer CircleIn UAB Campus Green
DirectionsCambrian OverlookIn Ruffner Mountain
DirectionsEbsco Overlook (East)In Red Mountain Park
DirectionsEbsco Overlook (West)In Red Mountain Park
DirectionsGrace's Gap OverlookIn Red Mountain Park
DirectionsIshkooda OverlookIn Red Mountain Park
DirectionsPlus 11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Birmingham
Pilot Knob1,142 ft elevation
DirectionsIrish Hill643 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Birmingham
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Birmingham
Blazer GardensUAB
DirectionsBush Hills Community Garden and Urban Farm
DirectionsJones Valley Teaching Farm
DirectionsUAB Upperclassmen GreenUAB
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 14.0 miUnpaved · 24.4 mi
JCC Blue Trail Main Loop4.4 mi
Ike Maston Trail3.0 mi
Skyhy Ridge Walk1.9 mi
Possum Loop Trail1.4 mi
Shook Trail1.3 mi
Pipeline Trail1.2 mi
Flora Johnston Trail1.1 mi
Lizard Loop1.1 mi
Quarry Trail1.0 mi
Vulcan Trail1.0 mi
15 more trails
Ridge and Valley Trail
0.7 miBuckeye Trail
0.6 miMarian Harnach Nature Trail
0.6 mi3rd Place
0.6 miSpring Gap Trail
0.5 miEastern Trailhead
0.4 mi1st Alley West
0.4 miOverlook Trail
0.3 miSilent Journey
0.3 mi31st Alley
0.3 miSmythe Trail
0.3 miAltamont Connector Trail
0.3 miJCC Enduro Downhill Trail
0.3 miEureka Mines Trail
0.3 miBMRR South Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
American AlligatorAvondale Park PondpondCity of Birmingham - Roebuck Plaza LakereservoirEast LakereservoirKayser Lily PoolLake PurdyreservoirLong Life LakepondPelican LakeReflecting PondpondSea LionsSonat LakelakeSpring LakereservoirKing's SpringLittle Cahaba RiverLocust ForkValley CreekVillage Creek
Biking & sports
37 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
12 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
16 mi
off-road bike paths
9.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
144Tennis
69Baseball
52Tracks
34Basketball
14Football
5Soccer
5Beach volleyball
4Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →147 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 39 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Bethel Baptist Church, Parsonage, and GuardhouseNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 2005
About itArlingtonBuilding · listed 1970
About itMorris Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itDr. A. M. Brown HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itSteiner Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1974
About itEnslen HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1976
About itPowell SchoolBuilding · listed 1976
About itVulcanObject · listed 1976
About itOak Hill CemeterySite · listed 1977
About it135 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Birmingham: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 54 | 59 | 67 | 75 | 82 | 88 | 91 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 65 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 5.1 |
October is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 5.5 inches fall in March, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Birmingham →
Next door
Birmingham and its neighbors
Birmingham has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Birmingham70 miHoover37 miMountain Brook12 miIrondale8.2 miVestavia Hills4.6 miLeeds2.4 miTrussville2.1 miHomewood2.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 4% | 0.5 | 22 | 77% | B+ |
| Irondale | 1% | 0.5 | 18 | 51% | B− |
| Homewood | 2% | 0.2 | 5 | 80% | C+ |
| Mountain Brook | 1% | 0.9 | 6 | 74% | B− |
| Trussville | 1% | 0.1 | 11 | 26% | C− |
| Vestavia Hills | 1% | 0.2 | 4 | 39% | C |
| Hoover | 2% | 0.8 | 9 | 58% | B− |
| Leeds | 1% | 0.1 | 7 | 30% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Birmingham
Where can I hike in Birmingham?
The longest trail networks: Red Mountain Park, 9.5 miles; Ruffner Mountain, 8.3 miles; Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2.8 miles; East Lake Park, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Birmingham is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 1% for an Alabama town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Birmingham’s trails?
Red Mountain Park and Ruffner Mountain don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Birmingham?
37 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of painted or protected lanes, 16 of off-road paths and 9.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Birmingham?
22,877 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Birmingham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,871 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Birmingham have?
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #12 of 187 in Alabama. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Birmingham neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →