Five-Star Trails: Birmingham

Born in Birmingham, Thomas Spencer grew up hiking and camping in his native state, and for two decades he crisscrossed Alabama as a reporter for The Anniston Star and The Birmingham News, specializing in coverage of the outdoors and the environment. During his reporting career, he covered the acquisition of the Walls of Jericho, the protection of endangered species, the development of recreational assets such as the Alabama Scenic River Trail and the Pinhoti Trail, and the movement to expand green space and trails in the Birmingham metro area. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Tom is now the senior research associate at the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, based at Samford University. An Eagle Scout, he is a founder of The Friends of Red Mountain Park and serves on the board of the Cahaba River Society.

OVERVIEW MAP OVERVIEW-MAP KEY DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE HIKING RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTION City Center Civil Rights Heritage Trail: Birminghams Walk to Freedom Oak Hill Cemetery Railroad Park Vulcan TrailSouthside Loop Suburbs Aldridge Gardens Irondale Furnace & Mountain Brook Trails Shades Creek Greenway & Homewood Forest Preserve Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Moss Rock Preserve Moss Rock Preserve: Boulder Field Moss Rock Preserve: Boulder Gorge Loop Moss Rock Preserve: Waterfall Loop from Sulphur Springs Road Oak Mountain State Park Oak Mountain State Park: Kings Chair Loop Oak Mountain State Park: Lake Tranquility Loop Oak Mountain State Park: Peavine Falls Oak Mountain State Park: Shackleford High Points Hike Red Mountain Park Red Mountain Park: Birmingham Mineral Railroad Loop Red Mountain Park: Graces Gap Red Mountain Park: Mine History Hike Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve: Ridge & Valley Loop Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve: Tree House to Hawks View Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve: Wetlands Retreat The Cahaba River & Points South Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Perry Lakes Park & Bartons Beach Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park Cheaha & Points East CheahaCave CreekPinhoti Trail Loop Cheaha State Park: Bald Rock & Pulpit Rock Chinnabee Silent Trail Flagg Mountain: The Southernmost Appalachian Pinhoti Trail: Lower Shoal Shelter Section The Sipsey Wilderness & Points Northwest Big Tree Loop Hurricane Creek Park Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Little River Canyon & Points Northeast Little River Canyon National Preserve: Eberhart Trail Palisades Park & the Bridges of Blount County Turkey Creek Falls APPENDIX A: SUGGESTED READING & REFERENCE APPENDIX B: OUTDOOR RETAILERS APPENDIX C: HIKING & OUTDOOR CLUBS APPENDIX D: ADVOCACY & VOLUNTEER GROUPS INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR MAP LEGEND