Oh my!!! I stumbled across a great hiking, swimming, relaxing and gathering spot. It's not far off…read morethe highway but tucked in enough to explore some great hiking trails. Alabama really does hold a lot of natural beauty. You kind find spots of tranquility or if you bring the kids, there's plenty of adventure for them. Pets are welcome. I will definitely be back!

I love to bring my kids and tubes to Turkey Creek Nature Preserve because they have an entire…read morenatural lazy river with a natural waterslide too. When I have grandkids, I'll be sure to bring them each summer. Sincerely, Christophe.

A friend and I went here one Spring afternoon just to sit and chat. It's a beautiful park in a…read moreresidential neighborhood. There were plenty of water fowl to gaze at or feed a healthy snack to. The water was lovely to look at and the star in the middle of the lake is how the park got its name. There were cars busily going around the area, so it's not the quietest park I've been to. While I guess it's a public park, It's still in a neighborhood so I question if it was built for the people that live around it. Anyway, I would visit again if I'm near the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

My children and I visited Star Lake on a Sunday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the space!…read moreWatching the wildlife and having snacks while sitting by the water was wonderful!

East Lake Park has the potential to be a nice Park, but (at least on the morning that I was here),…read moreit seemed unattended and could use a bit of cleaning and upkeep. There were overturned garbage cans and trash strewn about. Maybe it was just from an event or something. Still, again, it is a nice enough park and I enjoyed walking around the lake.

With some improvements, this could be a really nice park. It is a place that I had not even known…read moreabout in the past. But when they provided an opportunity for kids to come get and fly a kite over spring break, we jumped at the chance. The side of the park we were on just had street parking or you could park further away at the community center. We opted for the street. The park itself seems like it could really use some updated. I bet when this park first opened, it was amazing. But years of wear and tear are inevitable. And at some point, a large overhaul is in order. The lake was really cool and my kids enjoyed seeing the ducks. I had no idea we had a lake like this with a park in the city. Overall a really cool park that really needs updates. That leaves it A-ok in my Yelp book.

Great place to meet your human and doggy neighbors!…read more The park is spacious enough that, even when it's filled with people on a nice day, you still have plenty of room to lay down your blanket and have a picnic. It is super dog friendly, so be careful where you walk, but that's really the only semi-negative thing that I can come up with. As long as it's not freezing or raining, the park always has at least one person in it. And, with Green Central Station right next door now, you can rent picnic stuff or crochet to enjoy in the grass. My absolute favorite thing about the park is that it houses Do Dah Day every year! Definitely an event that can't be missed.

Fun park. Good for dogs, humans and everything in between…read more There are a few benches to host a picnic, there is also a paved path for waking and enough shade or sunning spots. There are no toilets which can be inconvenient. Also some people don't pick up mans best friends poo so careful where you step.

As a regular at Rhodes Park I will admit that every time I visit I break the law, but I am always…read moresure to follow another law. Hypocritical? Maybe. Because the park is usually empty, and my dog is generally trained to come on voice command, I always let him off the leash here to play fetch (breaking the law!). However, I always pick up after he does his buisness and I will call you out if you don't pick up after your dog (or offer you a scented poo bag). A new city ordinance imposes a fine if you don't pick up. I love the large trees that provide plenty of shade on hot days. The only reason I don't give this park four stars is because it has so much potential to be better. My guess is that at one point way back when, this park was well landscaped and maintained. The city does a good job of keeping it mowed, but it could be so much more. Maybe one day the three parks on Highland Avenue will get some attention.

Rhodes Park is yet another one of the numerous green spaces to get out and enjoy in the 'ham. The…read morepark is like a big bowl within the Highland Park neighborhood, and there's a big open space on one side that's great for throwing a frisbee around. Parking is pretty easy to find in spaces along the roads circling the park. If you're hungry after all that exertion, then Rojo and the new O'Henry's are just a couple blocks away, and you can sit on one of the patios there and enjoy the view out into Rushton Park.

Ruffner Mountain was a great stop during our four‑day girls hiking trip in Alabama. Since we…read moreplanned to tackle a big 23‑mile hike the following day, we decided not to hike the entire park and instead kept it to about three miles. Even with a shorter hike, we were still able to experience and enjoy the park and its trails. My favorite part was Cambrian Overlook. Even though I'm scared of heights, I knew I had to push myself to the edge of the cliff to take in the view--and I'm so glad I did. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and worth every bit of bravery it took to snap a photo. If I find myself back in the area, I would definitely be open to returning and exploring more of what the park has to offer. It's a beautiful spot and a great option for hikers of all levels.

Ample parking close by trail ($5; can pay by Park Mobile app). The there multiple trails to choose…read morefrom that are well marked and well maintained. There are restrooms on site.

I'm always looking for places to walk my dog & this trail is one of my favs!! Love the new trail…read moreadded that was added last year. You see joggers, walkers, bike riders and all dogs are leashed and I've never encountered a dog that wasn't friendly. It's the perfect place to visit when the weather is nice!! Fyi- if it rains, just know the newer trail doesn't get as muddy as the older trail.

This is one of my favorite places to walk in Birmingham. It's conveniently located in Homewood near…read moreSamford/Brookwood Mall/Homewood High School. I love going to the trail because it's paved and the majority of it is shaded. There are always a good number of people using the trail (either walking, running, riding bikes, sitting on the benches, etc.), but it's never insanely crowded. I don't feel unsafe if I go walking by myself either. The streams that run along the trail give it a relaxing feel as well. The trail runs parallel to Lakeshore Parkway, but I never really hear much traffic while I'm there. Definitely check this place out if dirt trails and/or hills are not your thing!

The dog park is pretty decent. Lots of trees in both the small and large parks. Water is available…read morefor the dogs There is one picnic table And a bench in Each section for people to sit. The parking lot is gravel and there are no bathrooms fir people to use.

Nice little park but a bit muddy and no other dogs (I did go on a Tuesday morning. Clean and well…read moremaintained on the edge of a residential neighborhood.