Red Mountain Park is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon hiking, with so much to explore. While…read morevisiting Alabama, my friends and I decided to spend a couple of hours here and ended up hiking about 5-6 miles. There's truly no shortage of trails, and the variety keeps things interesting the entire time. The park definitely offers some challenging uphill climbs--especially for us Florida girls who aren't used to elevation--but we powered through and felt very accomplished. One of my favorite highlights was Rushing Rendezvous; the idea of a suspension bridge tucked up in the treetops always excites me, and this one did not disappoint. Of course, when we saw Trail 5 marked as most difficult, it was a no‑brainer--we had to take it. I really enjoyed reading about the history along the way, especially learning more about the Birmingham Mineral Railroad site. I do wish there had been a bit more signage around some of the remaining structures so we could soak up even more history, but honestly, guessing their original purpose became part of the fun. Hands down, I would absolutely come back to explore more of Red Mountain Park. It's a great mix of challenge, scenery, and history--and well worth the visit.

So I've been back living in Alabama for the past 9 years and never realized Red Mountain was a real…read morething. I set out to look for it, and guess what?! It's a thing! I'm so happy that I found this historical place. Such a great walking and hiking trail. There's also areas to get your cardio on and to sit, relax, pack lunch/meal to enjoy at the tables along the trail. Perfect for bike rides, bird watching and getting away without getting away. Add this place to your weekly workout routine.

I visited Oak Mountain State Park as part of the Mammoth March Hike, fully aware it was going to be…read morea major undertaking--but it still managed to shock me. The steep climbs up and down the mountain were incredibly challenging. At one point, I even slipped and slid down part of the trail but thankfully managed to do so gracefully without hurting myself. Being from Florida, I was definitely not accustomed to the elevation gain I was about to face. There were plenty of moments throughout the hike where I questioned why I signed up for this challenge, but pushing through and ultimately finishing made it all worth it. Having the bragging rights to say I conquered this terrain feels incredibly rewarding. That day, I didn't notice much floral life, and most of the critters seemed to be hiding--likely due to the large number of people participating in the hike. That said, I was still lucky enough to spot a rattlesnake and a black racer, which made the experience even more memorable. There were a few noteworthy areas worth stopping for, including an open area near a dam‑like structure and several peaceful river and creek spots along the route. While the park is absolutely massive and I know there was so much left unexplored, the 23 miles I trekked over 9 hours was more than enough for one day. If I find myself back in the area, I might just dare to return and explore some of the parts of the park I didn't get to see. Truly a beautiful park and an incredible asset for those who live nearby and get to enjoy it regularly.

Beautiful park! Great Lake for swimming and the trails are extraordinary for biking or trail…read morerunning. We were so impressed and really enjoyed our time in the park

A great place to go for some nature time. The falls only had a small flow when I was there but in…read morethe spring there would be a heavier stream.

Sunday, March 9th, Tony and I drove the 20 miles north to Oak Mountain State Park to see the…read morePeavine Falls. We had to hike out and even do a little rock mountain climbing to lower ourselves down to the top of the falls. I even had to lean out on some rocks to take pictures.. This was a very hard climb and my heart was really pumping on this hike but it felt good. The falls were lovely.

How does this only have 2 reviews? Madness!…read more It's a 33 mile, paved, super clean, well maintained bike trail that goes from a park in Anniston, through the JSU campus and on to the Alabama/Georgia State line. At that point it connects/turns into the Silver Comet Trail which continues another 60 or so miles into Georgia, (for all you psychos who want to bike 90 miles). Most importantly, it is as flat as can be so anyone can ride forever on it without getting into any serious uphill slopes which while for some may be fun, for others may be grueling. There is nothing grueling about this trail. A kid could do it no problem. It is long, and so if you don't want to do the entire thing you can start at the Eubanks Welcome Center in Piedmont and from there it's about 14 miles to the state line. The reason I say to do this section if you're not going to do the entire trail is that this is where the trail starts to go through a forest and so the scenery is nice, it's shaded in most areas and you won't run into many crossings where you'll see any traffic at all. Just a flat, peaceful, meandering section of trail that crosses over streams and goes past pastures and mountains along the way. The welcome center has clean restrooms, plenty of parking and is in a nice safe area. If you have a bike and you're looking for a nice place to ride I'm not sure it gets much better than this. Pack what you need for the Piedmont to State Line section as you won't encounter much along the way as far as places to stop for any supplies. But that's the point right? You're going into a forest. There isn't supposed to be anything out there besides the birds and butterflies and creeks and streams and trees and all that so definitely bring whatever you might need with you.

We purchased a Weehoo (a bicycle attachment that allows the toddler to assist in propulsion) a few…read moreweeks ago and have been wanting to take it out on the Silver Comet or Chief Ladiga for a while. We decided to take it to Chief Ladiga first even though it's an hour outside or Atlanta because the elevation profile is fairly level for most of the 32 mile section. We also planned to break up the trip with an over night in Jacksonville, AL. You pass through Piedmont, Jacksonville, Weaver and into Anniston where the trail ends. We divided the trip over two days with the out section on a Saturday and return on a Sunday, which made it possible with our 4 year old in the back. I used my 1984 Italian Columbus SLX steel bike to pull the extra 70 lbs which wasn't easy but still managed to average 13 mph and many times was in the 18-19mph sections. If you are single this is totally doable in a day if you start out earlier in the AM. If you are a family however it's best to stretch it out. This past weekend we parked our car at the Esom Hill trail head, assembled our bikes, and got underway towards Alabama. The GA/AL boarder is just a 1/4 mile from the Esom Hill trail head parking lot. About 8 miles into our ride Nicole's tire punctured and we had a short break to fix the flat. The trail was gorgeous as the first 10 miles heads through the Dugger Mountain Wilderness, part of Talladega National Forest. If you pack a tent and gear you could even camp right off the trail within the parks campgrounds. As the trail is mostly down hill towards Piedmont, the next town, we easily covered the first 14 miles within the hour. The trail covers multiple small bridge crossings In the small town of Piedmont other bikers were stopped at the old Station House. One of the intersections is S Center Street where we stopped at Elevated Coffee where besides home baked goods, coffee and breakfast they also stock a few items for cyclists: from inner tubes, CO2 cartridges, and Hammer Nutrition electrolytes. The following 10 - 12 miles were remote again with good tree cover for shade but also patches of sunlight coming through on uncovered sections. Before entering Jacksonville we stopped at Germania Springs Garden, which had a playground for our little one to get out and stretch her legs and was located right off the trail. Jacksonville was approximately 28 miles, short 4-5 miles from the end of the trail, and was also where we spent the night, at the Hilton Garden Inn. From the Hilton Garden in we had dinner at Calhouns Steakhouse after showering and it was a nice 1/2 mile walk from the Hotel. The next morning, I was up early to ride my bike all the way to the end and back, which took just 20 minutes in each direction. Without having a little kid to pull, I was making much better time and I covered about 12 miles, before hitching the family back for the tour back home. This was an epic little weekend getaway, and I'd highly encourage it for anyone who needs it.

What's not to love about Avondale Park. It's centrally located in the heart of the Avondale…read morecommunity and super conveniently located near some of the happening spots in town! Picturesque views are the backdrop. Wrapped into some historical facts make up this landmark. If you want to walk, run or even fly a kite , Avondale park is calling your name. Say "hello" to Miss Fancy while you're there!

A great park in the Birmingham, Alabama area. It exudes a tranquillity that cleanses your soul…read more This is the kind of park that children will remember in memories and adults will be very happy such a place was available to them. The park is located in the Avondale section of Birmingham and I would highly recommend a visit here.

DO NOT STAY IN THE CABINS!!…read more Last night my wife and I swept the walls and floors of lady beetles flushing them down the toilet, since they are invasive. Around two we got to sleep. A few times we got woke up by a bite of two but most were gone or so we thought. We woke up to find the windows covered with them. We called again to ask for help and they sent down a housekeeper. After talking to a few employees we found out this has been an ongoing problem and that many people have cut their stay short. As I understand from what was said to me the management here is fully aware and wants to ignore the problem hoping it goes away instead of addressing it. This is a bad look for Alabama. If I travelled all the way here to stay in these lovely cabins and paid what we paid only to be swarmed by Asian Lady Beetles I would not recommend this beautiful park to anyone. It's not the bugs that give this a two. It's the attitude and lack of action by the management that got them that. The only reason the got a two is the cabin and park are beautiful.

It will take you a solid 30 minutes to drive from Oxford up to the highest point in Alabama, but it…read moreis well worth it. The walk to Bald Rock is extremely easy, but there are areas along the boardwalk where you can step down into the woods and rocks if you like. For us, the highlight of our visit to the area was a hike to Pulpit Rock. That hike is a bit more strenuous, but still very short. I have indicated with a red dot on the map photo where this hike begins. The views are phenomenal. We actually enjoyed this hike the most. Keep your children on a leash.

We've been longtime campers here, and this was our first visit back since the renovations. All we…read morecan say is wow -- what a transformation! The park has gone from feeling like a 1950s campground to a true 21st-century RV destination, complete with all the conveniences you'd expect from a modern RV resort. The improvements are impressive: completely repaved roads, paved and mostly level sites, full hookups with 20/30/50 amp service, water, and sewer at every site. There are also plenty of spacious pull-thru sites that can easily accommodate large RVs and fifth wheels. The upgrades don't stop there. The park now features. WiFi, beautiful new restroom, and bathhouse facilities, along with new picnic tables and pavilions for day use. If you visited in the past and weren't impressed, it's definitely time to come back -- you'll be absolutely blown away by what they've done.

This state park is beautiful. Has a hiking path. A fishing spot. A picnic area. And 2 sand beach…read moreareas. The scenery is gorgeous. Nice and relaxing.

My group said we should go to this event that I had never been to. We drove up from Birmingham that…read moreevening and spent so many hours there walking around together and riding that tiny train once too. I was surprised the whole time bc it was not something I would think to care about except for taking my kids to when they little many years ago. However it was actually so enjoyable and neat to be at. It is filled with so many people clearly for a reason. I'd recommend anyone go to it even if they think it's not their type of thing. It is very cool for sure. Also, the last thing we did was hop on that little train( which I didn't care to do at all without little kids with me) yet it was a shocker how that man driving the train who shares about all things throughout the event that you get to see again from a different view on that train...he was super awesome. I actually would have ridden that train and listened to that man over and over and over again. He was fun to hear from. It is not super expensive so do not resist to do it. Gather up your group or just you and your spouse or for take your kids if they are still young. This is for sure a fun enjoyable thing to go see.

We visit the park every year at least once.There is a playground,mini golf,train,petting…read morezoo,several historical buildings.The main attraction is of course,the falls,canyon,and the grounds.There is picnic areas in several locations,also a few restaurants nearby.There is also a hiking trail down the mountain.We brought 2 classes today.Check out the next ,The Working Man Review.