Discover the Best Hikes in Birmingham, Alabama Where railroads ran and mines once burrowed into mountains, the healed landscape is repurposed for beautiful hiking and biking opportunities. New and expanding venues around the city provide more chances to get outside and to appreciate the labor and industry that built the city. Explore 35 of Birmingham’s best, five-star trails, divided into six distinct areas in and around the city. With the expert guidance of local author Thomas M. Spencer, you’ll find yourself on an Appalachian mountain peak or on the banks of the Cahaba River, as it broadens to snake through the Coastal Plain. Visit old-growth forest in the Sipsey Wilderness, or hike down into the “Grand Canyon of the East” at Little River Canyon. Across this landscape, you’ll find a diversity of plant and animal species―some rare and endangered―rivaling those found anywhere else in North America. Book Features: Descriptions of 35 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests - GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads - Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes - Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail! 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. Oak Mountain State Park: Lake Tranquility Loop Scenery: 5, Trail Condition: 4, Children: 4, Difficulty: 2, Solitude: 2 GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N33° 21.431' W86° 42.288' - DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 3.6-mile loop - HIKING TIME: 2.5 hours - HIGHLIGHTS: Abundant wildflowers and ferns, Maggie’s Glen, Lake Tranquility - ELEVATION: Start at 600', climb to 800.5', descend to 554', and return to 600' - ACCESS, MAPS, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: See page 111. - FACILITIES: Restroom and changing room at the trailhead; table and benches at Maggie’s Glen - COMMENTS: Lake Tranquility is partially ringed by rental cabins. Use of the lake is restricted to guests who’ve paid to rent those cabins. Respect their privacy. Overview This hike, which starts on the Yellow Trail and returns on the White, covers rolling, wooded terrain for the first mile and a half until it reaches Maggie’s Glen. A mile later, you reach the shores of Lake Tranquility. Circle it and make a connection across the rental-cabin access road to the White Trail, which returns to the North Trailhead. Route Details From the North Trailhead, walk down the Red Road about 50 yards and turn right at the sign that reads MAGGIE’S GLEN 1.3 MILES. Not long thereafter, the White and Yellow Trails split―follow the Yellow Trail. For most of its course through the park, from the South Trailhead to the North, the Yellow Trail goes up and down. It never ascends the high ridges of Double Oak Mountain, but it does provide a vigorous walk in the foothills. In this early stretch of trail, the forest is recovering from a pine beetle infestation. Thick patches of juvenile pine trees compete for sunlight; there are also a decent number of longleaf pines and saplings. In late September, the hike offered a wide variety of wildflowers. My daughter, Anna, worked the camera, and we took shots of everything we saw. I know a few flowers but not many. Though the colors were relatively consistent, in pinks, purples, yellows, and whites, the forms and combinations seemed unlimited. From the pine-topped hills, the trail drops steeply into Maggie’s Glen, an open area by a creek where the White and Yellow Trails reconnect. It’s a nice place for a picnic and a romp in the mossy green rocks. The hike continues across the creek, heading up a little draw. The White Trail diverges to the left, uphill toward the heights of Double Oak Mountain. We stayed on the Yellow Trail, gaining elevation again and then dropping into a moist valley where another feeder creek drains toward Lake Tranquility. The park’s No. 2-designated campsite is here. The trees here are well-watered and wide-trunked. Ferns, mosses, and mushrooms are abundant. Along this stretch and continuing once you get to the lake, you might notice some structures on the high ridges to your left (southwest). These were the original cabins built by the Civilian Conserv