Five-Star Trails: Birmingham
35 Beautiful Hikes in and Around Central Alabama
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.
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