Photo courtesy of Kalli Jones and the Freshwater Land Trust.
Walkers get some exercise and enjoying the outdoors along the Rotary Trail in Birmingham.
The official arrival of spring — always a happy occasion — occurs this year on March 20.
However, the coming of spring in 2022 dovetails almost exactly with the second anniversary of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
At press time, health officials are saying that the surge in the Omicron variant appears to be nearly over, and people can only hope that we’re near the end of a long, tiring struggle.
At least the coming of spring will allow people to get outside and enjoy nature.
Of course, this is a natural urge even in a normal year as warmer weather beckons.
“You hear the birds singing, you see the butterflies,” said Stanley Robinson, public relations coordinator for Birmingham Parks and Recreation. “Everything is coming into bloom. It’s life-affirming just to get out and take deep breaths.”
“We always look forward to spring as the mountain breaks out of dormancy into a lush, verdant park vibrant with guests from all over Jefferson County,” said T.C. McLemore, Red Mountain Park executive director.
Outdoor recreation has some profound benefits, not all of them physical, said Carolyn Buck, director of the Red Rock Trail System at Freshwater Land Trust.
“Generally, in pandemic or non-pandemic times, outdoor recreation is a wonderful way to get some much needed respite from everyday life,” she said. “Outdoor recreation is a great way to take care of your physical and mental health.”
The great outdoors is also a place where you can have far fewer concerns about exposure to COVID-19.
“Especially during pandemic restrictions, it has been a huge benefit for residents to have safe options to get some much needed time in nature,” Buck said.
“The past two years has illustrated that outdoor recreation is a beneficial and necessary component of a healthy and vibrant community,” McLemore said.
Many people in the Birmingham area have turned to outdoor recreation the last two years as a means of escape from the virus.
Most of the facility administrators we spoke to in 2021 and again this year cited an overall growth in visitors at their facilities since the pandemic began.
The ever-popular Railroad Park downtown has seen strong attendance, said Camille Spratling, executive director of Railroad Park Foundation.
In 2019, 514,000 people visited Railroad Park, but in 2020 that number was more than 560,000, Spratling told Iron City Ink last year.
And the park had more than 500,000 visitors again in 2021, she said recently.
McLemore said that RMP got a big boost in visitors during the first year of the pandemic. “The park has never been busier,” he said in 2020.
Attendance at RMP was down a bit in 2021, however.
“We saw a record number of visitors in 2020 at 150,000,” McLemore said. “2021 was more of a typical year at the park with about 120,000.”
The number of people using the city parks in Birmingham “really ticked up” the first year of the pandemic, Robinson said in 2021.
And use of the parks has remained high, with many people who began outdoor exercise routines in 2020 or 2021 making those routines a permanent part of their lives, Robinson said this year.
“They enjoyed it and have continued to do that,” he said.
McLemore has noticed a similar phenomenon at RMP.
“I have met several new park regulars and people who have permanently changed their recreation habits to get them outdoors more often,” he said.
More people seems to be using walking trails in the Birmingham area, including the trail at East Lake Park and the Vulcan and Rotary trails, Robinson said.
“Anyplace you see a trail you see an uptick in the numbers,” Robinson said.
Buck said that, while the FWLT does not have a way to precisely measure trail usage, it seems to be up.
“We have heard that our trail system has been heavily used, with many citing the trail as their saving grace in the time of COVID,” she said.
Birmingham residents also really enjoy and value their parks and green spaces, Robinson said.
“They take pride and great ownership of them, as well,” he said. “When we have volunteer events, they really turn out. The parks are places they can call theirs and have time with family and friends.”
Birmingham nature lovers certainly have a strong array of outdoor recreation options in the area, all of which are easily and quickly accessible to city dwellers.
The city is “richly resourced” with trails and parks, and “should certainly be proud of its greenspace offerings,” McLemore said.
Our Facilities Guide below lists some of the most prominent recreation venues in the area.
Photo courtesy of Freshwater Land Trust.
Pink reeds line a trail at Railroad Park that a group of walkers use at sunset.
BIRMINGHAM PARKS AND RECREATION
The following are some of the highlights among the facilities maintained by Birmingham Parks and Recreation. Most city recreation facilities are open with some restrictions related to COVID-19. For example, visitors are required to wear masks indoors, and indoor facilities are being operated at 75% capacity. Water fountains are also turned off. However, the city is carrying on with much of its programming, including senior activities and youth sports. For details, call 205-254-2391 or go to birminghamal.gov/parks-and-recreation/parks.
► East Lake Park, 8101 Fourth Ave. N., is a 100-acre park with a 45-acre lake stocked with catfish, bass and bream and surrounded by a 1-mile walking track. Adjacent to the park are public ballfields, tennis courts, a playground and a swimming pool. There’s an island in the lake where herons, ducks, hawks and other birds gather. Robinson calls the park “a quiet of oasis right in the city.”
► George Ward Park, 1901 Green Springs Ave. S., is a 100-acre recreational venue that features a disc golf course, baseball fields and picnic facilities, as well as a dog park. “There’s also lots of open space if you just want to walk and get some exercise, Robinson said.
► Crestwood Park, 5400 Crestwood Blvd., offers a playing field with bleachers and a field house, a jogging track, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a barbecue pit and a picnic shelter.
► Highland Park Golf Course, 3300 Highland Ave., is an 18-hole, par-70 course measuring 5,801 yards. “Highland is a short course, but it’s beautiful and has great views of the city,” Robinson said. It is also “extremely well-maintained,” he said. For information, call 205-322-1902 or go to highlandparkgolf.com.
► Roebuck Golf Course, 8920 Roebuck Blvd., is 18-hole, par-71 course, measuring 6,509 yards from the longest tees. “It’s a great course,” Robinson said. “It’s very walkable. You have a lot of flat area, so if you’re not hitting the ball straight you can recover.” The facility is dubbed “Rogusta” by the course regulars, Robinson said. “There’s a really friendly, community vibe,” he said. For information, call 205-836-7318.
► Tennis is available at several locations, including George Ward Park and Ensley Park, located at 2800 Avenue K. One highlight is the Highland Park Tennis Center, located above the golf course at 3300 Highland Ave. The facility has two hard courts and 10 clay courts — the only clay courts in Birmingham, Robinson said. For details, call 205-251-1965 or go to academytennis.com.
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Steven Thompson plays a round of disc golf with friends at George Ward Park.
AREA FACILITIES
► Once the site of iron ore mining, Red Mountain Park, 2011 Frankfurt Drive, is now a 1,500-acre urban green space, one of the largest in the country. It offers more than 15 miles of trails, two city overlooks, the 6-acre off-leash Remy’s Dog Park and other amenities. For more information, call 205-202-6043. redmountainpark.org
► A 19-acre green space in downtown Birmingham, Railroad Park is on First Avenue South between 14th Street and 18th Street. Often called “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park offers a number of opportunities for recreation. There are several walking and running trails, including the Magic City Loop (3/4 mile), Rail Trail (1/3 mile), Powell Avenue Promenade (1/3 mile) and Limestone Trace (1/2 mile). There is also outdoor gym equipment and a designated area for skateboarders. For more information visit railroadpark.org or call 205-521-9933.
► An urban nature preserve in South East Lake with more than 1,000 acres, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve offers 14 miles of trails and is a protected area for thousands of species of native plants. Ruffner’s trails are open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., from November through February, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from March to October. Due to the pandemic, the facility’s Nature Center remains closed. Visitors who are non-members must purchase a $5 parking permit via the Parkmobile app or from a vending machine at the pavilion near the South East Lake entrance. For more information, call 205-833-8264 or go to ruffnermountain.org.
► Developed by Freshwater Land Trust, the ever-growing Red Rock Trail System is an ongoing effort to develop a 750-mile network of greenway trails and on-street walking and cycling paths in Jefferson County over the next couple of decades. There are currently 125 miles of greenways and bike lanes in the system, Buck said. For a guide to signature trails less traveled, accessible trails and an interactive map of the system, go to freshwaterlandtrust.org/find-a-trail.
► The Kiwanis Vulcan Trail, 1701 Valley View Drive, is a 2.2-mile trail that stretches from the Vulcan Trail parking lot on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard at the northside of Vulcan Park & Museum all the way to Green Springs Highway. The mostly flat trail, which opened in 2018, is open from sunrise until sunset to walkers, runners, cyclists and dogs on leashes. For more information visit freshwaterlandtrust.org/2018/03/kiwanis-vulcan-trail or call 205-251-0032.
► Rotary Trail, First Avenue South, downtown, is a pedestrian greenway with a unique setting — the railroad cut running along the middle of First Avenue South between 20th Street South and 24th Street South. It is part of the 2-mile-long Jones Valley Trail, another piece of the Red Rock Ridge & Valley Trail System that provides a continuous path from Railroad Park to Avondale. For more information visit facebook.com/rotarytrail or call 205-251-1995.
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Jamie Nobles, the conservation director at Ruffner Mountain, collects nandina berries as part of the invasive species removal along the trails. The nandina berry contains cyanide and other alkaloids that produce highly toxic hydrogen cyanide that is poisonous to all animals.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Hikers begin their journey on the Quarry Trail as they hike Ruffner Mountain in February. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve offers 14 miles of trails and is a protected area for thousands of species of native plants.
ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR OPTIONS
► Magic City residents in search of an easy stroll in beautiful, calming surroundings shouldn’t overlook the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road. In addition to an indoor conservatory, the gardens — covering 67.5 acres — offer numerous outdoor attractions. The gardens have “miles of walking paths that provide a wonderful vantage point for exploring, imagining and dreaming,” Mindy Keyes Black, director of communications and marketing for Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, told Iron City Ink in 2021. “For so many in our community, the gardens provide a peaceful and calm respite.” For more information, call 205-414-3950 or go to bbgardens.org.
► You may not immediately think of the Birmingham Zoo, 2630 Cahaba Road, when you think of exercise or outdoor recreation, but it’s a great place to get out of the house during the pandemic. Covering about 122 acres, the zoo has both indoor facilities and outdoor areas where guests can socially distance while getting exercise and fresh air. For more information, call 205-879-0409 or go to birminghamzoo.com.
