Guided Hike and mapping event for Red Mountain Park - May 18th

“Y'all come!”

We've been waiting on this moment for this for long time and finally it has arrived. We are inviting you, friends and supporters of Red Mountain Park, to join us on the land for monthly guided hikes.

Thanks to the Jefferson County Commission, Alabama's Congressional delegation, and a private local fund-raising drive spear-headed by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and Region 20/20, we've gathered the $7 million needed to buy the park land, plus additional money to begin its development.

The land is now under the ownership of a state commission, the Red Mountain Park and Greenway Commission. This appointed board of volunteers will guide the development of the park and is currently conducting a national search for a full-time executive director for the park.

While the property is not yet open to the public, the Commission has asked us to help lead monthly tours this summer to give people a better feel for the park and its potential. We've devised a loop that's about 3.5 miles which previews some of the highlights of the park: paths through through woodlands, scenic vista from a top Red Mountain, wildflowers and a profusion of oakleaf hydrangea, and remnants of the ore mines and railroads that once covered the mountain.

We invite you all to join us on one of our upcoming tours scheduled for: Sunday, May 18th, Saturday, June 21st, Sunday, July 20th, Sunday, August 17th, and Sunday, Sept 21st. All hikes depart from the dead-end of Frankfurt Drive, just off Lakeshore Parkway, just minutes from town. [View on Google Maps]

Please visit http://www.redmountainpark.org or email us at: info@redmountainpark.org for more information.

We appreciate the thousands of people who have signed up as Friends of Red Mountain Park. We hope these hikes will generate even more interest as people walk these woods and imagine joggers, road bikers and roller bladers populating paved paths and mountain bikers zooming in and out of paths through the woods. A handful of people have been active up to now in the Friends group helping plan the park and get the word out about its potential, but as the park has become a reality, we will need more people willing to guide tours, clear trails, remove trash and invasive species, and to generally organize and evangelize for Red Mountain Park. Each one of you has an opportunity to be part of the creation of a regional destination which will make life richer and better for folks on both sides of the mountain that made Birmingham.

Thanks to all for your interest and support, and we hope to see you out at the Park soon!

Discuss this in the forum: http://www.alatrails.com/forum/index.php/topic,561.0.html