15 Days of Red Mountain Park

Day 1: Introduction to Red Mountain Park

Red Mountain Park consists of over 1,200 acres, stretching four-and-a-half miles between the cities of Homewood and Bessemer. Red Mountain was the primary source of the rich iron ore deposits that—along with vast coal fields and abundant supplies of limestone—prompted the founding of Birmingham in 1871.

When completed, Red Mountain Park will give Birmingham more dedicated green space per capita than any city in the country. The park will offer diverse opportunities for recreational use; its four-level trail system will accommodate walkers, hikers, runners, and cyclists. The park will also include active, adventure-based recreational activities such as ropes courses, a canopy walk, zipline, mountain bike training zone, and forest playground, threaded together on the hillsides.

To learn more about Red Mountain Park and how you can support it, visit www.redmountainpark.org

Day 2: Where in the world (well, Birmingham) is Red Mountain Park?

Red Mountain Park is located just four and a half miles from the heart of downtown Birmingham. In the southwest part of our city and just off Lakeshore Parkway, the park is situated on over 1,200 acres, extending approximately 4.5 miles east-to-west along Red Mountain in between Homewood and Bessemer. (Wow!) From the park you can see views of downtown Birmingham from the newly constructed City Overlook Trails. The park office is located just a short walk from the park in Industrial Park at: 277 Lyon LaneBirmingham, Al 35211

Day 3: Hiking and Biking at Red Mountain Park? Why, yes!

“The eastern Trails system will open 10 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails at Red Mountain Park. Some trails will be ADA accessible as well. This is just the beginning of the phased opening of one of the nation’s most exciting new urban parks.” – Red Mountain Park, Executive Director, Dave Dionne.

 

 

 

Day 4: THE MASTER PLAN

A park this large and one that recounts so much of Birmingham’s past as it’s foundation, definitely has a “master plan.” When laying the ground work for Red Mountain Park, designers incorporated several aspects of development. Some of the elements that were key were:

Heritage, through the preservation of historic mining structures, and through an oral history project that is capturing priceless personal stories of the park’s mining past.

Renewal, with the planned restoration and preservation of natural resources continuing the process that has gradually reclaimed Red Mountain from its mining days. The plan for Red Mountain Park calls for reforestation, creation of meadows, removal of invasive species and safeguarding of the headwaters of the Black Warrior and Cahaba rivers.

Connections, which will be forged by Red Mountain Park’s status as a vital link between the past, present, and future of Birmingham.  The park will be a major destination for family outings, school groups, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the Birmingham region and Alabama, as well as an attractive tourist stop.  The park will also continue to work with other local nonprofit and civic organizations, neighborhood and community groups and interested individuals to be a point of convergence for building community.

Aesthetics, with development of the park being guided by design principles derived from the former mining structures that populate the site, as well as by the rich tradition of local folk art and a strong commitment to environmental stewardship.

Day 9: Design and Architecture: Redding Hoist House

Redding Hoist House is one of the most significant mining structures on Red Mountain. Its architectural design is unique to the Birmingham area, and Red Mountain Park has ambitious hopes to fully restore the structure in the coming months. It is the only vertical shaft mine in Birmingham, and was originally used to pull skips up the shafts, transporting iron ore up the mountain.

Red Mountain Park also has plans to reconstruct the tiple at the No. 10 mine, to become the Jones Valley overlook.

Source: Eric McFerrin- Park Ranger, Red Mountain Park

Day 10: Types of Mining at Red Mountain

Did you know: There are four different types of mining that were implemented throughout Red Mountain’s history: Outcrop mining, Drift Mining, Slope mining, and vertical shaft mining. Slope mining had been used on the mountain since 1863 and was the most common type of mining on Red Mountain.

As Red Mountain Park develops, there will be certain vantage points where multiple mining sights are visible across the park.

Day 11: Honoring Tradition

Among the primary goals of Red Mountain Park is to honor the significant contributions to Birmingham’s economic and cultural development made by iron and steel workers, their families, and the communities in which they lived. One means of accomplishing this is through the collection and presentation of oral histories. A team of Red Mountain Park Staff, UAB Faculty Members, and local photographer, Melissa Springer, are getting out into the community to capture the stories that simply cannot be left untold. http://www.redmountainpark.org/brochure/

If you have  information about those who lived or worked on Red Mountain please contact Red Mountain Park at contact@redmountainpark.org or (205) 202-6043

Day 13: Connecting Neighborhoods

Possible development of a series of multi-use ball fields with parking and facilities that would deliver safe, well-designed organized recreation fields for the underserved communities on the Park’s north side.

Day 14: UAB Partnership In the Development of Red Mountain Park

“We thought the partnership with Red Mountain Park would be ideal for our students, because Red Mountain didn’t have all of the man power necessary to go out and collect the miner’s stories. So far we’ve collected about 25 oral histories of various members of the mining community, as well as wives and children who grew up in mining camps.”

- Rosie O’Beirn, Professor at UAB

Day 15: Favorite Wildlife at Red Mountain Park