Ruffner Mountain

Very outdoors. Leaves everywhere. Easy trail still had some steep parts with roots. Leaves made it difficult to judge depth and added a slipping hazard. Trillium Trail is still fairly short and easy ... I would suggest some hiking poles for the trouble spots.

This is the best place to hike within a close proximity to Birmingham. Easy access from both sides of the park. Nature center with activities for the kids. They are also involved in the community and have events/hikes you can join in on. Great for walking and trail running. The quarry is really neat and has a great view of downtown Birmingham. Parking at both entrances is plentiful as well.

Had a great time visiting this nature preserve today! The area is well-maintained, with a pavilion and restrooms available, which made the visit convenient. The trails are clearly marked and easy to follow. I especially enjoyed the overlook where you can catch a nice view of downtown and the Birmingham airport. It’s a peaceful spot, perfect when you want to step away from the city or just need a break from your usual routine. Really glad to have a place like this nearby.

Great overlooks included the best view of the city from a trail. The rock quarry views are great and the trails are well maintain. I recommend going in the fall for color change and winter also gives you more views you cannot get at other times of the year.

Had a great time on the trails! You don’t have to pay on the app for parking, you can pay at the vending machines (although they were out), or there is a drop box that is a red pole! It’s after you start hiking from the nature center.

The trails were fantastic. I enjoyed the scenery and the variety of trails and difficulty levels. Maps were sufficient. The Pavillion didn't seem to be taken care of. Some areas on the deck at the pavilion were spongy and seemed like they were starting to rot. It also seems like parking cost is not enforced so no one pays and then the buildings are not kept up. Please pay the parking fee when you come here. It helps keep the place taken care of. Otherwise it was a great outdoors experience.

Coming from Florida, we're only accustomed to flat lands. So being able to hike on a mountain is a blessing. My two kids who are 12 and 7 never hiked before didn't have any problems hiking up to the scenic view. We didn't take any other paths as we're pressed on time. But it was well worth the day hike.

Great out and back to get a good view of a quarry and downtown Birmingham! Not too strenuous or long but also not a walk in the park

Ample parking close by trail ($5; can pay by Park Mobile app). The there multiple trails to choose from that are well marked and well maintained. There are restrooms on site.

Really great hike starting at the eastern trail head today. My 2 dogs and I did the lizard loop. It was great that it was so shady and the leaves starting to turn were really pretty! Easy parking too!

I absolutely love Ruffner Mountain! The staff has always been super friendly and the nature center is a MUST! When I went, I even got to pet a snake. The trails are pretty well-marked, especially the main quarry trail. No matter what trail you take, you are definitely going to see some beautiful nature and occasionally some old mine ruins. The surrounding area may be a bit older, but I've never had any issues and the parking lot is well-kept and there's almost always other people around. I always run here, but it's also a great place to hike. Make sure you become a member through their website, even if you are on a budget they have great options if you're a student. Very highly recommend!

Great hiking trails! Very beautiful views with outlooks.

Some of my family members came here for a hike and posted pictures. The scenery was very beautiful so me and my BFF decided to come and give the trail a try. There is someone in the parking lot sitting at a table if you have any questions. They do ask for a $3 donation. They are maps all around the trail so it's hard for you to get lost. This is probably the second hike I've ever been on in my life and at first I thought it would be tough, but we really enjoyed the trail. We went pretty early last Saturday morning and it was a good amount of people already out hiking. If you decide to conquer this trail make sure you go all the way to the top to Hawks view. It is a beautiful view of the city of Birmingham.

What a nice surprise. This park has a well-cut in trail system that leads to an overlook of the Birmingham city skyline. The trails are well marked, and most of the hike is shaded. I went in January, and it was 60 degrees. I could only imagine how hot and humid it would be here in the summer time!

The gate said closed on Mondays, we walked up and found our way in through a walk in entrance only. Someone greeted us and instructed us to the trailhead. We hiked, quickly got turned around, but then returned to the main trail we were looking for, we ended up at the VERY top of the quary. TERRIFYING for someone scared of height the trail ran right against the edge of the rock, which I don't believe was really a trail. But that's the thing it was just kind of hard to determine where the trail ended/turned. It was fun none the less.

Ruffner Mountain is my favorite hiking spot in the Birmingham area. It's a nature preserve with multiple trails, most of which lead to a rocky overlook of the city that has great views. The trails are wide and well-marked with signs. Ruffner now requires you to pay for parking, either in person at a tent before you enter the trail or using a mobile app. Plan to spend a couple of hours here -- it's a beautiful, serene space and the hiking is easy to moderate (only a minor change in elevation/grade as your near the overlook). Trails are pet friendly. There's also a water fountain at the nature center if you or your pet need an agua refill!

I hiked Ruffner Mountain on a weekday afternoon. There were just a handful of people and small groups on the trails which made for a nice secluded experience. Quarry Trail, Overlook Trail, Hollow Tree Trail and Ridge & Valley Trail were the four paths that I explored. It took about three hours to hike them all. Ridge & Valley was by far the most strenuous, due to the constant up and down nature of the paths. However, it wasn't extreme by any means and I'd probably classify it as moderate. The other trails were fairly easy to hike. The trails were clean and easy to navigate. There was clear signage at every junction and color marks on the trees along the paths, so it's basically impossible to lose your way. You'll find benches periodically along the trails too. The views at the two overlooks which I reached, quarry overlook and Birmingham overlook, were great. Not spectacular, but worth the hike. It's ridiculously easy to get to the mountain from Birmingham. It's right outside the city suburbs with very convenient access. There's a decent amount of parking (all free). If you go on a weekday you'll definitely get a spot. Weekends are probably a little more iffy for finding available spots. They allow bikes and foot traffic on the trails only. Dogs are welcome. Everybody who hikes there seems to be very friendly. It's a great place to go if you want to meet other hikers and make new friends. They have a large picnic pavilion with about a dozen picnic tables. The restrooms are kept very clean and some of the best I've seen for a public park/area. Overall, it's a great place to get some fresh air and exercise. Pack a lunch and make an afternoon of it!

We had a great time exploring Ruffner Mountain this morning and afternoon during our weekend visit to Birmingham! The park is really pretty - and it has numerous trails that you can combine to create hikes of various lengths and difficulties! We hiked the Quarry Trail (1.2 miles) to the Possum Loop Trail (1.8 miles) to the Overlook Trail (0.4 miles) to the Ridge & Valley Trail (1.7 miles) for quite a good hike! All of the trails were ranked moderate difficulty except for the Ridge & Valley Trail, which was ranked difficult. That was pretty accurate - the Ridge & Valley Trail was definitely more challenging than the others we hiked! The trails were well marked and well taken care of (we were there in early February and there were a lot of leaves on the ground which could hide some tree roots, but we didn't have any problems). It was clearly a popular place to hike! We arrived around 10 a.m. on a Sunday, and the parking lot by the Nature Center was about half full; when we left around 1 p.m., the parking lot was full and people were parking on the street that led up to the parking lot! We saw a lot of people hiking - from families with small children to hikers with some pretty serious gear. The park seemed to have hikes/options for everyone! We really enjoyed our hike - great exercise, a great view of downtown Birmingham, and views of the old quarry! Definitely check it out and go exploring!

Beautiful place to escape the city. Nature working wonders here; working hard. It's kept clean and inviting.

Love these trails. Nice, easy, and scenic. Great place to take your dog(s)! Make sure to go to the ruffner mountain nature center to park/start the trails!

First off, I'm not particularly a huge fan of hiking. I'm one of those people who would much preferred the stair master of an air conditioned gym. A friend dragged me to go hiking after we grabbed coffee one evening because the weather was so nice and he had just enough time before the sun set. The view truly is spectacular and since my first time, I've gone back to hike this trail three more times. Definitely will make you appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature.

Trails are well-marked and maintained, picnic area available, bathrooms near parking lot, well-paved parking, nature center, great views on multi-level (rigor) trails. As everyone else mentioned, I'd like to revisit to see sunset and city views.

This place is an example of what makes Birmingham amazing. The reason Ruffner Mountain it is here today-- people, individuals that cared enough to save 20 acres from development back in 1977. Today, a 1,040 acre nature preserve-- pieced together over the last 42 years-- thanks to those that cared enough to love it.

Over 1,200 acres of preserved green space within city limits!!! Fantastic trails with panoramic views of Jones Valley and Birmingham City skyline, not to mention historic mining sites scattered throughout... Be sure to stop by the Treetop Nature Center. A great place for kiddos to see wildlife and learn more about the great outdoors. Also tune in to their ongoing events calendar - all kinds of great happenings that guarantee fun for all ages! www.ruffnermountain.org

Great views of Birmingham with trails that span all skill levels! The Nature Center on 81st St has some great meeting places. For the best views, start at the ball fields entrance on Ruffner Rd. From here, you can get to Overlook Trail pretty quick (.5miles). Ridge-Valley trail is tough but takes you to Winter Overlook. Trails will keep you in the shade and take you over plenty streams.

Had a good time with nature trail and class. Highly recommend Stella as host. Very knowledgeable with animals , plants and the entire park.

When we moved to Birmingham a year ago, one of the things we were looking forward to was the elevation and actually have places to hike. Ruffner is closer to our house than the other hiking trails so we visited it first after moving here. My partner and I both really like Ruffner and the different trails they have. We have since become members and go back frequently. They have a number of trails with varying levels of difficulty, so it can be family friendly for those with young ones or can offer a challenging hike if you're looking for that. We typically like to hike up to the overlook which has a beautiful view of the city. I also like watching the airplanes take off at the airport because I'm a nerd like that. The trails are extremely well kept and they have placed benches throughout in case you need a break. They also have a cool nature center and clean bathrooms.

Great mountain for low intensity hiking! The view at the top is spectacular. I brought along some picnic food and relaxed on one of the flatter rocks on top for a good hour. There are restrooms and a nature center near the parking, which was super convenient. The trails were clean and easy to navigate, my dog loved it. I went on a Saturday morning so parking wasn't the best. Overall an awesome treasure for a weekend relaxation hike.

This park is located near some sketchy neighborhoods. Park is pretty well maintained but could be cleaner

Ruffner mountain never disappoints. I feel safe on the trail and the area is well maintained.

It took two-and-a-half years of living in Birmingham for my wife and I (and our son, and my mother) to visit Ruffner Mountain and hike up to the overlook - boy have we been missing out! Before hitting the main overlook we got caught up in the views down into the old quarry site, but those were nearly forgotten when we dodged the last couple spiderwebs, cleared the treeline, and stepped out into the open, rocky ledge looking over downtown Birmingham. Wow. That was a view, and definitely worth the hike. Maps of the park are readily found at the nature center and pavilion near the main parking lot for the reserve, and the trails are clearly marked with large signposts and color-coded signs to match up with the trail colors on the maps. The hike up to the main overlook is around a mile and a half of moderate trails. We took the Quarry Trail and connected to the Overlook Trail on the way out, and then mixed things up with the Silent Journey Trail and Hollow Tree Trail on the way back to the car. The trail crisscross at several places for easy mixing-and-matching of your routes, and some of the options look pretty challenging. If you don't live in the East Lake area, I found that the easiest ways to get to the park are via Oporto-Madrid Blvd from I-59 to the north or I-20 to the south. As you follow the last road up to the park, you'll see a "Dead End" sign, but keep cruising along and you'll suddenly transition from neighborhood to nature reserve.

Great spot hidden away in the city...Per city officials, this park is bigger than Central Park in NYC, making it one of the largest urban parks in the country (true?). The nature center is well run and has lots of great things for the whole family to do, mainly guided tours and exhibits of different native species found in the park. The nature center hours are a little unusual, so double check before you come. Though I believe their trails are open during daylight hours.

Great getaway out in Irondale! When you see the Dead End sign, just go a little further and you'll see the entrance. It's not the size of Oak Mtn by any means, but there's still a decent view once you make it up to the ridge. We hiked the hardest trail to get a feel for difficulty, and it was tough enough for what we wanted that day lol Def want to return and explore the other trails soon

This is one of the BEST hiking trails I've found in Birmingham, Alabama thus far. It has different difficulties marked on the trails and colored on the map, as well. I went in the wintertime for the first time and the trails were easily seen and marked, although it will probably become more difficult as the spring brings in the growth of the bushes, trees, and other plants.

The Nature Center was very well kept and the trails are marked well. Very nice area to go hiking. Definitely will be visiting again this summer.

Need an oasis from city-living? Head here. Ruffner trails are well-marked, are true trails (no two-tracks in sight), and are exceptionally well-maintained. Whether you are walking or running, you can get elevation (helllloooo cardio!), great vistas, or just your nature fix. Because of the diversity in trail length or intensity you can put together a short outing (30-45mins) or something longer (3hrs) without a lot of pre-planning. An asset to our sweet city!

This mountain is great for all skill levels and ages. You can take a cruise to see Turtle Rock. If you are feeling adventurous can explore to see the old miners trail.

Really cool spot to check out in Birmingham. It isn't the biggest park I have been to. But it is up there in the coolness factor. There are a lot of different trails to choose from with varying difficulties. It will certainly give you a good hike if that is what you are looking for. And as it was said in other reviews, there are some incredible views here. It would be a great place to check out a sunset. But unfortunately they are close by sundown. Most of the trails are in good shape and in the shade. Definitely a gem in the Magic City.