Red Mountain Park

Red Mountain Park is one of the nation’s largest urban parks, covering 1,300 acres of Red Mountain. Red Mountain gains its name from the rust-stained rock faces and prominent seams of red hematite iron ore found in the region. The mountain was the site of the Sloss Mines, which supplied ore to Birmingham’s iron furnaces. The last mine closed in 1962, due to changes in manufacturing, difficulty in accessing the seams, and increasing foreign importing of raw materials. Today, the land is home to Red Mountain Park. The park offers 11 miles of hiking and biking trails, zip lines, the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk forest, the Skyhy Treehouse and two scenic overlooks. Admission the park is free, though the zip lines and other activities do cost. The park is open daily.