Redding Shaft Mine Loop

Red Mountain Park offers a variety of trails which crisscross the park. With such an array of trails, they are many paths to any given point. Due to the recent rain and muddy trails, I decided on the quickest route; as my goal was to reach the new Skyhy Treehouse structure situated at the top of the mountain.

The hike began by parking along Frankfurt Drive. The entrance is located directly uphill where the road makes a sharp right. To get to the main kiosk and the trailhead, take the dirty road into the park. There are picnic tables and restrooms at the trailhead. To get to the tree house, I decided to take the lower brown trail to the West most point in the park and then take the yellow trail up the mountain. As you start the yellow trail you will pass the Redding Mine Shaft, one of two vertical shafts along Red Mountain. Still standing are several mining structures including the lift engine room.

From this point, take the yellow/navy trail east to a point where these two trails diverge. You will want to continue along the yellow trail and ascend the mountain. At the end of the yellow trail is the Skyhy Treehouse. The tree house is suspended from a tree and accessed via a rope bridge. The view is best during the winter months; where visitors can see Birmingham in the distance. During the summer months, the tree line closes in for a less impressive view.

Getting back the hike, continue along the green trail east until you reach Ishkooda Overlook. A quick break for another view of Birmingham is a great way to enjoy the landscape. Visitors may choose to continue on the green trail which follows the Red Mountain ridge another 1.5 miles to Grace’s Gap Overlook. Along the way, you will pass two more mines located below the trail, but not accessed from it. On this particular day, I decided to assume a quick decent back to the trailhead and decided to take the red trail down the mountain. The red trail is one of the more difficult hikes in the park and makes a quick decent into the valley. This is one families with small children may want to avoid.

Along the way the red trails passes several closed mine entrances and a footbridge before intersecting with the brown trail. The brown trail can then be taken back to the trailhead and the parking area. Overall Red Mountain Park offers a great variety of hiking and biking options. It is a destination to check out when you’re in the Birmingham area.