Summer Morning Hike on Smythe Trail at Red Mountain Park, Birmingham

Mushrooms decorating the Smythe Trail at Red Mountain Park, Birmingham, Alabama

Along the Smythe Trail at Red Mountain Park, wildflowers dot the otherwise brown-and-green canvas like so many flecks of brightly-colored paint. The forest floor is decorated with mushrooms of every sort, reminiscent of Easter eggs and loaves of bread. Amidst this and the chirping birds are occasional cables and rusted metal that serve as reminders of the industrial past that adorns Red Mountain, and is a significant staple of the unique nature of this park.

Blue Spiderwort (Commelina coelestis) at Red Mountain Park, Birmingham, Alabama

A Field of Black-Eyed Susans, Red Mountain Park

Imagine that we still live in a world with league-upon-league of wide-open prairies still in their native state. While your initial mental image may include tall prairies grasses, don't discount the possibility that those seemingly endless plains could be inhabited by Black-Eyed Susans. Tranquil. Breezy. Grasshoppers. Jackrabbits. Antelope.It's easy to get lost in this daydream. And if you enjoyed that short trip in time to an existence 150-years past, you have Red Mountain Park to thank. It's there that you can find this small field of Black-Eyed Susans.

Black-Eyed Susans at Red Mountain Park, Birmingham, Alabama :: Canon Rebel T2i, EF 24-105 f/4 L

Purple Passion Flower at Red Mountain Park

The Purple Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) is a vine that can grow to as long as twenty feet, and can become an invasive species. In addition to its bizarre-looking petals and sepals, the reproductive organs that arise from the flower give it a rather exotic appearance. The Purple Passion Flower blooms from June to September, and produces edible fruit from July through October.

In addition to its exotic beauty, the Passion Flower has had many uses. The roots can be used to make a tea or treat boils, earaches, and liver problems. The leaves can be cooked with other greens. The fruit can be eaten raw or made into a syrup. But perhaps most interestingly, the plant can be used as a sedative to treat hysteria and other nervous conditions.

UPDATE: Fred Spicer, the Executive Director of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, recently stopped by the blog, and offered some encouragement and further information, for which I am grateful. Here's what he had to say: "Enjoyed your photos, very beautiful. However, most ecologists reserve the word 'invasive' to describe organisms that act to decrease overall biodiversity in ecosystems other than those they evolved in. So native organisms, like that Passiflora, cannot be invasive. No doubt, that plant can be obnoxious, aggressive and unwanted in certain situations, but it will never be kudzu or Chinese privet or cogon grass, or dozens of other, truly heinous plants that are ecological and economic distasters. 'Opportunistic' is the preferred term for native organisms that can proliferate alarmingly, and, yes, sometimes in ecologically-altering ways. Nevertheless, that is extremely rare, and typically comes following human-caused disturbance which upsets otherwise natural controls on populations. Sorry if this seems pedantic! You do nice work."

Purple Passion Flower at Red Mountain Park, Birmingham, Alabama :: Canon Rebel T2i, EF 24-105 f/4 L

Thanks goes to the United States Department of Agriculture for the information they have made available on their website, regarding the Purple Passion Flower.

Red Mountain Park, Hoist House at Redding Shaft Mine

A chain-link fence that now surrounds the structure precludes a photo exhibiting the exterior of the Hoist House at the Redding Shaft Mine in its lovely Spanish-style architecture. But a fellow Birmingham photographer has previously taken a photograph that is better than anything I could have taken on this day anyway; you can find it here. Below is what I was able to take from its interior.

Red Mountain Park :: Hoist House at Redding Shaft Mine

Previous posts feature the natural and industrial elements that make up Red Mountain Park.
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Red Mountain Park, Industrially

In its blend of the natural and industrial, Red Mountain Park is a  perfect microcosm of Birmingham. Mining has a significant place in both Birmingham's past and present. And its natural beauty is an integral part of our present and future.

Remains above Mine No. 13

The remnants of past mining operations are interspersed throughout the park, though some are not available to the public because of safety concerns; but there's enough available that it should satiate most folk's curiosity. There are at least three mine portals that will be available to the public. The closest one to the main gate is Mine No. 13, but even it is a good hike.

Adjacent to the Portal to Mine No. 13

And because the railbed of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad serves as one of the main trails across the park, there are left-behind foundations of buildings that served the railway as well.

Building Foundation near Railbed of Birmingham Mineral Railroad

Below are other reminders of Red Mountain's history in heavy industry, that is evidenced within the confines of Red Mountain Park.

Yesterday featured the more natural elements of Red Mountain Park :: Red Mountain Park, Naturally.
Tomorrow will exhibit one particular element of Red Mountain Park :: Hoist House at Redding Shaft Mine.

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Red Mountain Park, Naturally

Lilting voices of songbirds, scampering feet across the dry forest floor, suddenly flushing wings - the well groomed trails of Red Mountain Park in Birmingham are replete with wildlife, though perhaps only the quiet and fastidious will see it.

Panorama of the Eureka Mines Trail leading to Ishkooda #13 Mine

The main entrance to the park leads to several trailheads, from which you can choose from a variety of trails that range from narrow, winding and climbing to broad, converted railbeds. While signs are in the process of being installed, those that are in place are very informative and helpful; in fact, I was able to navigate several miles of trail relying largely on the extant signage and my sense of direction. The trails that are open or close to it appear very natural but are easily found and navigated; eventually, trails will cover the more than 1000 acres that comprise Red Mountain Park.

Once on the trails and enveloped by forest, it's easy to forget that not ten minutes ago, you were on I-65 in the middle of Birmingham. Red Mountain Park is a utopia in the midst of mayhem. You might think I'm overstating it, but only because you haven't bee out here. The sounds of traffic disappear the further in you get, and if not for the occasional plane flying over, you'd forget that you're still surrounded on all sides by a major metropolitan area. And if you do manage to get lost or even injured, don't fret; there is cell phone reception throughout the park. Because, remember, you're still in the middle of Birmingham...I thought you might have forgotten.

And for those who are interested in adding some fun and adventure to their visit to Red Mountain Park, there's something for you too. A zip-line and ropes course is in the midst of being constructed. Platforms are up in the trees allowing for patrons to catch an elevated view of the forest and appreciate their woodsy isolation from a higher vantage point.

Red Mountain Park will be a splendid place for hikers to seek seclusion or families to find an enjoyable day together. It is neither so far away as to require a whole day nor too much planning. But be sure to pack a snack or two and some water, because once you're here, you'll likely choose to stay longer than you had intended.

Up next, we will be exploring some of the industrial remnants the park has to offer, here.

Small pond lively with Birdlife near Redding Mine 

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