Fear Cheoil and I hit the trail at Red Mountain Park recently. Offically open on April 14th, it's just down the mountain from where we live. After our first visit, it may become a favorite.
Here's a link to their digital brochure.
My great grandfather was a collier (coal miner) originally from Scotland. He moved his family to Birmingham from Ohio in the early 1900s. I'll have to check with my sister, who is the family historian, but I don't think he worked in these mines.
The park is being developed in stages and this is just the first phase. One of the features is a zip line, which we plan on going back to try out soon. For our first visit, we just walked the trails and took some pictures. I found it interesting that the path at the start of the trail is your typical beige, sandy soil.
However, as you get closer to where the mines were it changes to ochre. Same trail, different dirt.
One of the most exciting features of the park is the Red Ore Zip Tour. I've been wanting to try zip lining for a while now. It costs $50 per person and takes about an hour and a half. There are other elements, like a rope bridge and swing.
Red Mountain Park is dedicated to the people who worked in the mines here, from the 1860s to the 1970s. It'll be fun to explore and watch develop. I wonder what some of the old timers who worked here would think of it.
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