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Intro:
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is located just outside the city of Birmingham, Alabama. As a matter of fact you can get a great view of the city from one of the overlooks on Ruffner Mountain. It also has a really neat and educational nature center for you to visit. Trail maps are available for free in the nature center. The one I have on here isn't great, just a guide for you to look at before you go. It is free to visit the preserve and Nature Center.
Trail Head:
All trail heads are located near the nature center
To access the trail head: They are easy to find
Difficulty:
For the most part the trails are easy. The Ridge/Valley trail is probably the most difficult due to it's 1,000ft elevation difference.
Hiking the Trail:
For this hike I began at the Quarry trail. This trail is 1.2 miles in length (one way). It connects you to some of the other trail heads like the Overlook trail and Possum Loop trail. After hiking to the end of the Quarry trail I got on the Overlook trail. From here you can stop at a few different overlooks. One over looks the Quarry from above, and at the end you get an incredibly scenic view of downtown Birmingham and also of the airport. After visiting the Overlooks I took the Ridge/Valley Trail (which begins at the end of the Quarry trail). The Ridge/Valley trail will loop you back near the beginning of the Quarry trail. Once you finish the Ridge/Valley trail you are not very far from the nature center. Due to a heavy storm I was not able to hike any of the other trails. However, this hike I completed is about a 3.4 mile round trip. After hiking you should stop by the Nature Center.
Scenery:
You will get great views over looking the city of Birmingham, views of Alabama woodland. Also, some of the trees and plants have signs telling you what they are.
Trail Maintenance:
The trails are well maintained
Facilities:
The nature center has restrooms, and also is a great place to learn about the wildlife that enhabits the preserve. There is a picnic area near the parking lot