Ruffner Mountain
Tuesday-Sunday, 5am-7pm
Closed Mondays
Closing times may vary during holidays.
Nature Center
Thursday-Sunday, 9am-5pm
Main Entrance with Parking
1214 81st St. S. Birmingham, AL 35206
Download a trail map here
$5 Parking Fee
- Use ParkMobile
- Purchase from vending machine at the Pavilion
- Deposit cash at trailhead donation box
Members park free with Permit.
Activities
A covered area with picnic table seating for 50 people. This area is available on a first come, first served basis.
Ruffner Mountain supports over 150 species of birds which are made up of residents, breeding pairs, and migrants. Ruffner Mountain is an important stop-over for neo-tropical migrating birds, as a feeding ground and as a refuge in a highly developed urban area. Ruffner has documented six species that have been considered of the greatest conservation need by the state of Alabama They include: cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea), worm-eating warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum), Swainson’s warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii), Kentucky warbler (Geothlypis formosa), wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), and the American kestrel (Falco sparverius). Click here to learn more about Ruffner Mountain’s conservation efforts.
Ruffner Mountain is dog friendly. For the safety of your pet and others, we ask that your dog remains on-leash, at all times. Please pick up after your dog to keep our trails clean for all. Waste bags and trash cans are located at each main trailhead.
Trails traverse our greenspaces and offer spectacular views, at all elevations. While some of our our trails are rough, rocky, and narrow, every skill-level of hiker can find an enjoyable trail.
Points of interest
Restrooms are located in the Nature Center and at the main entrance Pavilion.
Our main parking area is at 1214 81st Street South. The parking lot holds 56 cars. Please do not park on the roadside if there is no parking available.
Ruffner Mountain and Turkey Creek both house greenhouse facilities where we propagate native plants. These areas are not open to the public unless participating in one of our Greenhouse Workdays. Click here to read more and sign up.
You can purchase parking passes or other merchandise through the vending machine at the Ruffner Pavilion.
Our pollinator gardens adds color to the area all year round in addition to providing the native plants that our pollinators need to eat, find shelter, and lay their eggs. Join us for volunteer work days to help maintain our gardens and learn more about the plants. We also offer plant sales twice a year so that you can create a pollinator oasis in your own yard.
Don’t forget your water bottle! Chilled filling stations are located outside of both the pavilion and nature center restrooms.
Benches are scattered along many of the trails to offer a rest or take in the view.
An Automatic Emergency Defibrillator is mounted on the building, outside the front door of the Nature Center. The AED begins directing the user as soon as it is opened, so no special training is required to render aid to someone in distress. In addition to providing a shock if needed, the AED is a CPR coach. It provides audible prompts which guide chest compressions and evaluate the patient. Park staff have scheduled the recommended monthly tasks to ensure that the AEDs remain in ready condition. We hope that they are never needed, but for someone experiencing a heart attack, the AED provides the extra minutes that make all the difference before EMS arrives.
**During cold weather periods, the AED is moved to the front desk inside the Nature Center**
A covered area with picnic table seating for 50 people. This area is available on a first come, first served basis.
Remnants of mining operations dot the mountain and are often spotted along the trails. All mine openings closed to the public for safety.
Happening at
Ruffner Mountain
FAQ
From I-59 North
- Take exit 131 and keep right onto Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Continue on Oporto-Madrid Blvd. to Rugby Avenue.
- Turn left onto Rugby Avenue.
- Continue to 81st Street South.
- Turn right onto 81st Street South.
- Continue on 81st Street South until it ends at Ruffner Mountain.
From I-59 South
- Take exit 132 to 1st Avenue North.
- Turn left onto 1st Avenue North.
- Continue to Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Turn left onto Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Continue to Rugby Avenue.
- Turn left onto Rugby Avenue.
- Continue to 81st Street South.
- Turn left onto 81st Street South.
- Continue on 81st Street South until it ends at Ruffner Mountain.
From I-20 East
- Take exit 132A at Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Turn left onto Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Continue for 1.6 miles to Rugby Avenue.
- Turn right onto Rugby Avenue.
- Continue to 81st Street South.
- Turn right onto 81st Street South.
- Continue on 81st Street South until it ends at Ruffner Mountain.
From I-20 West
- Take exit 132 at Montevallo Rd.
- Continue straight, through the light, keeping right toward Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Turn right onto Oporto-Madrid Blvd.
- Continue for 1.6 miles to Rugby Avenue.
- Turn right onto Rugby Avenue.
- Continue to 81st Street South.
- Turn right onto 81st Street South.
- Continue on 81st Street South until it ends at Ruffner Mountain.
Bicycles are not permitted on any of the trails at Ruffner Mountain, but Turkey Creek Nature Preserve and Red Mountain Park have several multi-use trails. You can also visit RideBHM for some downhill mountain bike excitement.
We recommend the main entrance at 1214 81st St S. You’ll find our Nature Center, Picnic Pavilion, and Restrooms at the main entrance. There are two other trailheads on the Irondale side of the Mountain. The Eastern Trailhead has parking for 5 cars. The Irondale Trailhead does not have parking but is located across the street from the City of Irondale’s Ruffner Ball Park.
History
Ruffner's story begins in 1977, when a grassroots community movement formed to create the Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition.
Their mission was clear: protect the mountain ecosystem and stop a land developer's plan to build an apartment complex on-site.
As you can see today, their mission is an ongoing success, as countless species of flora and fauna thrive on the mountain and Ruffner continues to grow. Thanks to the efforts of the Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition, concerned residents of South East Lake, members of the Birmingham Humane Society, and the Vulcan Trail Association, a sprawling urban ecosystem was saved.
Today, Ruffner Mountain comprises 1,038 acres of biodiverse urban forest and connects the communities of East Lake, Irondale, Roebuck Springs, and Greater Birmingham through 14 miles of trails, nature education and EcoArts programs, and of course, a love of wilderness and wildlife.
We owe the original members of the Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition a debt of gratitude and thank them for preserving not only Ruffner Mountain but an understanding of our deep connection to the natural world we all inherit.
More history on Ruffner Mountain coming soon!
