The Easy Trail That Might As Well Be The Recreation Capital Of Alabama

Heads up, runners, joggers, and walkers. You too, skaters, dog lovers, and pickleball players. An easy trail in Birmingham, Alabama, is a must-do for all of you. City Walk BHAM, a 31-acre linear urban park, stretches 10 city blocks beneath the soaring bridges for Interstate 59 and 20.

Planning for City Walk BHAM began in 2014, and the park opened in time for Birmingham's serving as host to The World Games in 2022.

The park's master design plan won the 2023 ACEC Alabama Engineering Excellence Award.

A 1-mile marked path extends the length of the park, creating an easy trail for visitors to see and experience the many amenities City Walk BHAM has to offer.

City Walk Skate Park has over 58,000 square feet for skating and includes large and beginner bowls, quarter pipe areas, a street course, and other features.

The skate park is free to use as long as you check in and sign a liability waiver.

If roller skating is more your thing, bring your own wheels and take to the 11,000-square-foot rink next to the skate park.

I grew up in skating rinks and never imagined there'd ever be a place designed for what we call truckin' just below a major transportation hub for actual trucking.

Pickleball players can take their pick among 10 courts on the east end of the park.

City Walk BHAM's dog park, The Barkery, is a membership-only, off-leash facility with 50,000 square feet for play, exercise, and canine-themed special events.

If you're of the mind to meditate, detour off the seam path to walk the labyrinth at City Walk BHAM.

One caveat: Sometimes the labyrinth isn't clear for walking because it's occasionally host to popular drum circles. You'll know it when you hear it. In that case, you may want to stick around and see if the rhythms clear your mind.

On the western end of the park, you'll discover the Civil Rights storytelling zone, where interpretive displays highlight critical moments of the era and Birmingham's significant role within it. The city's Civil Rights District is just to the south of this point.

City Walk BHAM becomes even more vivid by night when its signature lighting illuminates the unique architecture of the highway bridges overhead.

You can learn more about the amenities, hours, and use guidelines for the park on the City Walk BHAM website and keep up with the latest events on the City Walk BHAM Facebook page.

If you're intrigued by that drum circle and think you may want to give it a try, djembes are great for beginners.

After you've taken all that City Walk BHAM has to offer, be sure to try out some of the many other fun things to do in Birmingham. What do you think of the park? Can you envision a similar design working in your town?