National Trails Day Trail Crawl

I love trails. Long trails. Short trails. Technical trails. Urban trails. Popular trails. Secret trails.

So with today being National Trails Day, I sat down to pick the perfect trail for my celebration. Which oasis of dirt would my feet grace in honor of this better-than-Christmas day? And when I couldn’t choose just one (it’s like choosing your favorite child—impossible), I came up with an idea. A trail crawl!

It makes total sense. Since National Trails Day falls thoughtfully on a Saturday, you have the entire day to hop from trailhead to trailhead. Your trail crawl can be as simple or complex as you make it. Skip a few steps down the trail. Hug the trailhead sign. Spend an hour lovingly taking in the views. All you’ll need is a comfortable pair of shoes, a pack with plenty of snacks and water and beer (because, crawl), and a camera to capture your adventure!

And unlike a pub crawl, a trail crawl is family-friendly and healthy! Though I’m a fan of supporting local drink establishments as well. For the carbs, of course.

Living in Birmingham, AL makes a trail crawl very easy. We have some fantastic local and state parks all within a short drive of downtown.

Stop 1—Railroad Park

I’m going to start with a short jaunt around Railroad Park with my three fur babies. Urban trails totally count as part of the trail crawl—it’ll be a great way to greet the day in one of my favorite cities, and it’ll get the pups warmed up and ready for some fun!

National Trails Day, Railroad Park, Birmingham, Five Star Trails Birmingham, Menasha Ridge Press

Stop 2—Oak Mountain

Next up will be an intense hike up to King’s Chair at Oak Mountain State Park. The reward for this lung-searing climb is panoramic views of the surrounding hills and mountains. With large, flat rocks and study trees, it’s the perfect spot for a picnic lunch and then a nap in a hammock!

National Trails Day, Railroad Park, Birmingham, Five Star Trails Birmingham, Menasha Ridge Press, Oak Mountain State Park, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve

Stop 3—Ruffner Mountain

Finally, we will end the day with a sunset trek on the Overlook Trail at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve. This trail is short and not too steep, which is perfect after a full day of crawlin’. And if I time it just right, we can sit and sip on a local beer while watching the sun sink behind our pretty city.

National Trails Day, Railroad Park, Birmingham, Five Star Trails Birmingham, Menasha Ridge Press, Oak Mountain State Park, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve

So there’s my #NationalTrailsDay for ya. Who knows, by the end of the day I might actually be crawling! But I’ll have had a day full of sun and dirt and fun—well worth it! How will you be spending the day?

All trails can be found in Five Star Trails: Birmingham!