The Red Rock Trail System connects Lakeshore Trail with Irondale Furnace Trail and Flora Johnston Nature Preserve, expanding from Homewood towards Red Mountain Park, acting as a critical step forward to the 36-mile Red Rock Action Plan as of January 2026.

The main goal of the connection between Homewood, Mountain Brook and Irondale trails is to create a 36 mile loop trail, planned since Aug. 2023. 

“The plan would be eventually to have a 36 mile trail loop around the greater Birmingham area and so the goal of this trail is to connect Ruffner Mountain and Irondale,” Buck said.

Carolyn Buck is Red Rock’s Trail Director for Freshwater Land Trust. Freshwater Land Trust is an environmental organization and the facilitator for the Red Rock Trail System.

The Red Rock Action Plan is a 15 year plan to develop 19 miles of new trail. The Red Rock Master Plan is to create an over 750 mile loop, which was an initiative spearheaded by the Jefferson County Department of Health and Freshwater Land of Trust.

“So 12 years have passed since a lot of that work was done,” Buck said. “Each project is a separate project, it’s a different construction group to get bids to see if they have the best price on it. So it’s a competitive process.”

Councilor Hunter Williams, Councilor for the City of Birmingham was a key driver of the Red Rock Action plan. Although the Action Plan was a collaborative effort led by Freshwater Land of Trust, Williams utilized $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds to begin the Shades Creek expansion to enhance the community’s quality of life. Williams had thought of the Red Rock Action plan since 2018.

“Hunter Williams always since the beginning wanted to have a connection,” Buck said. “This is really kind of his dream thing to do, he chose to actually build this project so we’ve been working on it for quite a long time.”

The project is supported by federal fundraising now accumulated to over $40 million.

“Lots of different leaders from across the county are looking at ways to implement it, he just happened to do it around the time that fundraising was available and he directed his money that way,” Buck said.

After the connection, the Homewood community can walk to Wildwood Center.

“For the Shades Creek Greenway of Homewood, you can get to the Dunkin’, you can go right behind the Wild Buffalo, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Hobby Lobby,” Buck said. “There’s lots of little food restaurants around there, the Chick-Fil-A, all that.”

Each city involved with the expansion effort has different goals for their pedestrian engagement. Freshwater Land of Trust ensures communication between each city.

“Each city is responsible for building their section,” Buck said. “They are their own separate entities and so making sure that we are coordinating between all of those cities is really important to make sure we get those longer stretches” 

Once the trail is built out, it is the city’s job to maintain it.

“So once they’re built, that is passed off of the city to operate and maintain them,” Buck said. “But basically anything before you’ll see they are willing and can help based on their level of need.” 

Shades Valley Greenway construction began during 2024, which had paused due to COVID causing financial disputes. However, construction resumed in 2025.

“In October we started working again,” Buck said. “It’s been a little slower trying to get the utilities moved but we have been actively working on it for many months now.”

The community’s input was majorly taken into account within deciding trail routes and accessibility.

“The plan really was developed in a grassroots manner so that people were able to actually dictate where they wanted to go,” Buck said. “And so this was a really big initiative that people all over the county participated in.” 

The Homewood and Birmingham communities have actively been requesting for more trails.

“If you go to any community meeting here they’re doing planning efforts you’ll hear that over and over again.” “Red rock trail has decided to invent this for the community” Buck said.

Benefits of the trail connection include enjoying outdoor waterways.

“We see these as a really great opportunity for people to get outside and see the natural resources that we have at Jefferson County especially our waterways and most of our trails are basically loosely based along where we have waterways so make sure people know that” Buck said.

Pedestrians become more connected with their neighborhoods from the trail connection.

“The goal of the trail system is to do a number of things,” Buck said. “Number one it’s just a green space for more connectivity, since especially here in the south all our neighborhoods are really car connected” Buck said.

People who don’t use cars will now be able to have more access to restaurants, stores, and general nature.

 “They have a lot of people who are in different ages who just aren’t able to afford a car, don’t wish to own a car and that’s a really big disadvantage” Buck said. “Older folks might not have been able to drive as well anymore.”

The trail connection has health benefits, such as disease prevention.

“From a health standard we know that it’s really important for people to get outside and get active,” Buck said. “We have the highest rates of preventable diseases that can be prevented from a healthy lifestyle so exercises are a really major component of that.”

Alongside improved physical health, the trail betters mental health.

“But this is a free way that people can impact their health and then just mental health,” Buck said. “We know that people are feeling disconnected and you don’t really get to know your neighbors in a lot of different areas but trails and parks and these green spaces are a really great spot for you to see people that you normally wouldn’t see interact with people you want to interact with, it’s just a really beautiful place for a community to come together” Buck said.

Rita Bailey is a pedestrian amongst the Shades Valley Greenway trail. She shares her opinion on the Shades Valley Greenway trail expansion.

“I think you know having this in other communities would be great because this is a desired area and known for the ability to walk wherever you need to,” Bailey said.

Homewood is recognized as Alabama’s most walkable city, according to Walkscore. 

“The beauty about Homewood is that it’s very pedestrian friendly,” Bailey said. 

The Shades Valley Greenway connection to Flora Johnston Nature Preserve is estimated to be completed by the end of 2026.