High Ore Line Trail

The High Ore Line Trail (also called the High Ore Line Greenway, High Ore Line Connector, or High Ore Line Multimodal Corridor) is a two-mile walking and cycling trail constructed as part of the Red Rock Ridge & Valley Trail System connecting Red Mountain Park on Red Mountain to the Jones Valley Trail. The trail was dedicated and opened for public use in May 2016.

The High Ore Line Trail begins at U.S. Highway 11 in Midfield near the Jefferson County Department of Health's Western Health Center. Right of way for the trail corridor from there and through West Brownville is the former High Ore Line Railroad which formerly connected the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company's Wenonah mines along a continuous downhill slope to Fairfield Works. The no-longer-used track was donated by CSX Railroad. Additional property on the edge of a limestone quarry south of Wenonah Road was donated by Vulcan Materials. From there, the trail connects to the network of trails in Red Mountain Park.

From the north end of the High Ore Line Trail, users can continue on sidewalks or bike lanes past Baptist Princeton Hospital and along Tuscaloosa Avenue and 1st Avenue North to 18th Street South, then continue along the Rotary Trail and Jones Valley Trail as far as 32nd Street South. Another connector trail is planned to extend the High Ore Line to the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Funds for development of the trail comes from a variety of public sources, including a TIGER grant administered by the Freshwater Land Trust. Additional funding for this trail was provided by the Jefferson County Department of Health as part of its program to promote physical activity.

The work to prepare the southern section of the corridor for use as a public trail was bid by the City of Birmingham in December 2014.

The new entranceway and parking area for Red Mountain Park where the High Ore Line Trail enters was dedicated in Summer 2019.

References

• Crocker, Steve (November 9, 2015) "New section of bicycle-walking trail will help connect Railroad Park and Red Mountain Park." WBRC.com
• Phillips, Ryan (November 11, 2015) "New trail to connect Railroad Park and Red Mountain Park." The Birmingham News
• Wilson, Mark (May 4, 2016) "New Birmingham park, bike trail opens on May 7." The Birmingham News
• Hrynkiw, Ivana (June 25, 2019) "High Ore Line Trail expansion set to open this summer." The Birmingham News