Cycling in Birmingham, AL

For cyclists, Lakeshore Trail is an ideal place for a relaxing bike ride with the family, only minutes from downtown. There is plenty of shade, which in the summer helps keep the trail cooler than some of the other family biking locations in town.

Another great route for family or a solo ride is the Chief Ladiga Bike Trail, a 33-mile rail trail that is extremely flat and friendly. The ‘Rails-to-Trails’ project that begins in Anniston, extends to the eastern border of Alabama and connects with the western terminus of the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia. Connecting the two trails amounts to more than 95 miles of paved trail, making it the longest of its kind in the United States. Heralded as a shining example of what’s possible when private industry and government collaborate, this park turned a former industrial eyesore into a beautiful natural retreat right in the center of downtown. Masterfully designed, a third of the park is filled with lakes and streams that are interconnected by meandering trails and pathways.