One half mile of this walk in the middle of the hike will be on sidewalks around Mountain Brook Club.  The other 3.5 miles will be through Jemison and the Historic Irondale Furnace parks. This hike is rated moderate.

We will parallel Shades Creek and Watkins Brook through some of Alabama\’s most majestic hardwood forests. Our trip will be on trails designed by developer Robert Jemison as bridle paths in the 1920s.  Our walk will traverse historic civil war era ruins, pass by some of Mountain Brook\’s most magnificent mansions, allow us to stop to enjoy the creekside views and end at the shops of Mountain Brook Village.

Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xxQ4NWXDrD8BoDiT6

Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.

Meet 9:45 a.m. in the parking lot for the Shades Valley Presbyterian Church, 2305 Montevallo Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223.  We will organize our shuttle there so we can hike just one way.  We plan to depart by car from the meeting place at 10:00 a.m.                                                                                                      Information and hike leader: Francis Rushton 205/290-5557 or ferushton@gmail.com

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE

Shades Valley Presbyterian Church, 2305 Montevallo Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223.  From junction of I-59/I-20 and U.S. 280 Red Mountain Expressway in downtown Birmingham, get on Red Mountain Expressway East heading towards Homewood and Mountain Brook.  Drive on the expressway about 4.0 miles through the huge highway gap in Red Mountain.  Continue straight ahead on U.S. Highway 31, Montgomery Highway.  DO NOT take U.S. 280 exit to Mountain Brook on the right.

Drive to the third traffic light on U.S. 31.  At that light Oxmoor Road is to your right and Hollywood Boulevard is to your left.  See Piggly Wiggly Supermarket on far right at that intersection.

Turn left on Hollywood Boulevard which subsequently becomes Montevallo Road and drive 7/10 miles to Shades Valley Presbyterian Church.  Turn right immediately before the church building to enter the church parking lot.  Meet your hike leader at the far back or lower end of the church parking lot.

Coming from Vestavia Hills take U.S. 31 north towards Birmingham to traffic light at intersection with Oxmoor Road on the left and Hollywood Boulevard on right. Turn right on Hollywood Boulevard which subsequently becomes Montevallo Road.  Drive 7/10 miles to Shades Valley Presbyterian Church.  Turn right immediately before the church building to enter the church parking lot.  Meet your hike leader at the far back or lower end of the church parking lot.

          Coming from Chelsea and Inverness area on U.S. 280 take U.S. 280 towards Birmingham.  Take first exit on the right after you pass Office Park and the Fort Hampton Inn on the right.  The exit is signed for Hollywood Boulevard or Montevallo Road and Mountain Brook.

Drive 1/10 miles to Shades Valley Presbyterian Church.  Turn right immediately before the church building to enter the church parking lot.  Meet your hike leader at the far back or lower end of the church parking lot.

DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS

Do you wish you had friends who share your active lifestyle and enjoyment of outdoor activities?  Then become active with Southeastern Outings (SEO), a nonprofit organization committed and created to serve people who enjoy being active in the outdoors.  The organization plans, organizes and leads outings such as dayhikes, easy kayak and canoe trips, stream and waterfall walks, bicycle rides, lake events and other fun activities to beautiful sites in our natural environment.  From time to time we also sponsor potluck suppers and other socials.  All events and activities of the group are open to the public.  Participating in SEO activities is a splendid, simple way to make congenial new friends who enjoy the outdoors.

NO DOGS OR SMOKING ALLOWED, PLEASE, ON ANY SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS EVENTS.

The organization currently has about 300 members.  We scheduled eighty-five events during calendar year 2018 for an average of 7 fun events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.

SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in one or two SEO activities.  Dues are only $10.  Please contact Dan Frederick, President, 205-631-4680, or seoutings@bellsouth.net for more information and to obtain three free monthly newsletters with membership application and a complete description of all our outdoor events.

Southeastern Outings now has a website.  Just go to seoutings.org to find announcements of all our upcoming outings scheduled plus some brief, general information about Southeastern Outings, a membership application and 1500 lovely photographs from several of our outings.

Thank you.