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Print Friendly MapThe Five Mile Creek Greenway will eventually extend over 27 miles through Central Alabama and connect the communities of Graysville, Brookside, Gardendale, Fultondale, Tarrant, and Center Point.
A significant step in making this vision a reality was achieved in 2018, the Five Mile Creek District purchased 16.5 miles of rail corridor from CSX Transportation. At present, 8.25 miles of that corridor have been completed and are open to the public. The first three miles stretch between Black Creek Park in Fultondale and Shady Grove Road in Gardendale. Beautiful trees and a creek greet visitors to the trail. Users can also enjoy various amenities at the park. Baseball and softball lovers can hit the batting cages. There's a playground for the kids and a dog park for your four-legged furry friends.
Heading north from the trail's previous westernmost trailhead (4250 Powder Mill Rd, Mt Olive), the route meanders through trees and scrub vegetation until it ends at Newfound Creek in the City of Brookside.
Parking is available at Black Creek Park (777 Yarborough Rd, Fultondale), at Black Creek Dog Park (2408 Stouts Rd, Fultondale), and at the Power Mill Trailhead (4250 Powder Mill Rd, Mt Olive).
My wife and I rode this trail for the first time today. What a great trail system. Lots of elevation and wide trails. Smooth ride and no trail issues at all. It’s amazing how high some of the sections are. Parking was great and we enjoyed both parks!
nothing extraordinarily scenic, but mostly forested trail. Outside of a few housing developments, the overall landscape likely hasn't changed much since the last trains ran this route, especially on the north end (terminus at Newfound Creek ravine. I found the trail a well-maintained path, although it is crushed stone, and may not be suitable for all bikes or riders. There was evidence of recent treefalls being cleared, and no noticeable trash on trail (benches & trash receptacles are scattered at random intervals). Trail is mostly shaded, although there are enough clea spots to feel the sun.
Traffic was considerably thin once clear of Black Creek Park, with only 2 joggers between I65 and Shady Grove Road; one lone cyclist who trailheaded on Powder Mill Road; on the way back a few more cyclists between the Shady Grove Road & Black Creek Park.
We ride our etrikes here a couple of days a month. It’s so beautiful and the shaded trails make every the hottest days (today was in the 90’s) bearable. Don’t miss this wonderful hidden gem just north of Birmingham.
Rode this trail today, had a Great time, trail is in good condition and is 8 miles long, round trip of 16 miles, good parking in Fultondale at the ballpark.
A nice crushed rock trail with lots of shade. It is very pretty but parts of the trail between Fultondale and Gardendale are washed out exposing large gravels that are difficult to ride without a mountain bike. Overall I am excited to see the ongoing work to expand this trail and hope that it continues to travel farther north.
This trail is a hidden gem. The slope is minimal. Other riders, runners, and cars at the FEW road crossings are very courteous. We cannot wait for the full trail to be completed.
I rode this scenic trail from east to west and back on June 1, 2023. Nice and shady at this time of year, the trail is gravel, well groomed, graded, and quiet. The traffic noise as it passes beneath US 31 and Interstate 65 is minimal and quickly fades as one proceeds down the trail. At the western end at Powder Mill Road, I met a kind gentleman who informed me that an additional two mile extension has been completed and will officially open Friday, June 2, 2023, bringing the total to about 7.5 miles. Look for the extension near the gate of the Cornerstone Ranch, which is private property. Please respect all landowners and their property.
The greater Birmingham community has a priceless treasure in this trail. To those responsible for its acquisition, construction, and maintenance, thank you very much!
We started the trail yesterday from the Fulton dale trailhead and parking lot. It was very hard to find because there’s no signage on the highway. It’s in a city little league baseball park. The trail is crushed limestone which requires fat tires. Very scenic and shaded old growth hardwoods. We really enjoyed it and plan to do it again.
This is a great trail! It is actually about 6 miles to end and 6 miles back. It is very wooded with nice views of the creek. There were just the right amount of people on the trail, you had a lot of alone time but also felt safe in that other bikers, runners or walkers were not too far away. We parked at the Fultondale end. Great parking and again a safe place to leave the car.
My husband and I parked at the park off of Yarbrough Road. The trail was easy to access. The trail was crushed gravel and well maintained. We enjoyed the shade and those few short sunny sections. We passed under Hwy 31 and I65. Several places to stop along the way. The end of the trail is not marked thus initially thought it was another road to cross. Other roads we crossed were well marked and traffic was not bad. We have Lectric brand ebikes but rarely used the pedal assist. When we did turn on the assist, we only needed #1. We are both 'senior' citizens. We will definitely ride this one again.
First time on the trail. My wife and I enjoyed the trail. Started on the Watson end and went all the way to black creek park. 10 mile round trip. We’re getting use to our Lectric bicycles.
The trail is shady and has very slight inclines and declines. The scenery is nice, and there are random benches to rest on.
Good length shaded and flat. Perfect. Wish Birmingham could make more of these trails.
This is a great, flat, mostly shady trail, and way less busy than Red Mountain or Vulcan on the weekends. The whole family had fun. Dad pulled our 4 year old in the bike trailer, our 12 year old thought it was great, and I loved it. Highly recommend. About 10-11 miles round trip, and there’s a playground near the start of the trail, too.
Great trail - flat, shaded, easy-to-ride. Tiny gravel that is very navigable on most bikes. I rode my mountain bike and it was awesome!
First time to bike this trail. This was only my second time to ride this year. Not a bad trail. Mostly flat. A couple of very tiny inclines. Humidity was very high today so not the best but the shaded trail helps a little. Make sure you have plenty of water to carry with you. Pretty active trail. Walkers and bikers but mostly bikers. If it were asphalt I would give it 5 stars. First time to ride gravel trail. Personally, I like paved trails
Great for beginners and no big hills throughout the whole trail. Great shaded areas, great stopping points with benches, awesome width for riding side-by-side or in a group, gravel is packed tightly which makes the ride easier, and easily seen mile marker displays! Highly recommend this trail!!
After a long recovery from an accident, I found my legs would work to peddle, even though walking was difficult. 3 mos later, I’m biking about 6 miles of steep hills at the Trussville Sports Complex area and neighborhoods on a Trek Verve+2 E-bike. The Creek Trail was my first dirt to try. It is an easy trail, shaded throughout, well maintained surface, no elevation changes, no curves. Parking at Black Creek Park is safe. Creek Park is ample and
I live this trail. Recently, a two mile extension opened. I haven't been able to rid it yet but thought everyone would appreciate an update. Here is a link to the news article about the opening and plans for future extensions and connections with other trails in Jefferson County: https://bhamnow.com/2019/06/13/get-your-walking-shoes-ready-five-mile-creek-adds-two-miles-of-trail-in-gardendale-with-plans-to-become-the-longest-trail-in-central-al
There are benches and trash cans spread along the path. A nice Creek Trail breaks off the path giving you a chance to walk down to the creek and explore a couple of minor waterfalls (less than a foot high). There is one building that you can rest in from the shade or the rain
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