A quiet gem in Birmingham’s Mountain Brook neighborhood explores Civil War ruins, the Irondale Furnace Trail is a great place for history buffs to stretch their legs.
The trail alongside the Furnace and Shades Creek is ¾ in length, so a roundtrip walk is a mile and a half in total on an easy wide and flat terrain.
Learn the story of the ruins through the many informational plaques along the way.
Stop to admire the remains of the blast furnace, which was built in 1863 to supply pig iron to the confederacy.
There was an ore mine, quarry, tramway, foundry, blacksmith shops, stables, and employee housing in this area too. The site was wrecked and burned in 1865, but rebuilt just a year later – the first iron furnace in Alabama to go back into operation after the Civil War. Today you would never know that heavy industry and war time woes ever touched this serene plot.
Perhaps you’ll find a book from the free little library to read on one of the benches.
There are dog stations available, if you are traveling with a pet they are welcome too. Add this peaceful little known walk to come down from your busy day of sightseeing around Magic City.