July 19, 1977

The Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition was birthed July 19, 1977, thanks to a grassroots community with two goals: to protect the mountain ecosystem and halt plans to build an on-site apartment complex. Thanks to the coalition, concerned residents of the South East Lake area in Birmingham, members of the Birmingham Humane Society and the Vulcan Trail Association, the sprawling mountain was saved. Ruffner Mountain is comprised of 1,040 acres of biodiverse urban forestry. Alabama benefited through an additional 14 acres of walking/nature trails, nature education and associated programs, allowing residents to enjoy the great outdoors and wildlife in its natural habitat. Ruffner Mountain receives about 100,000 visitors annually.

Read more at BhamWiki.  

Aerial view of Jones Valley, including Ruffner Mountain and the city of Birmingham. (Photograph by Jet Lowe, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

View of the abandoned quarry at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve from the “Cambrian overlook.” (Dystopos, Bhamwiki)

View of the Treetop Visitors Center at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve. (Westofheer, Bhamwiki)

Panorama of Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve in Birmingham, 2016. (Lahti213, Wikipedia)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.