The Nature Center has a Naturalist on staff, and they know how to tailor their information to adults or youth.

I've lived in Birmingham since 1978, and first visited Ruffner in '87 - love the miles and miles of trails, woods, rocks, and now added new buildings, picnic and wetland areas. The parking lot is only three miles from the I-20 exit, so I feel (through years of personal experience) that any reviewers' safety concerns are wildly overblown - I... More

I came here as part of a large group. Very nice trails to walk, and I loved the all the animals. There was a big aquarium with turtles that we really liked, and they have a great gift shop.

This is a gem in the middle of civilization. There are beautiful hiking trails and a diversity of wildlife to see, both in the nature center and on the trails. There is really no time of year that is bad to go and it is an excellent way to relax and appreciate some quiet in a busy week.

This park can take up an entire day. Make sure to bring a GPS to look for nuggets of geocaching. Go when its not to hot.

This place is great but the drive getting there is seedy and not worth the risk if your alone or with kids. Wish I didn't have to put that because it over shadows this nice nature center.

Take my summer campers there every year. The staff is extremely knowledgeable Alabama wildlife and environmental issues and the guides are expertly trained. This summer one of my kids fell down while hiking and the guide responded immediately and knew exactly what to do. Extremely impressed with their "green" way of operating.

Loved the trails, though this wasn't a huge hike for us! (didn't make it to the summit, due to lack of time!) - but it is just lovely! Be aware, you drive through a very scary and ghetto part of town to get there. Bring mace or a big dog, if you feel skittish about being in the woods at... More

I remember going here when I was little & it was my brother, my dad, & I. We were going to go on the 5 mile trail & hike the whole way, but my brother was acting like he was about to pass out, so we turned around & went back. I SO want to go back there & hike... More