Ride BHM: Alabama’s First & Only Bike Park

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I first learned about Ride BHM when one of the founders reached out to me and invited me to come down to Alabama to check out their new bike park.

I didn’t think the timing was going to work out any time soon, but after spending a month in Arkansas, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Birmingham, Alabama is actually en route to Brevard, North Carolina, my next destination.

Never one to give up an opportunity to ride bikes (especially since they promised an e-bike!), I punched in the directions and made my way to Ride BHM: a new state for me and a new bike park for Alabama.

Spoiler alert: It’s a blast!

I was really impressed with both the trails and terrain at Ride BHM as well as the two founders behind it: Hobie and Emile. They are two friends with a vision to bring a new kind of mountain biking to their home state.

If you find yourself in the area, or you want to take a road trip, here’s what you need to know about visiting Alabama’s first and only bike park, Ride BHM.

Why a Bike Park in Alabama?

Alamaba may not seem a likely place for a bike park, but that’s precisely why the founders wanted to build one.

Emile and Hobie both grew up in Birmingham riding trails that were not purpose-built, lacked flow, and didn’t provide a great all-around experience.

So they decided to build their own bike park.

Ride BHM opened in November 2022 after many months of planning and digging with the help of the Kanuga Bike Park and Dialed Dirt trail crews.

It’s the first – and only – bike park in Alabama and features terrain that mountain bikers had to previously drive hours for.

Ride BHM is not only a place where people can come ride, but also a place to build community through local races, events, clinics, and more.

Ride BHM Trail Maps

Ride BHM is located in southwest Birmingham adjacent to Red Mountain Park, which has its own (supposedly not so great) mountain bike trails.

The bike park is built between two peaks, although the only difference between the two summits is that Peak 1 is slightly lower. They both access a variety of trails from beginner to expert to pros-only.

The trails

One of the biggest things that surprised me about Ride BHM was the variety of trails. They have everything from beginner-friendly flow trails to expert-only steep and gnarly old-school tracks.

I was not expecting the rugged technical terrain, but that’s what I love the most so I was really impressed!

Of course, they also have bike park features like jumps, tabletops, drops, and other features that I will never do.

Since I got to ride most of the trails, here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect:

Watch Every trail in action

Ride BHM passes & Hours

Passes are required for Ride BHM. They offer a variety of different options from single day tickets to annual passes. You can purchase your passes online or at the counter at the entrance to Ride BHM.

The park is open 7 days a week year-round from sunrise to sunset.

E-bike or analog bike?

While I haven’t switched over to an e-bike for my ‘normal’ mountain biking adventures, I sure was glad to have an e-bike at Ride BHM.

The elevation gain isn’t terrible – about 220 ft for Peak 2 – but if you plan on making full use of your day pass, I highly recommend either bringing your own e-bike or renting one.

You’ll be able to do more laps, session more jumps, sample all (or most) of the trails, and really make the most of your day at the bike park.

Ride BHM has a rental fleet of high-end e-bikes (Trek and Santa Cruz) as well as regular mountain bikes and dirt jumpers.

Camping at Ride BHM

I got the feeling that the camping situation at Ride BHM is still relatively new, but they are trying to set up tent spaces and there is plenty of room for van or small RV parking.

If you want to camp, I recommend reaching out before you arrive to make sure it’s an option.

Food & beverages

Ride BHM has a limited selection of snacks and beverages (including beer), but it’s a good idea to come prepared with your own lunch if you’re going to be there all day.

There is also no running water (currently), so while they do have a water tower, I recommend bringing a full water bottle or two and only using the water tower to fill up.

On weekends, they try to get Food Trucks in, but it’s not a guarantee.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed my day at Ride BHM with Hobie as my tour guide. We hit most of the trails (minus the pro-only ones) and then I got to session the jumps on Kanuga with, Andrew, a very talented employee.

Ride BHM is still relatively new (it just opened in November 2022), but I was really impressed with the terrain, features, and scene they’ve built and are continuing to grow.

If you find yourself in Alabama or are passing by Birmingham, definitely stop and check it out! You can find up-to-date information on Ride BHM’s Facebook page.

What questions do you have about Ride BHM? Is it on your list of places to visit? Leave a comment below!