Hikers excited about a 36 mile trail loop in Birmingham

It's called the Red Rock Action Plan. It’s a $40 million project that could take 15 years to complete. And it's all about promoting health, nature and connecting people.There are several really cool parks in the Birmingham metro area, and the Red Rock Action Plan will connect several of them to form a loop. When complete, we're talking 36 miles of beautiful trails the leaders of several cities say will improve residents’ health in more ways than one.Laris Brown lives in Birmingham and hikes at Red Mountain Park at least a few times a week. He's very excited about the idea of a 36-mile loop that will become the Red Rock Trail System.Brown said, “That is amazing. I’m not going to lie, and I'm going to try every last one of them trails because, yeah, I’ve been waiting for something like that for a while. Outdoor time is very important. It gives you time to clear your mind. It takes you away from reality. It gives you time to just zone out for a little bit, just taking everyday stress off for a while.” It's a 15-year plan to build out an additional 17 miles of trails to connect Red Mountain Park to the High Ore Line Trail, Miles College, Railroad Park, Ruffner Mountain and Shades Creek Greenway. Dr. Mark Wilson with the Jefferson County Health Department said, “The main goal was just to help our community be healthier or to give everybody more opportunities to easily access places to go outdoors and get exercise. And that's really been great to see. But it's also bringing people together. It's connecting us more.” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says it's important to give people in the inner-city access to nature and exercise space and the Red Rock Trail system would put that within a mile for folks in 50 different Birmingham neighborhoods.Woodfin said, “It's not a secret, some of the health challenges that we face, not just in Birmingham but Jefferson County as a whole. So, getting residents out, biking, walking, running, allowing them to connect throughout the city, this changes lives.”And wooded trails mean outdoor time even in Alabama’s hottest months. Paula Comunelli Pierce lives in Homewood and visits Red Mountain Park almost every day to walk her dogs.She said, “The shade helps that. That's why I come here. I even don't even like to walk in my neighborhood so much because it's so hot. And we like it. We like the trees and we like the woods, like the Mother Earth. The more trails, the better, for sure. And it'll give people more stuff to do. Come on, guys, Get out here. Do something.” The projected cost is $40 million, but organizers are hoping grants will cover much of that. It's a 15-year plan, but some of the connections are already being built out.