Pelham brings together a wide range of interests: a naturally fed waterfall and birds of prey at Oak Mountain State Park, an urban trail system, ice sports, golf and cultural offerings. When planning, it helps to first choose your main focus: should nature in the park, activity on trails and sports facilities, or a cultural program take priority? Each place and facility has its own distinct appeal.
Nature, Wildlife and Education at Oak Mountain State Park
Peavine Falls, a naturally fed waterfall about 65 feet high, is located on the highest ridge of Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham. The Treetop Nature Trail Boardwalk offers another perspective on the park: it has six enclosures housing twelve non-releasable birds of prey cared for by the Alabama Wildlife Center. The Alabama Wildlife Center at Oak Mountain State Park also offers tours.
Education is another distinct focus at the park. The Oak Mountain Interpretive Center is the hub for educational programs, the work of the park naturalists and interactive exhibits. Visitors interested in these topics in addition to the waterfall and wildlife will find a different point of interest here than a simple appreciation of the landscape. The Red Trail adds a sporting dimension to the park: it is listed among the International Mountain Biking Association's EPIC Rides.
Trails and Green Spaces in Pelham
The Pelham Greenway Trail is a six-and-a-half-mile trail system. Phases I and II run from Bearden Road through the City Park Complex to beyond the Dog Park; they opened in summer 2020. The distance describes the trail system, while the named locations indicate the route of these two phases.
Park 124 offers a different focus: this green space is located on Campus 124 in Pelham and has walking trails, open areas and places to relax. This gives you two distinct options for planning: a trail connection with a specified route and a green space with walking trails.
Sports Highlights
The Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena is located right off I-65 in the center of Pelham. The facility has two NHL-sized ice rinks and a skating school. Its focus on ice sports clearly distinguishes it from the golf and racquet sports offerings.
The Ballantrae Golf Club in Pelham has 18 holes and a par of 72. The Pelham Racquet Club has 20 outdoor clay courts and five hard courts. These two venues offer different types of sport: the golf club's details refer to the number of holes and par, while the racquet club's refer to the number and surface of its courts. If you are weighing up different sporting interests, you can compare these features with what you have in mind.
Culture and Programs
Pelham has established an Arts & Entertainment District to promote culture, creativity, recreation, entertainment and dining in the city. The Pelham Public Library offers educational, cultural and recreational programs. Individual programs and dates change, so if a particular offering is part of your plans, check the schedule in advance.
The two cultural offerings have different focuses: the District is intended to support citywide promotion of various areas, while the library focuses on specific types of programs. Together with the educational programs and interactive exhibits at the Oak Mountain Interpretive Center, they offer a range of options beyond sports and nature. You can choose what to explore in Pelham based on the themes you want to shape your stay, rather than trying to fit every option into a single route or fixed daily schedule.
Discover more destinations: Calera, Alabaster.
For the broader travel overview: Shelby County.
