SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. – Alabama is quickly becoming a destination for mountain biking enthusiasts, and the addition of a new pump track and more than 10 miles of new trails at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County enhances that elevated status.
At a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony, the pump course of undulating track located near the BMX track at Oak Mountain was unveiled and quickly produced smiles from the attendees, who were able to get on the track as soon as the ribbon cutting was finished.
Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), joined officials from Innovate Alabama, Shelby County, Alabama State Parks, Birmingham Urban Mountain Peddlers (BUMP), FlowMotion Trailbuilders and Trail Visions to officially open the pump track to the public.
“The pump track is a place where people can learn how to use the bike and their upper body to pump the bike as they go around hills and go over bumps and not have to pedal as much on the trail, being able to use the terrain to generate speed and momentum,” Blankenship said. “We built another 10-plus miles of trails to go with what we already had here at Oak Mountain. We have more than 50 miles of trails here at the park, and we’ll continue to build some more.”
Shelby County is adding more trails at Double Oak Park and Shelby County Park, a Forever Wild Land Trust property.
“When you combine the work at Oak Mountain with the work in Shelby County, what we’re trying to do is make Oak Mountain and Shelby County the premier mountain bike system in the country,” Blankenship said. “All of this would not have happened on this facility without Shelby County and the work they have done. I appreciate the county’s leadership because they understand that outdoor recreation is an economic incentive for the county. I use Shelby County as an example all the time on how we can make good things happen.”
Shelby County Commissioner Lindsey Allison admitted she is passionate about Oak Mountain State Park, having visited the 11,000-acre park more than 120 times in 2025. Shelby County has developed an initiative called “Find Your Trail.”
“As a crow flies, I live about a mile from the park,” Allison said. “I know this park backwards and forward. I am so appreciative of what the state has done in providing this park. I’m so appreciative of our amazing (county) staff and Chad Scroggins (county manager).
“We’re very appreciative of all our partnerships. On behalf of the Shelby County Commission to all our partners, thank you.”
Blankenship applauded the vision and dedication of the members of BUMP in their effort to expand the trail system in Alabama.
“We started building trails here about 30 years ago with the permission of the park,” said BUMP Director Chase Draper. “We formed an agreement and started building a multi-use trail system here. It has gone great. So far, we have 50-plus miles of trails. This project marks a huge leap forward in that vision.
“We knew we wanted to build a skills park, but we really didn’t know what a skills park was. Luckily, the park loved the idea and managed to show it to some of the people from the Innovate Alabama board. They realized it would be an asset to the community. We’re just thankful to have this, and this state park is a huge asset in our area.”
Will Abner, BUMP vice president, gave an example of how the status of mountain biking in Alabama has been elevated with the new trails, pump track and other facilities. He recently entertained friends who had previously lived in Birmingham for a trail ride at Oak Mountain.
“Since they had left, we had developed so much,” Abner said. “After the ride, we were talking, and they couldn’t believe how much we had developed the park with the diversity of trails and different styles. They were really complimentary of how much we have grown and almost daring to say the mountain biking scene here is outpacing what they have in Boulder (Colorado). They’re having to travel 20 or 30 minutes to hit a trail, and it’s just one trail. Here, we’re 15 minutes from the city, and we have 50 miles of every type of mountain biking trail you can imagine.”
Blankenship said he wanted to make sure this project went through Innovate Alabama to further its goal of highlighting outdoor recreation in the state.
“For those of you who are not familiar with Innovate Alabama, it was set up by Governor (Kay) Ivey and the (Alabama) Legislature to help highlight opportunities we have in Alabama, primarily to retain and attract talent in the tech sector as we try to grow that part of Alabama and the economy,” Blankenship said.
The conclusion from an Innovate Alabama-commissioned study done by the Hoover Institute is that Alabama should take advantage of its abundant natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities that contribute to the quality of life in our state.
“Outdoor recreation was a differentiator for us with all the woods and waters we have in Alabama,” said Blankenship, who is the chair of Innovate Alabama’s Outdoor Recreation Council. “With outdoor recreation, we could use that to separate us from other states.”
Blankenship also relayed a little history about Oak Mountain State Park, which started in the 1930s as a 1,000-acre park “out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Now the park is 11,000 acres, and we have all these trails, the campground, the cabins and lakes,” he said. “It’s a fantastic place, but it all started in the 1930s with somebody having a vision to set aside 1,000 acres. I’m appreciative of those people who set aside some property that we can enjoy almost 100 years later. I’m very proud of the work done through the Forever Wild Board and other entities to acquire other properties to set aside. To go from 1,000 acres to 11,000 acres is going to have a lasting impact. That is going to be a lasting legacy long after we are all gone.
“I hope we can continue to add to it so that 100 years from now, people will say they surely appreciate the work that was done in the early 2000s to set aside some property so that they can enjoy that just like we’re enjoying property that was set aside for us.”
Oak Mountain and Coldwater Mountain, another Forever Wild property, are actively trying to achieve the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s Silver Level Ride Center designation to attract mountain bikers from all over the world to experience Alabama’s great outdoors.
“I really think this pump track is going to bring a new audience to Oak Mountain,” said State Parks Director Matthew Capps. “I’m excited about the partnership with BUMP and Shelby County to see these improvements come to fruition.”
Visit www.alapark.com/trails/trails-alabama-state-parks to discover the abundant opportunities to enjoy the beautiful Alabama State Parks.
