This week, BUMP volunteers and members of the Oak Mountain State Park Trail Crew installed the final trail signage, officially opening Jackhammer to the public and completing the construction portion of the Innovate Alabama Trail Project at Oak Mountain State Park.
Jackhammer wasn’t designed to be the fastest way across the mountain. It was designed to be an experience—a trail where the landscape dictated the route instead of the other way around. Riders can access the trail by climbing Red Road, turning left onto the Orange/Blue Connector at the top of the climb, then following it to the Blue Trail. Turn left on Blue and continue until you see the signed entrance to Jackhammer on the right.
The trail traverses a rugged, south-facing ridgeline and is both physically and technically demanding. Riders will encounter several short, punchy climbs that were intentionally incorporated to weave around massive rock outcroppings instead of blasting through or disturbing them. There are also a handful of sections where most riders will choose to hike their bike. The reward is a level of solitude, rugged beauty, and technical riding rarely found so close to a major metropolitan area. If smooth, flowing XC trails are your preference, Jackhammer may not be your favorite ride. But if you enjoy exploring challenging terrain and don’t mind earning your adventure, you’ll find an experience that feels more like a remote wilderness than a city park. Because the trail follows an exposed south-facing ridge with no bailout routes, riders should be prepared for the additional challenge of Alabama’s summer heat.
From the beginning, BUMP envisioned Jackhammer as something different from the rest of Oak Mountain’s trail network. The goal wasn’t simply to build another trail, but to create an experience that captured the feeling of riding deep in a remote mountain wilderness while remaining only minutes from downtown Birmingham. The rugged ridgeline presented significant design and construction challenges, and Trail Visions was awarded the construction contract. We challenged Mike and his crew to bring that vision to life by creating the kind of raw, backcountry riding experience usually reserved for much larger wilderness areas. As always, they embraced the challenge with exceptional craftsmanship and determination, delivering a trail that is every bit as beautiful as it is demanding.
As the project evolved, our ambitions exceeded the available construction budget. To complete the connection between Oak Mountain’s original bike loop and the Belcher Property via Jackhammer, two short sections of the Blue Trail and Orange/Blue Connector were converted to multi-use trails. That small modification created a seamless connection while preserving the overall vision for the trail network.
The opening of Jackhammer also marks the successful completion of the Innovate Alabama Trail Project, one of the most transformative trail investments in Oak Mountain State Park’s history. The project included the construction of Jackhammer, Roman Road, three gravity trails—Valhalla, Rodeo Clown, and Fish Whistle—along with the new Oak Mountain Skills Park. Together, these additions have expanded Oak Mountain’s appeal to riders of every discipline and significantly elevated the park’s standing as a mountain bike destination.
From its inception, the project was designed to position Oak Mountain State Park for International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Silver-Level Ride Center designation. Every trail and facility included in the project was intentionally selected to broaden the riding experience, diversify the park’s trail offerings, and align Oak Mountain with the qualities found at nationally recognized mountain bike destinations.
During the course of construction, however, IMBA announced that it would be retooling the Ride Center program and temporarily paused new evaluations while developing updated designation criteria. Although the Innovate Alabama Trail Project is now complete, we are still waiting for IMBA to release the new evaluation metrics before Oak Mountain can be considered under the revised program. Regardless of when that process resumes, we believe this project has already accomplished its most important objective: creating one of the most diverse and memorable mountain biking experiences in the Southeast.
Like Jackhammer, the project required creativity and collaboration to overcome budget limitations. Funding did not fully cover construction of Valhalla, so BUMP volunteers built the upper technical section, while the lower portion became a joint effort between BUMP volunteers and the Shelby County Trail Builders. Trail Visions constructed Jackhammer, Roman Road, Rodeo Clown, and Fish Whistle, while Flow Motion was selected to build the Oak Mountain Skills Park.
Projects of this scale are never accomplished by a single organization. This effort represents an incredible partnership between Shelby County, BUMP, Innovate Alabama, Trail Visions, Flow Motion, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Their collective investment has transformed Oak Mountain into a destination that offers everything from beginner progression features and gravity trails to technical backcountry adventures.
While we look forward to IMBA releasing its updated Ride Center criteria, this project has already changed what is possible at Oak Mountain State Park. Whether you’re riding gravity trails, developing new skills in the Skills Park, exploring the backcountry on Jackhammer, or linking together an epic cross-country ride, the Innovate Alabama Trail Project has created experiences that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.
To everyone who helped make this vision a reality—our volunteers, contractors, funding partners, land managers, and agency partners—thank you. We can’t wait to see riders experience everything this project has to offer.