Shades Mountain is a
cuesta in
Jefferson County,
Alabama,
United States. The mountain is bordered by Shades Crest Road to the west, Highway 150 to the south, Highway 280 to the east and Shades Creek to the north. It includes all of the neighborhood of Bluff Park in
Hoover, where it summits, as well as portions of the cities of
Homewood,
Vestavia Hills and
Mountain Brook.
Geology
The rocks of Shades Mountain including the "Shades Sandstone" can be viewed readily from Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover, on the north side of Hurricane Creek.
Landmarks
There is a
Lovers Leap
Lover's Leap, or (in plural) Lovers' Leap, is a toponym given to a number of locations of varying height, usually isolated, with the risk of a fatal fall and the possibility of a deliberate jump. Legends of romantic tragedy are often associated w ...
, a rock outcropping on Shades Crest Road and
Brock Gap
Brock Gap (variant Brock's Gap) is a natural pass across Shades Mountain in Hoover, Alabama, most notable as being the location used by the South & North Railroad (S&N) to reach the Birmingham area in the late 19th century from the mineral deposi ...
wher
Shades Mountainwas blasted to make way for rail access. There is also the locally-known Tip Top Grill which has a view overlooking much of the area.
External links
A group devoted to protecting Shades Mountain
Geology of Moss Rock PreserveBiking on Shades Mountain
Landforms of Jefferson County, Alabama
Geology of Alabama
Ridges of Alabama
{{JeffersonCountyAL-geo-stub