About Us

Freshwater Land Trust® has two distinct but complementary objectives: to conserve and care for environmentally significant land and water throughout central Alabama, and to connect the Red Rock Trail System® throughout Jefferson County. In the simplest terms, we conserve land and build trails to create happier and healthier communities.

Conservation: Since 1996, we have preserved land that is critical to the protection of Alabama waterways and created outdoor recreational opportunities for communities. We are the stewards of land in fourteen counties and counting: Bibb, Blount, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coosa, Dallas, Etowah, Jef­fer­son, Lowndes, Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, and Walker. We are proud to partner with governments, corporations, landown­ers, and community groups to protect our natural environment and increase access to outdoor recreation. We are nation­ally accred­ited by the Land Trust Accred­i­ta­tion Com­mis­sion, meeting national stan­dards of excel­lence, upholding pub­lic trust, and ensuring con­ser­va­tion efforts are permanent.

Connection: The Red Rock Trail System® (RRTS) has been a core component of our work since 2010. This 750-mile master plan of multi-use trails, parks, sidewalks, and bike lanes connects communities via six main trail corridors, giving residents across Jefferson County improved access to transportation and recreation opportunities. With 129 miles completed to date and a priority Red Rock Action Plan, we are excited to continue to grow the RRTS and to better connect the people of Jefferson County to the outdoors. Find a Trail near you.

Want to learn more? Read about our recent work or watch one of our videos. You can also explore stories written by local and national media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch.

Interested in conserving your own land? We offer a variety of conservation services for landowners.