The Silver Comet Trail – one of the South’s most celebrated “car-free” bicycle trails – is located just two hours south of Chattanooga in Smyrna, Ga. Stretching 61.5 miles to the Alabama state line, the Silver Comet offers miles of scenic views and outdoor fun for the non-motorized: bicycles, walkers, runners, inline skating, horses and dog walkers.
The Silver Comet Trail:
Location: Trail begins in Smyrna, Ga., and meets up with the Chief Ladiga Trail at the Alabama state line
Description: 61.5-mile wheelchair-accessible trail for walkers, runners, bicyclists, inline skating, horses and dog walkers.
Directions: Reach the Silver Comet Trailhead off of I-285, Exit 15/ Route 280 / South Cobb Drive. Head North on South Cobb, turn left on Cumberland Parkway SE, then turn right on Gaylor Street. The trailhead is near the shopping complex.
For more information visit www.railstotrails.org.
At the Alabama state line, the Silver Comet ends where another rail-trail begins: the Chief Ladiga Trail, which stretches 33 miles to Anniston, Ala. Together, the pathways create one of the longest paved rail-trail corridors in the country.
Thanks to the efforts of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, which has been working since 1986 to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines, more than 1,683 rail-trails like the Silver Comet Trail have been developed nationwide.
“Rail trails are some of the most family-friendly trails you will find,” says Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Director of Communications Karl Wirsing. “The vast majority of rail trails only allow non-motorized uses. Also, because the trails are built along former railways, they pass through communities at regular intervals – 8 to 12 miles at most – which is great with kids, who have a limit to their patience and endurance.”
Named for the Silver Comet passenger train that provided service between Boston and Birmingham from 1947 to 1969, the Silver Comet Trail features several historic railroad structures along its path. The Pumpkinvine Trestle, which was built in 1901, spans 750 feet and rises 126 feet over Pumpkinvine Creek at Mile Marker 23. An 800-foot concrete-lined railroad tunnel that was built in 1912 passes through Brushy Mountain at Mile Marker 30.9.
The eastern section of the Silver Comet runs through residential areas, including housing developments with private trail access, while the western section offers a scenic mix of farmland and pine stands. The trail passes through several small Georgia towns such as Rockmart, Cedartown and Powder Springs, many of which offer ice cream shops, museums, bike shops, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds and locally owned restaurants to welcome trail visitors.
The Silver Comet Trail is used by more than 2 million people a year. Law enforcement officials patrol the trail and say reports of crime are low. However, caution is advised. Users are asked to carry a cell phone, water and sunscreen, travel with others, and never be on the trail after dark.
For more information about the Silver Comet Trail, visit the Rails-to-Trails website or the Path Foundation, which helped develop the trail, online. The current edition of the Silver Comet Guide Book, which outlines restaurant locations, trailhead and bathroom information, distances and elevations, can be ordered from the Path Foundation.
Jenni Frankenberg Veal enjoys writing about the natural world and the people who work to protect it. She is rarely found without her daughters and a pair of shoes appropriate for hiking and rock-hopping in creeks. Visit her blog at YourOutdoorFamily.com.
