Biking on Georgia's Silver Comet Trail

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April 4th 2017

Published: April 11th 2017

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Additional maps: Silver Comet Trail

Ursa Major

Silver Comet Trail_ (25)

From the Alabama side

Biking on Georgia's Silver Comet Trail

Location: Northwest Georgia (Smyrna) to the Alabama border west of Cedartown

Distance: 61 miles or 99 kilometres

Surface: Mostly Concrete

Width: Very wide (12 feet/4 metres)

Trail Markers: Marked in miles and kilometres with frequent signs

Bathrooms: Yes but depends on the county

Benches/Garbage cans: very few except in the towns

Rain shelters: a few but no benches or picnic tables.

The Silver Comet Trail connects with the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama to make up the second longest paved rail trail in USA (99 miles/156 km)

We have done the complete trail (round trip) three times from Hiram to the Alabama border and continued to the end of Alabama's Chief Ladiga trail.

Of the roughly 80 plus trails that we have biked in North America, The Silver Comet ranks as one of the best. The first 15 or so miles out of Smyrna (eastern end) tends to be more built up, so we have always used the Hiram Trailhead as our starting point to the west.

Mile 14 - City of Hiram,

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almost at the end

Trailhead at Homer Legget Park elevation is 1040 feet

Mile 19 is the Paulding Trailhead - parking and porta potty (off the trail)

Mile 20 is the Tara Drummond Trailhead elevation 1092 feet

Mile 22 Rambo Trailhead with parking and porta potty

Mile 23 Pumpkinvine Trestle 700 feet long and 100 feet above the ground

Mile 23.7 Tunnel under US278 and until Coot's Lake at mile 33 it is fairly remote

Mile 31 Brushy Mountain Tunnel 700 foot lighted tunnel. Elevation 1050 feet. From here to Coot's Lake Trailhead it is down hill and you can coast pretty well all the way. This is a scenic run down hill!

Mile 33 Coot's Lake Trailhead has parking, porta potty and a nearby gas station with convenience store. Elevation 915 feet.

Mile 37 Rockmart. Trail passes through Seaborn Park and has easy access to stores.

Mile 39 Nathan Dean Park Trailhead. Lots of parking nice toilets, tables, pavilion & playground. For the next 3 miles the trail runs beside highway 278 and has some hills.

Miles 43-43 scenic farms and ranches.

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Brushy Mountain Tunnel mile 31 near Rockmart

Mile 46 Grady Road Trailhead - parking only

Mile 52 Cedartown Depot. From Rockmart to Cedartown the trail is more twisty and has a number of hills. I don't think that this was part of the railway. The Cedartown railway station is now a tourist bureau and museum. Maps, washroom, water, and a bicycle repair stand are available. Stores are also close by.

From Cedartown to the Alabama border it is fairly isolated with only a few roads crossing the trail.

Mile 61.2 Kilometre 99 Gateway Park elevation 919 feet - where the Silver Comet trail ends and the Chief Ladiga Trail begins. There are a few picnic tables and one covered area. No bathrooms, no water, no parking. The chief Ladiga Trail is written up in a much earlier blog

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