Explore the best rated trails in Gadsden, AL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Viking Trail and Oostanaula Levee Trail. With more than 7 trails covering 109 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Husband and I came to ride this trail. We went from the trail head in Anniston. We managed to avoid any rain some lite drizzle but much colder than expected. Rode to mile maker 20. On way back to Anniston we we chased by a white looked like pit bull mix. Food stops along the way would be nice but understandable that there aren’t any for the remote locations. Will most definitely come back!
My wife and I rode the 10 miles out from Cedartowm -awesome trail-smooth and mostly shaded on a very hot Georgia day. We drank a lot of water on the ride only to find that there’s no restroom at Esom. Not good for a couple of 70+ bikers. The person at the Cedartown trailhead said that she didn’t know. Beware- still a great ride ¿
I rode the entire Silver Comet trail starting in Alabama on the Chief Ladgia Trail overnighting in Dallas. The Silver Comet Trail is completely paved, well marked and in nearly perfect condition. There are many road crossings but I never had an issue finding the trail and the few busier road crossings have traffic signals to make crossing safer.
There are a few important things to point out however. The large hill that parallels a landfill outside of Cedartown throws out the rail trail of the Silver Comet. It is very steep and riding from West to East there were two downhills where I had to dismount because I didn't feel safe going down a steep curving decline. Powder Springs and Rockmart have embraced the Silver Comet more as they have more signage directing trail users to local businesses, Cedartown hasn't done the same.
The scenery is gorgeous with great variation from streams, tunnels, a few trestles and plenty of trees providing much needed shade during the Labor Day Weekend heat. I encountered more trail users in the last 20 miles from Dallas to Smyrna than I did in the 80 previous miles from Alabama to Dallas. Almost all trail users were courteous and every driver I encountered at intersections yielded to cyclists.
I highly recommend contacting Rooted Trading Company in Powder Springs if you want to arrange shuttle service to anywhere on either the Silver Comet or Chief Ladgia Trails.
I rode the entire Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet trails over two days and had a great experience on both. I parked overnight at the Weaver PD who were kind enough to let me park my car there as long as I left my info with them. I quickly rode to the Michael Tucker Park to say I started at mile 0 and began my long trip.
Chief Ladiga is fully paved and still in overall great condition. There are a fair amount of cracks and bumps but most were marked and there were none that my hybrid bike tires couldn't handle, they just give me a little rattle. The trail itself is mostly shaded and had mile markers at every half mile. The trail is mostly flat but you will feel when you have to peddle to keep momentum and feel when you can just let loose and speed up on a gentle decline.
My only recommendation for improvement is for the communities along the way to embrace this trail more. I didn't really see signage for local businesses so unless you do your research in advance you will miss out on what the three towns along the trail have to offer. Even on Labor Day Weekend the trail wasn't too busy.
One last suggestion is for anyone looking to ride the entire Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet trail is to arrange a shuttle with Rooted Trading Company in Powder Springs, GA. They are able to pick you up and drop you off anywhere along the trail if you reach out to them.
We rode a couple of days over the weekend. The trail is a little bumpy in spots but over all in good shape. We rode the section from Jacksonville to Piedmont (fyi - highly recomend Elevated Grounds coffee shop in Piedmont. Great food, coffee, smoothies, etc. 110 S Center st. Just off the trail.)
I'm 68 years old and rode the 66 miles from Anniston and back. I enjoyed the entire trail but the last 10 miles or so through Talladega National Forest were beautiful. Very well-maintained trail. The old train depot in Jacksonville is nice and Piedmont struck me as a typical Alabama town. Very glad I did it though strong wind gusts made it difficult at times in open areas.
Nice trail pavement. Lots of rest stops if needed. Will return in future.
I just did the lower 13 miles from the Michael Tucker park in Anniston. Very nice mostly smooth trail mostly through woods and farmland, along some small streams. Lots of wildflowers this spring. Very little traffic on the few streets I had to cross, not many walkers and fewer cyclists on the trail. Just a caution if you are camping at the trailhead: flat field campground has many low spots holding water after yesterday’s rain. Watch where you put your tent. The restroom is only marginally maintained. Shower water is warm but only comes in brief bursts. Note to the town of Anniston: litter pick up along the trail is needed at your end. Rest of the trail was quite clean.
Well maintained very safe trail. Crosses several roads that are well marked. Each crossing had a signal to stop traffic. Heavily used by walkers. Everyone was friendly and stayed to the right. Made passing easy. A lot resting spots on the route. Definitely a must ride.
We rode these two Hall of Fame trails, west to east, on Dec. 27 & 28, 2021, overnighting in Cedartown, GA. Daytime temperature averaging 70. Trail is well-maintained, with excellent surface, well-lit tunnels and interesting trestles. Scenery was peaceful and serene with streams, ponds, and alternating woods, meadows and pastures. A super breakfast/lunch stop is Elevated Grounds Coffee Shop in the sleepy little town of Piedmont, AL. Also, bike shop next door will do repairs, etc. Another must stop is Rooted Trading Company in Powder Springs, GA. Both businesses offer shuttle service.
I've ridden this trail between these 2 points a few times now and I always enjoy the ride. The most difficult is getting up the hill at one of the bridges , but the best part is going back down that same hill. I felt like a kid again.:-) Make sure you have a comfy seat on your bike to make the ride even more enjoyable. There's nothing worse than a sore butt! :-) looking forward to starting out from Hiram and exploring even further out and eventually to the other end.
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