Find the top rated running trails in Carrollton, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I live in Downtown Decatur and I've been searching for a way to walk my dog in the mornings without running into small children too frequently. My dog can be a reactive to strangers and I want to find a safe way to exercise her. I found this trail randomly thinking it was the Beltline.
As far as quality goes, in between the East Lake and Avondale MARTA stations, this trail is an absolute dream! Nice wide walking path. Easy for walkers, joggers and bikers alike to enjoy the trail without obstructing each other's path. Nice tree coverage from the hot sun.
However, if you actually try to take this trail to Stone Mountain Park. Do so at your own risk, especially by walking. You definitely run into very dicey areas. Areas that aren't well maintained. There are quite a few spots where the trail doesn't have signs and it runs into busy streets and roads. Also, there are areas that aren't maintained at all which really sucks. I'd love to walk from home safely all the way to Stone Mountain Park.
It's a nice stretch--20 miles from end to end. However safety is a huge factor. This trail has so much potential if the state or city put a lot effor to make it safe for pedestrians and bike riders alike.
However, it's better than nothing I suppose. Decatur sidewalks can be too crowded during weekday mornings. They're so narrow and lots of families are dropping their kids off at school and heading to work.
So, I have to make due with the trail as it is which is still WAY better than the Beltline East Side trail that's crowded at all hours of the day every day of the week.
This is the main trail I go to. I wish there were signs for the Buddy System for safety along with wearing a bicycle helmet. I wrote a book about this trail after walking the whole trail in 2004 with friends. The first day I went alone and that convinced me to find friends. I love this trail.
I live .25 miles from this trail, and I LOVE it! I see maintenance workers maintaining the trail regularly, and they just finished an overlook bridge over I-285 that’s made specially for the trail. Yes, there are a few parts of this trail where you will need to be on the road, but as long as you ride responsibility you will not have a problem. Drivers in the area are aware there is a large bike trail nearby, so I’ve never had an issue with uncooperative drivers. Not recommended for street biking, but it is great for a workout if you enjoy casually cycling.
The Proctor Creek Trail is a hidden gem. The bridgework is impressive, and the surrounding foliage adds to the trail's serenity. The southern end point adjoins the Bankhead Marta Station, and immediately the path winds you through a number of oldtimey industrial buildings, vacant but clean and safely away from the path. Then the rest of the trail is as if you are in the country - quiet, peaceful and beautiful. There are a few gentle slopes and a number of park benches.
Warning: there are parts of this trail that are remote which means that if there were to be an incident on the trail, you would have to wait awhile before city services could respond to your call.
Parking: On the southern end point, you can park at Maddox Park and follow the sidewalk out of the park and over to the southern endpoint. (Or of course, take Marta to the Bankhead Station on the East/West Line.)
Started at the Chief Ladiga trailhead at Michael Tucker Park in Weaver / Anniston. As someone else mentioned, plenty of parking and clean, open bathroom facilities. Every bit of this trail is well marked and very well maintained. The buckles or bumps in the trail were marked with white paint.
Took the recumbent trike since this was a paved trail. And, while I wasn't planning to ride all the way to the AL/GA border and the link with the Silver Comet, the trail, weather conditions, mix of shade and sun, I found myself just going... and going... One of the other bikers at the start told me it was a flat ride (relatively), he wasn't kidding. All the elevation changes are gradual, long sight lines, no blind curves, so made for as easy or fast as you like.
Trail was never crowded, bikes, a few hikers/walkers and a single skateboarder (near the college in Jacksonville). Saw flock of wild turkeys, some squirrels and one rabbit. Plenty of birds, dragonflies and butterflies
I hadn't planned on the full out and back, but with Piedmont right in the middle of the out and the back, was able to restock water as needed. Lunch along the trail was as peaceful as could be.
Anyone of any ability could ride as much or as little of this trail as they like. Multiple places along the trail to park, all the road crossings are clearly marked and only one listed as "caution". Plenty of shade, especially in morning or late afternoon. All the bridges are in excellent shape.
Quite a gem.
I hesitated to use trail as a runner because of lack of parking..huge mistake!!! You can park on neighborhood streets near the access points. Hoosier Church, beecher hills school, flamingo drive of willis mill. I believe You can get a total of about 5 --7 miles on entire trail.
Change of pace-using city streets you can connect to Westside belt line.
There are off road (following the creek) and paved trails. Benches are also along the trail and a playground. A natural tree canopy provides shade in summer months.
I was on an ecowalk to learn about vegetation in the forest! HUGE oak trees, natural bamboo, and others. Cool experience, will definitely return.
Coming from Sarasota, Florida where our Tamiami Trail is flat, has no scenery and is barely shaded, my husband and I really enjoyed the ups and downs, the scenery and the shaded portions. We completed it two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday starting after 3 PM.
Very nice short trail, or a great way to start you Silver comment ride. Good parking at the Wild Horse Park.
The trail has really cool painted animal sewer covers. Your kids will have a great time looking for the next animal on the trail. We counted 36
I started my ride at the trailhead in Anniston, a really good spot to begin the ride: a large parking-area directly on the trail, a lovely and well-kept park, and, what was a total surprise to my wife and me, it not only has public restrooms, but also showers, not locked but open for everyone, and with HOT water at that, and everything perfectly clean! We were enthusiastic! Considering the hot showers there, it might also be a very good end of a ride, of course.
In Jacksonville the former railway depot now is a well-maintained rest stop, with absolutely clean facilities. Water is also available there. And don’t forget to sign the guestbook for the trail.
The end, the spot where it connects with the Silver Comet Trail that is, has a nice rest area with benches and a Porta Potty which, after a 33-mile ride, might come in handy.
When I rode the Chief Ladiga Trail on May 19 this year, it was an absolutely fantastic day. It was quite warm, and the humidity wasn't half bad, but as the trail quite often lead under the thick leafy canopy of the trees and as I had the airflow around me, it certainly was bearable. The air was gorgeously fresh, and smelled of every possible tree, shrub, and herb, and I kept thinking that here even the air one breathes was green. I didn't see any larger wildlife, but an abundance of squirrels and chipmunks. The small towns I passed through were some nice distraction – not that I had needed one as the trail showed enough variety: sometimes leading through open meadow, sometimes through green tunnels in a manner of speaking, and later with the wooded hills of Alabama in the background, with a blue sky and fluffy white clouds above. And in between again and again the green wetlands of a slowly meandering gurgling creek.
Finally, a remark about the state of the trail: absolutely fantastic – smooth asphalt from beginning to end [I could easily have ridden my road bike instead of the more cross-country-suitable Salsa Fargo], and if there was a slight dent in it, from a root that was pushing the asphalt up, that was marked with white paint, even if it was just half an inch up. The people who first created that path and now maintain it in such a perfect condition deserve a lot of praise and a heartfelt "thank you".
This is ok for leisure riding, but not for road bike training. There are stop signs, and stop lights all over the trail. Just to many road crossings to enjoy. I was thinking Rails to Trails, which typically means long long stretches without road crossings. This is really better suited for walking.
Started at Tara Drummond trailhead. There are real restrooms and water there. Headed west to the tunnel (9.8 miles) It must have been 15 degrees cooler inside. Very good experience on a 90 degree day.
The trail is quite scenic, complete with sections where the trees canopy over it. Didn't see any animals at all, but we cycled from noon til about 2:15 so they were probably all taking a siesta.
Seemed like we were going uphill as we pedaled west. Not too bad, even for recumbent trikes.
Pavement is concrete but in very good condition. I just wish there was water and restrooms at the tunnel. We were slugging back a lot of water during the 20 mile round trip ride and that was our only letdown.
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