Find the top rated bike trails in Franklin Springs, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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There’s now about 5.75 miles of continuous trail from downtown Athens to its sudden end, which is about .7 miles from where the trail picks up in Winterville. Trail easements are still being acquired, so please don’t trespass past where the concrete ends. This new section from Hancock Road to a mile past Thomas Farm subdivision is lovely, with a canopy of mature trees, views of pastures, and new swings. When complete, the Firefly trail will be more than 40 miles through three counties, but now it is disconnected, with few amenities. For a more complete description and context, please see my prior update from September 2025.
We hit the trail about 9 am for an out and back ride. Pretty quiet early on a Monday morning. Gentle slopes but no big climbs. My wife had a good time on her pedal assist e-bike. A few road crossings but only one busy at the Easley end of the trail. We rode from Pickens to Easley and back. Plenty of parking on the Pickens end. I was able to park my class C camper pretty easily.
The entire path is lit now which makes it a perfect evening ride. Less people to navigate before Wilshire. If you’re coming from Rock Creek, stay on the right when the path splits because stairs are on the left. FYI, Longwood is closed until Summer 2026.
It was a beautiful ride through the woods with lots of really interesting history. But there were lots of bumps due to tree roots which were hard to see due to the leaves covering them! We felt it was a bit too rough with our new e-bikes but that is simply a personal preference. We loved the posts along the way with interesting facts about how the RR was built. The Badwell Cemetery along the route was also so very interesting. We would recommend this trail if you don't mind the bumps!
The Harris Greenway could be thought of as three connected trails: the newer section at Harbins, the section at Tribble Mill, and the suburban connection in- between. This middle section is less scenic, but it is arguably the most important as it provides access for the high school and all the neighborhoods to two very nice parks. As a previous reviewer noted, there’s a full loop around the lake at Tribble Mill, and while it’s hilly and curvy, it’s mostly shaded. The surface here is asphalt, and is buckling in some places, but staff have made significant effort to mark these small hazards (as of early fall 2025 when I rode). Tribble Mill has all your standard park amenities and is a great place for a picnic if you’re starting from the other end of the Greenway. The suburban connector has a big hill down to the river, so if you’re not on an ebike, get ready for exercise! The side towards Harbins Park is newer, with rolling hills, a lovely boardwalk and more neighborhood connections. Harbins Park, while lacking the focal point of a lake that Tribble Mill has, is a nice park in its own right. There’s also another couple of miles of paved trail between all the mountain bike trails, and while it’s hilly, it’s completely shaded. I took my ride and pictures in early fall 2025. I meant to share them sooner since this trail had not received as much attention on TrailLink… but people are definitely out using it! I wound probably deduct half a star because I think more could be done to separate/protect the suburban section from the busy road, and there could be better wayfinding at the Tribble Mill section. But the Harris Greenway— with its connection to two nice parks — is a great trail. I drove over from Athens to check it out, and I’m glad I did!
Walked starting from the Gwinnett environmental and heritage center, but couldn’t get to other end of Greenway as planned because they are currently rebuilding a bridge where the trail turns to go toward the Mall of GA. Instead, did the stretch down to the suspension bridge plus the Wildlife Observation Loop Trail and still achieved 4.6 miles. Not sure when the new bridge will open but looks like they are making good progress.
Love this trail. Several flowing water creeks to view!
Paved and shady, but in winter moss on the pavement can make it slippery. Many tree roots make for a bumpy ride for bicycles or skates. If you like biking on pavement try the connecting Terrora circle and Old 441 that has light traffic and follows the river. Delightful even on a sunny winter day. .
We ride this trail often and can't wait till more is added.
Thought I’d provide some clarity here, as the Firefly Trail is pretty disconnected and there are few trail amenities, but it has a lot of potential: Dudley Park near downtown serves as both the trail head of the Athens side and as the nexus for both the Firefly Rail Trail and the North Oconee River Greenway (so you can extend your ride in Athens by adding the Greenway). After parking, follow the trail along the river (or take a shortcut up through the woods) to reach the Firefly Rail Trail. You’ll see a bathroom, water fountain, and picnic pavilion for the park. Just off the trail there’s a bike repair station. Note: restrooms are locked in the evening and the water fountains are winterized in colder months. There’s no lighting on the trail. The Trail Creek aka rebuilt “Murmur” trestle and the bridge over the North Oconee are the highlights here. The Firefly trail is currently in segments spaced far from each other: Athens side - 2.9 miles Winterville - 1.5 miles Maxeys - 1.1 mile Woodville to Union Point - 6.5 miles The shady, three-mile connection between Athens and Winterville should be complete in spring of 2026, provided the final easements can be acquired. None of the other segments have reliable trail amenities and the towns are all very, very small. In Winterville, Pittard Park has bathrooms that may be open. In Woodville, about a mile past the trailhead, there’s public bathroom behind CJ’s BBQ that’s sometimes open. The longest segment of the Firefly Trail is actually from Woodville to Union Point, at just under 7 miles one-way, partially shaded. The Woodville trail head is just a parking lot right now and is easy to miss if you aren’t GPSing it. The trail head at Union Point is pretty but there’s no facilities currently. I recommend a trip into town… “The Point” is a grocery store/restaurant open 7 days a week, even on Easter. For now it’s your best bet for beverages and a snack on this segment. When complete, the Firefly Trail will be about 40 miles from Athens to Union Point. Check back to see the progress.
My wife and I found this to be a great trail to ride. Nice 17miles and beautiful.
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