Find the top rated bike trails in Ft Payne, 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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The trail is mostly freshly paved and in great shape, relatively flat and beautiful scenery!
Today 4-17-2025 my husband and I rode the trail from the Wheland Factory parking lot to the Dam. The first part of the trail goes past some industrial areas. As we got further up it goes past townhomes and downtown. Our only complaint was the lack of trail signage to keep you on tract and mileage markers. There were some metal cutouts with numbers indicating the miles and some very small markers in the concrete itself with markings but unless you stopped to read them, there was no way you could have read them as you pedaled by. The trail itself is in good shape and we saw several crews keeping the grounds surrounding the trail trimmed.
From the Kingston Pavilion at Ditto Landing, cross the bridge and walk north along the river. Also suitable for gravel or mountain bikes. About 60% shaded. Beautiful walk.
Wife and I rode two sections, first east from Cedartown for about 21 miles to just past the large tunnel. The first 4 miles (or so) is extremely challenging with a number of very steep grades. Our second ride was from Coots Lake trail head , again east for about 20 miles. This is a much easier ride with easy hills.
Overall this is a beautiful trail that is well marked. My only complaint was that every single water fountain we stopped at was inoperative.
Rode from the bottom TH all the way up and back again. Gravel bike did great. Enjoyed the scenery and history. But the trail simply dead ends on a busy road. I took the road up higher on Lookout Mountain, but was not worth the extra ride.
The multiple boardwalks and intermittent views of the creek are what make this trail a 5*. As noted by another reviewer: A large section of trail is CLOSED until July 2027. If you are coming from Camp Jordan and heading north, you cannot cross I-75. But the 11 miles of trail north of I-75 to downtown Chattanooga are open. I parked at Sterchi Farm TH and did some out-and-backs. The best scenery (ie, the boardwalks) are north and south of Sterchi Farm TH.
We rode the full 91 miles from West of Atlanta to Alabama in mid March. It is a well maintained concrete trail that travels through the countryside. It is 95% a straight gradual inclined or decline, except for a few miles in the middle of the trail where there are quite a few hills. These hills are due that the existing rail trail was sold to private owners so they had to reroute approximately 5 miles section around the hills in the area. At approximate mile marker 43 we stayed at the Manor at Beck’s Lake bed-and-breakfast. I would highly recommend the B&B. These two trails are one of the best continuous trails I have ever written. Highly recommend.
The SO Chick trail follows the Chickamauga Creek but it is not a flat trail that follows the grade of a river or an old rail line.
We started our ride at the Tennessee River and the shared trail head with the Riverwalk trail. As the trail goes up stream is climbs high on the hillside banks. Half of the trail distance is wooden boardwalks, and a couple of the climbs are so steel that they created switchbacks.
Another clue this is not a rail to trail path is the many railways along the path that are active. The path runs along side an active line for a stretch and at one point 4 active lines can be viewed from the same spot. On the 10 mile round trip we saw 4 trains including the Tennessee Valley Railroad scenic train.
This is a very pretty trail with a lot of hill and turns. Boardwalks are in good condition, but being boardwalk they are not smooth and can be slippery.
Drove to the trailhead at Camp Jordan Recreation Area. The Recreation area has a paved 2-mile section of the trail and a bridge over the creek in the direction of the Chattanooga River Trail. The problem is that the bridge is closed and a significant part of the trail connection between the Recreation Area and the River Trail is closed until 2027 due to extensive sewer work. You can access the Greenway from the River Trail and ride to the levee but then you would need to turn around.
To start with, getting to this trail can be an adventure. Just as I got to the intersection of Friday and Big Texas Rds. the satellite service cut out then told me to turn left instead of right. I advise printing out directions before leaving home. There is absolutely no signage at the trailhead. You just need to know that shortly after you turn left from Big Texas onto Huffiger there is an opening on the right (parking) and a trail on the left. It is clear the RR once continued behind the parking area but this requires development- my view is that it is not currently bikeable and maybe if they don't cut the weeds, not really hikeable come later spring/summer. Cross the road from the parking area to begin your upward grade. The trail has medium sized stones that make MTB tires required. The rail bed is rough and there are lots of pine cones, pine needles, gravel chunks, sticks of varying diameters and some ruts that must be navigated. I proceeded to the bridge over Cabin Creek, crossed Big Texas Rd. and continued to the Friday Rd. crossing. All along there is no directional signage. I just assumed I was on the right trail. It gets confusing at this Friday Rd crossing. There is a fancy gate indicating a private drive but it appears that the trail continues to the left of this gate/wall. However when i crossed to check it out I noted thick mud heavily rutted by what likely was an ATV. This did not look hospitable for a biker so I turned around. That amounted to a 5.5 mile round trip- only a little over half of what I had hoped to accomplish. In my opinion this trail needs a lot of work in the form of signage and repair of the heavily rutted mud areas in order to be worth the trip. Just seemed a little directionally sketchy and impassable at that intersection. You can see the other end of the trail when you return towards Summerville but there too it is unclear as to what the parking situation is. No real signage other than a road sign warning motorists of hikers crossing. Georgia, you can do better!
Rode from Rambo trailhead north to Van Wert in early March 2025. I think this is the best part of the trail. Very quiet and scenic with few road crossings and the trail is in excellent condition.
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