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Imagine walking or biking completely around your hometown on a paved trail separated from traffic. That’s what folks in Carrollton can do whenever the mood strikes them. The Carrollton GreenBelt is a 19.2-mile trail—the longest paved loop in the state—that completely encircles the West Georgia town. Along the way, it passes the University of West Georgia, the city schools complex, parks, and shopping and employment centers.
Trail users can find themselves crossing rolling terrain through woodlands and pastures dotted with grazing cattle, then passing alongside a lake or crossing a bridge over a stream before entering a busy commercial area.
About the Route
A tour of the trail can start from anywhere, but drinking water, restrooms, and picnic facilities can be found at six trailheads—Laura’s Park at Hays Mill, Hobbs Farm Park, Lakeshore Park, Castle Playground, East Carrollton Park, and Visitors Bureau (parking can be found at these and other locations; see Parking, opposite)
Leaving off from Laura’s Park at Hays Mill Trailhead (480 Hays Mill Road), a right turn heading south begins a clockwise route around the city, which was founded in 1829 and remained a small rural town until the arrival of the railroad in the 1870s. In 2.3 miles, pass through the campus of the University of West Georgia, which got its start as an agricultural and mechanical school in 1906.
About a mile past the Alabama Street Trailhead, near the northwest corner of the loop, the trail passes beneath a railroad bridge over the Little Tallapoosa River. In 2 more miles, the trail arrives at Hobbs Farm Park. On a 0.7-mile loop around the farm park, you can see where beavers have been active near the river.
Another mile reveals access to Lake Carroll, a 160-acre artificial lake where fishing and swimming are allowed. East Carrollton Park—a former airfield site in the northeast section of the loop—sits just beyond the eastern shore of the lake. The trail skirts North Lakeshore Drive for a few hundred feet and then turns right to loop around a historic log cabin—which now serves as the Carrollton Police Department’s Eastside Precinct—just before crossing Bankhead Highway. (Note: Although this is the Visitors Bureau Trailhead, the precinct is not an official visitor center and is not always open. However, when someone is there, trail users are welcome to stop in to see the inside of the cabin or grab a bottle of water.)
At the Newnan Road crossing in about 2 miles, in the southeast section of the loop, the Buffalo Creek Outdoor Education Center features a bird sanctuary and demonstration gardens. Heading east, visitors take a causeway across an arm of Richards Lake before entering a light-industrial and shopping district. In the final couple of miles, the trail passes through the campuses of multiple schools in the Carrollton school system and discover a waterfall on Buffalo Creek before returning to Laura’s Park.
Trail History
The idea for the Carrollton Greenbelt with the birth of the Friends of the Carrollton GreenBelt in 2011. Construction of the first mile launched that year. Various sections were installed over the years, with the main loop being officially completed in spring 2017. Several short spurs extend the GreenBelt’s reach into the city.
The Carrollton GreenBelt runs in a complete loop around the City of Carrollton in Georgia.
Parking is available at:
See TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Managed to do the whole trail today. We weaved in and out of crowds around the ballparks and even went by the lake. Beautiful ride. A few stops but only one over a moderately busy road. Very well thought out trail. ¿
After riding a couple of rail trails in Ga and Al my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed having this non-typical ride. The long straights of open asphalt being replaced with wide curvy smooth cement was refreshing. The trail is very well maintained and marked. Love the yellow center lines that keep traffic safe. The primary loop has long spaced center lines and the spurs loops or legs have shorter lines making it easy to know which path you want to take. Plenty of resting spots, and restroom facilities along the route. We have done the winter trip now and will be back for a spring trip after the bloom. Hats off to the Carrollton trail maintenance team.
Great trail!! Nice scenery and several bathroom along the trail. Nice trail for family outings.
The trail was great, every now and then there are big hills and sharp curves. But it's best to do it when it's dry outside because there are lots of board walks.
We have rode this trail numerous times. Very well kept!!
One out favorite. Great track. Smooth. Well maintained. Only one part of town that gets a little rough as far as crossing busy roads. Still one of my favs!!
Really love how this greenbelt is integrated in to so much of the town. This is the first time I noticed they had the Tanner Spur which is a 1 mile spur from the south side of the greenbelt to the downtown area. I could see if I lived in this town I would be able to use the greenbelt as a transportation option to go grocery shopping, out to eat, etc.
Husband and I took our ebikes down to ride the GreenBelt. Called to make sure ebikes were allowed! Agree with another review that signage could be used in some places so newcomers know the path but we found our way with help from another biker! Well maintained!
My husband and I took our e bikes to the greenbelt and enjoyed the ride. Couple of places could use more signage so newcomers know where the trail continues, for example at major road crossings.
Great trail, my wife and I really enjoyed our bike ride. Only negative I can say about the trail was a couple intersections did not have directional arrows showing the change of direction and we had to hunt where the trail picked back up. That’s the only reason I gave it 4 stars. It wasn’t no big problem just need to mark the trail in a couple places.
Very clean and easy to ride.
The Main Loop was well-marked, plenty of shady areas to stop, and stunning lake views. Definitely worth the time spent. Will do this one again if I’m in the area.
My wife and I really enjoyed this ride around the town of Carrollton. Nice shady areas, fantastic lake views, and the main loop was well marked. We will definitely do this ride again when I visit my sister in Newnan, GA.
At the break of dawn on a 40 degree morning on a quiet Sunday morning in March, my wife and I set out on the Carrollton GreenBelt loop. Seeing as how it was a bit brisk, early, and a day of worship, we pretty much had the trail to ourselves!
The trail is a delightful, smooth, curvy, picturesque, easy, fun ride. Trees, birds, cows, horses, squirrels, waterfowl, waterfalls, creeks, lakes, ponds, parks, restrooms, and bridges galore! And it's a loop to boot so you don't have to double back to your starting point!
I especially enjoyed how the trail follows the contour of the rolling hills and twisted and curved through the countryside. And although we never left the city limits, most of the time it felt like a ride through a rural setting. On our quest from California to ride our bikes in all fifty states in our lifetime, we checked off nine more on our spring road trip through the southeast (including Hall of Famers Tammany Trace in Louisiana and Longleaf Trace in Mississippi). According to my wife, this trail was the most pleasurable of the nine! This loop trail had everything going for it!
The city of Carrollton hit a home run with this trail! When looking for a trail to ride in Georgia, don't overlook the charming town of Carrollton and its A+ greenbelt loop!
It’s Interesting how the trail is nested around the different communities. The pavement is in great condition. Very nice track! Definitely a return trip!
Reviews This path system surprised us. Carrollton is a small downtown (great for a beer and burger, shopping locally, and lots of vegan options). But we didn't expect such a smooth, long, and scenic path system. The paths themselves are about 90% nature, by my estimate. This isn't an Atlanta Beltline type of ride with crowds, events, breweries, etc. We love the Beltline, but the Carrollton path is more for tranquility and nature. There are parks, ponds, marshes, trees, fields, wooden bridges, the university and more. Most of the path is outside of the immediate downtown, but is connected to the downtown and the college, high school, recreational fields and more. If you love nature and the outdoors, this is a fantastic trail. Bring extra essentials, because there aren't many places to stop for necessities other than downtown itself. There are a few shopping centers here and there with big box stores and a few restaurants, but they are strip malls with a lot of cars. Bring snacks, water, sunscreen, first aid kit? And if you're cycling, a repair kit. You'll find yourself a couple miles out in the woods occasionally, so be prepared. The paths are immaculate. They are clean, safe? And made of concrete instead of asphalt. Super smooth and fun. Important note: if the wooden boardwalks and bridges are wet, consider walking your bike. The wood becomes slippery, even at slow speeds. If you like wild animals, especially birds, you'll love this ride. It's also great for walking plenty of room for everyone.
What an impressive trail system! Carrollton truly invested in this incredible recreational development. Well done! Absolutely gorgeous experience!
I really enjoyed the lake view ride .. it was a little scary trying to cross over the busy main street on the trail but just take your time and watch out for the cars. I did get lost at one point also because it seems to veer off in a few different directions and sometimes you miss the connecting trail, but It was still fun asking the friendly locals how to get back. :-) I plan on doing this one again.
This is a very pleasant trail to ride in an afternoon. We usually start near the lake and ride the whole trail as a loop. There are short relatively steep areas but nothing other than a downshift is needed. It goes through the university (UWG) which is fun, through the public school complex which is like a utopian school campus, through the sloughs and plenty of beautiful well marked trails. Taking the spur into the town brings you to a jewel of a square filled with nice places to eat and just gawk at. I have ridden bikes for nearly all my life and this, to me, is the best overall afternoon trail I have ever been on. The fact that it is a loop makes it so you can just go one way and unvaryingly end up back at your car without a care in the world.
Be careful when riding the long boardwalks on slick tires when they are wet. You can be down before you realize you aren't up.
My daughter and I really enjoyed this ride. Started at the Target shopping center on S. Park St. Very easy access to the trail. Had to cross several roads to begin with but were well marked and easy/safe. The ride was great, trail well maintained and we certainly will add this to our list of trails to hit again… you won’t be disappointed!
The Greenway trails were a lot of fun both walking and cycling. There are many entry points and a surprisingly good mix of scenery. Definitely plan to visit it when ever in the area.
My husband and I had no idea how beautiful and well maintained this trail is. There were a couple of small detours that were well marked and easy to follow. A definite favorite.
A great getaway from things for a couple of hours! The trail takes thru city streets, WG campus and the woods! Well maintained!
My take on this nice trail. It’s not conducive to a road bike. Too many start and stops. Some pretty scenery but better for a mountain or gravel bike. However, I did not have time to go to the comet so it worked out fine.
My wife and I did this simple loop around the city at an avg of 11mph. One of the most pleasant enjoyable rides Ive ever had. We have Trek ebikes but also have regular bikes. We rode ebikes this time. Shouldnt be any issue for anyone. Awesome flow through many different types of areas.
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.
What a fantastic trail! Alot of planning and investment went into this trail. Great mix of water and forest and parks and some residential. Close to city but mostly away from noise and traffic. We completed the whole circle and enjoy a two hour Sunday afternoon outing. We have biked in 30 states and this was one of the most enjoyable city greenbelts. Congratulations to the city and those involved with this trail!
I enjoyed this trail so much. I road 10miles with the ease. The trail is beautiful.
The Carrollton GreenBelt is a 18-mile shared-use path designed for pedestrians and non-motorized users. Once complete, the trail will connect existing neighborhoods with the city school campus, the University of West Georgia, the city parks, and several commercial shopping areas.
I grew up in Carrollton, Ga. but have not lived in this area for almost 20 years. When I come back to visit friends and family, with my children, I am forced to get creative in regards to fun and healthy activities. But no more! Now that the GreenBelt is up and running I need to look no further. Today my daughter and I enjoyed over an hour of easy riding on a beautiful winter day. What a joy to have such a great outdoor alternative in Carrollton. Long overdue but worth the wait.
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