In the late 1800s, when the Georgia Railroad trains rumbled through the rural darkness between Athens and Union Point, embers would flicker in the night sky from the wood-burning engines. Farmers began calling the line “Firefly.” Today, locals are working to covert that old rail bed into a 39-mile multi-use trail.
In 2017, the effort reached a major milestone with the opening of the Firefly Trail’s first section. Athens, a thriving college town home to the University of Georgia, is the northern gateway to the rail-trail. The new paved pathway begins downtown at a trailhead on East Broad Street and travels through Dudley Park, which offers picnic tables and other amenities, as well as the opportunity to connect to the North Oconee River Greenway. A highlight of the rail-trail is the 500-foot long bridge rising 40 feet above the North Oconee River; it incorporates piers from the old Georgia Railroad and has large platforms for taking in the views.
From Athens, the Firefly Trail will eventually head east to Winterville and then south through a handful of small towns—many of which began in the heyday of the railroad—to end at Union Point. The rail-trail will roll through open fields, pastures and forested areas, where deer, opossums, armadillos, coyotes and many species of birds might be spotted. While the Athens-Clarke County section is surfaced with concrete, the rural sections of the trail in Oglethorpe and Greene counties will most likely be gravel.
In Winterville, the trail will pass by a few historical buildings, including the Carter-Coile Country Doctor’s Museum, which provides a rare glimpse into a rural medical practice more than a century old, and a restored train depot painted a welcoming yellow.
In Athens, a trailhead is available on East Broad Street just west of Pottery Street. Parking is also available in Dudley Park (100 Dudley Park Rd.).
This trail does not have any events yet.
Be the first to add one!
The North Oconee River Greenway is a 3.5-mile long, 10-foot wide, paved multi-use path open to all types of non-motorized uses. The trail runs from...
_37580_nb.jpg)
The Midtown Greenway is the centerpiece of Gainesville's redevelopment efforts in a blighted area known as Midtown, which is a 300-acre area located...
Ivy Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway in Buford, which lies in the northeastern Atlanta region. Highlights of the trip include the Gwinnett...
Rock Creek Greenway is a well-shaded, paved pathway connecting four parks on its way across Gainesville, from downtown to Lake Lanier. A pleasant...
The Cricket Frog Trail gets its name from the quarter-sized amphibian native to this part of Georgia. The trail occupies the former railbed of the...
_141049_nb.jpg)
Covington's Eastside Trail connects Eastside High School, Newton County Public Library, and Chimney Park. Much of the landscape is pleasantly wooded...
The picturesque Oxford Trail winds along Turkey Creek through the heart of the charming southern town of Oxford. The wooded pathway runs behind the...
The multi-use Suwanee Creek Greenway meanders 4 miles along Suwanee Creek (a tributary of the Chattahoochee River) through forest and wetlands on a...
Although only a half-mile long, the Yellow River Trail is Newton County’s first rail-trail and offers a serene and scenic experience under a lush tree...
Settles Bridge Park is a 268-acre nature complex with fitness and recreation amenities serving residents of Suwanee. The park features 4.5 miles of...
Camp Creek Greenway runs east-west through Lilburn in northeastern Atlanta. It's paved and scenic, traversing woodlands for much of its journey. Deer,...
The Arabia Mountain Trail winds its way through giant rock outcroppings, past rushing streams plunging in woodland waterfalls and among farmland and...
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
