The Man O' War Railroad Recreation Trail carries both the name of the famous racehorse and that of the diesel passenger train that once traveled through Pine Mountain between Columbia and Atlanta.
The ten-foot-wide, paved trail conveniently begins in beautiful downtown Pine Mountain, where trail users can find parking, bike parking and refreshments. The trail then travels along the converted railroad right-of-way sandwiched between US 27/Main Street and Commerce Avenue. Heading south through town, the trail peels away from the road at about the mile mark and starts to become more shrouded with trees. The trail extends south past Callaway Garden and FDR State Park before coming to an end in Hamilton. Built in phases, the trail's latest section recently opened to the public on November 1, 2022 and marked the completion of phase 5. Plans include adding another 3.1 miles by summer 2023.
Its one-way distance of 10.5 miles and 500+ foot of elevation change makes this trail a favorite with the avid athlete looking to train and the casual cyclist alike. With its wide smooth surface, scenic views, and convenient routes through downtown Pine Mountain and Hamiliton, the Man O' War Railroad Recreation Trail is also quite popular with both visitors and locals looking to explore the area, enjoy a walk with friends, spend some time in nature, or go for a run. For those living near the trail, it provides more options for commuting, going to school, and running errands.
There's plenty of street parking at the north end of the trail in downtown Pine Mountain (Commerce Avenue).
Rode from PIne Mountain to Hamilton. Excellent ride on brisk November day. So nice to have this new rails to trails.
We biked from Pine Mtn to the Country Store, 9 miles RT. Lovely!
We rode from Pine Mountain to the Country Store. There is a sign warning to go no further, but the trail appeared to continue. Is the sign obsolete? We ended up with a 9 mile ride which was fine. The trail was lovely.
Nice woodland views as you cross the Pine Mountain ridge. The grade is not very steep. Hope it eventually is expanded to south Harris county.
Yesterday I rode the Man-O-War Railroad Recreation Trail. It's now 10 miles long, as it runs from a little north of Pine Mountain to Hamilton. There is parking on both ends and in the middle, at the Callaway Gardens Country Store. While it is flat in Pine Mountain and Hamilton, it climbs up or rolls down Pine Mountain most of the time. There are benches and trash cans, on the north end, and paved spots for more, in the future. I will ride this trail again soon.
Newly upgraded trail that is now 4.5 miles long. Beautiful scenic trail that is NOT flat. It is essentially a V shaped terrain. It starts with a 1.5 mile gradual slope southward followed by a 3 mile uphill slope. Slightly challenging uphills grade
Just rode 5 miles! Lovely improvements made and a lot of opportunity!
10/16/2021 The trail runs through the town and behind Callaway Gardens, but abruptly stops at a fence before the old railroad crossing over the highway. It looks complete, but wondering why it's still blocked off. The other side at the country store I believe snakes down to the rail alignment, but it's blocked as well. It's good till that point. The county has a website stating the whole trail fr town to country store is open.
The MOW Trail is a great trail for the beginner cyclists with easy access linking Downtown Pine Mountain shops & restaurants to the beauty of FDR State Park & Callaway Gardens.
This trail is currently only about 3 miles (Aug 2020). It starts out in the town of Pine mountain, and ends up near Callaway Gardens. Pine Mountain has a few little shops, and some places to eat. The first mile or so is through town and is out in the open. The second and third mile are through a nice ‘tree tunnel’. We rode it in the afternoon and it was hot, but the tree covered section was much more comfortable. The asphalt ends but there is a dirt trail that continues for another mile or so. We did just the asphalt section and started and finished in Pine Mountain. Made a quick sixish mile out and back. Looking forward to the completion. As I understand it there plans to continue this for a 29 mile straight line rail to trail.
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