Georgia offers a captivating and diverse landscape perfect for cycling enthusiasts. There's the Atlanta metro area, the historic coastal cities, the mountains of North Georgia, and then the plains of South Georgia. With all this diversity, there is still a lack of long-distance trails. This article covers the best bike trails in Georgia today with an eye toward what's coming tomorrow.
Map of bike trails in georgia
You can see from the Georgia bike trails map that many of these trails are located around metro Atlanta. We encourage you to click and explore. Each section has a mileage and is a great way to explore things to do and places to eat around these trails.
Silver comet trail
The Silver Comet Trail is one of Georgia's great rail trails. It starts just outside of Atlanta in Smyrna, Georgia, and after 61.5 miles, connects with the main Ladeja Trail in Alabama. At the western end, the Chief Ladega Trail continues 34 miles to the outskirts of Anniston, Alabama. On the western edge, connecting trails form a 10-mile loop in northwest Atlanta.
With its lengthy towns and attractive routes, you can ride the Silver Comet for a day or a long weekend. There is also a forest division in Alabama through the Talladega National Forest. The Silver Comet Trail is a stop worth a visit or a bike road trip through the South.
Jekyll Island Trails
There was a time in the early 1900s when Jekyll Island was the most exclusive club in the world. The East Coast elite built their winter cabins here, and cycling was a convenient social activity. Today, there are more than 20 miles of trails winding around the island, giving you a unique glimpse into nature and history.
You can spend a few days exploring St Simons Island and nearby Cumberland by bike. Then cross to Florida to continue exploring Amelia Island and St. Augustine. All of these are more fun beach trips than logging miles on a road bike, but fun nonetheless.
Big Creek Greenway
The Big Creek Greenway runs 26 miles north of Atlanta, connecting Cummings, Alpharetta and Roswell. The trail is paved but has gaps in the roads northeast of Alpharetta and another short gap north of Cummings.
The trail follows the Big Creek drainage, with plenty of shade and wildlife sandwiched among the suburban backdrop. Casual riders will appreciate the relative flatness of Big Creek's flood plain.
AMP (Arab Mountain Trail)
The PATH Foundation built the Arab Mountain Trail, which connects Arab Mountain, Panola Mountain, and the South River. This is not a railway track, as there is a constant diet of ups and downs. If you embrace the grind, you'll discover dense forests and stunning scenery that make all the hard work worthwhile.
While in Henry County, consider riding along the Martin Luther King Sr. Heritage Trail. You can travel from downtown Stockbridge to Green Front Café and Floyd Baptist Church in less than a mile. It's a subtle story, but if you listen carefully, you'll see how this small town in central Georgia went from the birthplace of King Sr. to one of the best Southern cities for African Americans to live in.
Stone Mountain Road
The Stone Mountain Trail is a 19-mile extension of car-free trails and street bike lanes that connect downtown Atlanta to Stone Mountain Park. Highlights include the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the Carter Center, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and of course Stone Mountain itself. This trail sometimes gets a bad rap among the wayfinding and hillclimbing, but if you're up for the challenge, this is a chance to see some of Atlanta's best attractions on two wheels.
Atlanta Beltline
According to the Atlanta Beltline website – “The Atlanta Beltline is one of the largest and most comprehensive urban redevelopment programs in the United States. This network of parks, multi-use corridors, transportation, and affordable housing along a 22-mile historic rail corridor enhances mobility and connects Inner-city neighborhoods and improving economic opportunities and sustainability.
It must feel tingly when your senses of affordability and economic opportunity are front and center in the trail description. These things are great, but they're not necessarily the backbone of the entertainment trail. In addition, the trail is almost half completed, and the road connections look a bit difficult.
Carrollton Greenbelt
At 18 miles long, the Carrollton Greenbelt is the longest paved loop trail in Georgia. The 20 miles of paved, looped roads are a good start for a bike ride. In fact, TripAdvisor lists the Greenbelt as the number one thing to do in Carrollton. There is also a cat café and a quilt museum.
Discovery Bike Trail (Callaway Gardens)
On the subject of cat lady tours in West Georgia, the Discovery Bike Trail at Callaway Gardens is a multi-season attraction worth visiting. The 10-mile paved trail passes through forests and stops at all the parks and attractions. In the spring, you'll wander through 2,500 acres of blooming azaleas. In the fall, the resort comes alive with fall colors, and you won't want to miss cycling nights with the award-winning Fantasy In Lights show during the holiday season.
Callaway Gardens is also an upscale resort near La Grange, which is building its own Thread Trail along with local road tours.
Dragonfly Trails (Columbus, Georgia)
Dragonfly Trails Columbus, Georgia, is about to become a cycling destination. The system consists of the stunning 12-mile Chattahoochee RiverWalk and the 10-mile Fall Line Trace. The trails join the pedestrian bridge at 14th Street that crosses into the Phenix City River Walk. Spend a weekend playing, biking, and paddling on one of America's best urban whitewater trails.
Rounding up the best bike trails in Georgia
Georgia has one excellent long-distance trail (Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga) and several cycling tours and stays in the city. There will come a time when the Atlanta Beltline will join the Atlanta trails and you can spend a week cycling through the city. Until then, you'll put your bike on your car and ride it to the trailhead (or parks).
There are two bike towns in Georgia. Jekyll Island offers stay-and-play cycling steeped in history and ocean views. Columbus has enough centrally located trails and activities along the river to qualify as a car-free vacation spot, too.
admire? Pin it for later on Pinterest!
Hello! We are Ed and Jane Coleman also known as Coleman Concierge. In short, we are a 10th generation couple from Huntsville sharing our stories of amazing adventures through transformative and experiential activity-based travel.
