Continental Divide Trail

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Recommended: Railroads in the late 1800s

Imagine gliding through the summer’s air on a bike through a north Georgia countryside, crossing a 500-foot-long trestle over a rushing river below, winding between rock cliffs and weaving among tall stately pines. Imagine doing this and not having to worry about any trucks or cars passing by. Continue to think about this for a total of sixty-two miles straight down a winding path of open road, space, and opportunity to let your mind roam freely. Now open your eyes and finally realize that this a bike ride along the Silver Comet Trail. This trail begins at the intersection of South Cobb Drive and the East West Connector in Smyrna, Georgia and runs all to the Alabama line. Planning a trip along this amazing trail will be the best thing to do getting away from everything except nature itself.
“The Silver Comet Trail was built over an abandoned rail line in northwest Georgia. At the state line, it connects to the Chief Ladiga Trail in northeast Alabama. Both trails were built on connected rail lines that carried passengers and freight throughout the south and southeastern United States” (silvercomettrail.org). The trail was first brought about as a railroad and soon after it was abandoned in 1989, various advocacy groups, elected officials, and individuals developed the concept of converting the railroad through Cobb, Paulding, and Polk counties into a biking, walking, and jogging trail. The trail was was named the Silver Comet Trail after the Silver Comet passenger train. In 1992, The Georgia Department of Transportation bought the closed rail line for future transit expansion. Though future transit use was a possibility, it was decided to make a multi-use, non motorized trail instead. Cobb county leased their 12.8 mile section ...

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...trail is easy to follow. Is the chosen season the right season to be walking. Are you carrying the right equipment for the circumstances on the trail. Make sure the backpack is not too heavy for traveling long distances. How do your feet feel after walking the whole day. When walking with another person, can this person keep up with you or the other way around and is he/she pleasant company. Are you carrying the right clothing for the climate. Think about all of this and plan your trip to travel the beautiful Silver Comet Trail today.

Works Cited
Berger, Karen. Hiking the Triple Crown. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books, 2001. Print.
Boyer, Mark. “A Guide to Hiking the Continental Divide.” Learn How Everything Works, 12 June
2012. Web. 26 March 2014.
"Continental Divide National Scenic Trail." The Bureau of Land Management. N.p., 14 June
2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

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