Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail
Tunnels and trestles treat riders on this Southern trek
TrikkeWorld proudly presents Trailsnet Trikke Trails, written by Trikke Trainer Kevin Purdy of Trailsnet.com, the most Trikke-friendly trail site on the Internet.
From Idaho’s Trail of the Couer d’ Alenes — featured in last week’s edition of Trailsnet Trikke Trails — let’s head southeast to Georgia for a look at the Silver Comet Trail, located just west of Atlanta. The official eastern trailhead is in Smyrna, GA, and although the Silver Comet itself is only 62 miles long, it connects with the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama for a grand total of 100 trail miles … and the whole thing is paved for smooth carving.
A great spot for starting the Silver Comet Trail is the Silver Comet Depot in Mableton, Georgia. There’s a large, lighted parking lot right beside the store, which has lots of trail supplies, snacks and necessities.
The Silver Comet Trail is extremely popular with Georgians, so the far eastern portion of the trail — within about 20 miles of Atlanta — is pretty busy, as happy walkers, bikers and inline skaters take advantage of this incredible path. As you move west on the trail, it becomes more and more sparsely populated. Once you get to about mile marker 10, not only do you see far fewer trail users, the road crossings almost cease to exist. From that point onward, you’ll find smooth riding and peaceful carving.
As with most long-distance trails, the Silver Comet Trail provides numerous scenic opportunities, quirky sideshows and interesting pit-stops. One of the first scenic photo areas is the famous Pumpkinville Trestle, just short of mile marker 23. Since the trail was built along the remnants of the old Silver Comet rail line, users benefit, not only from the mild, consistent grade but also the tunnels and trestles once used by the Silver Comet train.
Speaking of tunnels, Trikke riders will enjoy the opportunity of carving through the Brushy Mountain Tunnel around mile marker 31. Since the tunnel often has puddles, be on the lookout for standing water. As most of you know, it’s not a lot of fun to maneuver 
Trikkes on wet surfaces. But the good news is, even on the hottest Georgia day, it’s wonderfully cool inside the Brushy Mountain Tunnel.
The final scenic stop before reaching the Georgia/Alabama border is the hamlet of Rockmart, GA, with its gorgeous Riverwalk Park and historic downtown area. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner, with one good option being Frankie’s Italian Restaurant. The owners are big trail supporters and enjoy catering to trail users. If you’re planning to overnight along the trail, Rockmart might be a good option for lodging, also. Since this is a small town, some of the businesses have seasonally adjusted hours and days of operation, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and do a little research before your trail tour. Although spring and fall are good seasons to enjoy the Silver Comet Trail, those are sometimes considered “shoulder season” for local businesses and their hours vary greatly.
Georgia can get a bit hot in the summer, so you should probably plan to get an early start on the trail, or plan your trip for spring or fall. Whatever you do, you should plan on riding the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama. Don’t dilly-dally; add it to your list right now.
By the way, if you haven’t started adding Trikke trails on Trailsnet.com, time’s-a-wastin’. Do your fellow Trikke riders a favor and share a Trikke trail with the Trikke community today. It’s the chance of a lifetime to become a published trail guide writer while helping out fellow carvers. If you’re not sure how to add trails, check out the brief and simple instructions on the About page at Trailsnet.
[nggallery id=3]
More about Kevin Purdy and why he created Trailsnet:
Colorado Trikke Trainer Kevin Purdy is blazing trails
More Trailsnet Trikke Trails:
Idaho trail is 73 miles of Trikke heaven
Washington, D.C. trail is both patriotic and peaceful
Also:
Visit Trailsnet to find trails and submit your favorites.
Visit Trailsnet on Facebook
Follow Trailsnet on Twitter
About Kevin Purdy
Click here for details
