It’s been a while since train travel was the primary mode of transportation in the U.S. No wonder abandoned railroad corridors are being reinvigorated as scenic paths for cycling, jogging and walking — sometimes also blading, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Referred to as rail-trails, these greenways not only provide venues for physical activity, but they also connect communities and revitalize local businesses. These six rail-trails are among the best in the South, allowing you to stop and smell the roses while birdwatching, fishing and learning about history and culture.
Florida
Taking its name from a county administrator who was a big proponent of rail conversion and preserving natural environments, Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail follows a portion of the abandoned CSX Railroad corridor along Florida’s Gulf coast. Stretching 67 miles from the Pasco County line (about 30 miles north of Tampa) to St. Petersburg, the paved route is lined with pines and palms and, at times, live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, offering shade and making it a year-round cycling destination. Colorful, contemporary sculptures speckle the path, each bearing the name of the town you’re passing through and referencing railroad crossings. Cyclists traverse leafy parks, tidal waterways and charming neighborhoods. An especially scenic section includes Tarpon Springs where, if you veer off the trail, you can explore Historic Sponge Dock buzzing with sponge divers and fishermen. In laid-back Dunedin, the trail-side Cafe Alfresco serves up sophisticated cuisine, including sesame tuna sashimi. And Dunedin’s renovated Fenway Hotel radiates a music theme, no surprise given its Jazz Age history. A spur trail near Dunedin leads to Honeymoon Island State Park, a barrier island with pristine beaches. Just north of Dunedin in Wall Springs Park, visitors stroll a boardwalk that circles the historic warm springs, once a popular turn-of-the-20th-century bathing spot.
Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, pinellas.gov
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Georgia
Cruising almost 62 miles from Smyrna on the outskirts of Atlanta to Esom Hill on the Alabama border, the Silver Comet Trail is named for the Silver Comet luxury passenger train that debuted in 1947, traveling between Birmingham, Alabama, and New York. The trail’s western portion is the most bucolic (and remote), rolling through fields and dense forests of towering pines. Railroad relics include the restored Pumpkinvine Trestle dating to 1901: Cycling on this 750-foot-long elevated structure, you’ll be 100 feet above the ground where deer and wild turkey often roam. Pedaling through the turn-of-the-20th-century Brushy Mountain Tunnel is a shadowy (and damp) experience but also another reminder of this route’s railroad past. Coot’s Lake Beach, a popular swimming spot, is a welcome respite. The next two towns, Rockmart and Cedartown, are worth checking out for their historic downtowns populated with buildings from the late 1800s. The Rails at Rockmart restaurant is a good place to dig into beef stroganoff and other specialties. And just one mile from the rail-trail, The Manor at Becks Lake in Rockmart is a pastoral overnight stop.
Silver Comet Trail, pathfoundation.org/silver-comet-trail
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
South Carolina
Running along the rail bed of the former Port Royal Railroad, the Spanish Moss Trail navigates 10 miles from the South Carolina coastal towns of Beaufort to Port Royal. (When completed, it will span 16 miles.) The name couldn’t be more apt, given the many Spanish moss-draped live oaks along portions of the route. Numerous markers pepper the trail, providing information on historical features, such as the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Port Royal Island. The rail-trail also runs through a restored, circa 1915 brick commercial depot. Crossing trestles over salt water tidal creeks provides the opportunity to throw out a line in hopes of snagging a redfish or trout. Keep an eye out for an array of wading birds, including snowy egrets and blue herons, as you pedal beside Battery Creek, salt marshes and other waterways. With the preponderance of colorful wildflowers along the route — black-eyed Susans, wild petunias and more — it’s no wonder butterflies are abundant. Ten minutes from the rail-trail in Beaufort is 607 Bay, a luxe, 10-room waterfront bed-and-breakfast. And a few blocks away, Plums is noted for its shrimp and flounder po-boys.
Spanish Moss Trail, spanishmosstrail.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Mississippi
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the 44-mile-long Tanglefoot Trail follows the original trade route blazed by the Chickasaw people who first settled here in the mid-17th century. Named for the narrow-gauge steam engine that ran on the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad, this path passes through half a dozen small towns and communities on its north-south meanderings from the Mississippi towns of New Albany to Houston. The landscape is diverse and includes woodlands populated with sweetgum and other trees; wetlands; soybean and cotton farms; and pastures dotted with cattle, horses, goats and sheep. Set on the banks of the Tallahatchie River, New Albany, where Nobel Prize recipient William Faulkner was born, is a historic town that warrants an extended visit. The Union County Heritage Museum is an expansive complex that includes the Faulkner Literary Garden, where all elements in the garden reference his prose. History buffs should also visit the Town Square Museum housed in Pontotoc’s Post Office. (Among the exhibits are railroad memorabilia.) A few blocks from the end of the trail in Houston, Daisy’s on the Square is a warm and welcoming accommodation. Down the street, No Way Jose serves up tasty Mexican fare, including grilled shrimp quesadillas with chorizo.
Tanglefoot Trail, tanglefoot trail.com
North Carolina
Rolling some 22 miles from Durham, North Carolina, to just outside the Raleigh suburb of Apex, the American Tobacco Trail was named for the company that originally bankrolled the rail line to transport tobacco leaves from nearby farmlands to their processing factory in Durham. Today, the abandoned corridor has taken on new life as a recreational track (part paved, part unpaved) that’s enjoyed by cyclists, walkers and equestrians alike. The 14-mile southern portion is most rustic, with its pine woodlands, marshes, creek crossings, ponds and wildlife sightings of snapping turtles, beavers and birds including Carolina chickadees and Carolina wrens. Near the trail’s end you’ll find an old, hand-hewn log barn where the tobacco leaves were dried and cured. In Durham, just a minute away from the trail on the American Tobacco Campus, Boricua Soul is a stellar eatery. The menu is a fusion of Euro-African and Puerto Rican fare, like chicken empanadas with a citrus marinade. As an overnight accommodation, the nearby Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast has five uniquely decorated rooms, including one with a seven-head shower.
American Tobacco Trail, wake.gov
Credit: Pete Conroy
Credit: Pete Conroy
Alabama
The 33-mile Chief Ladiga Trail, named for a leader of the Muscogee (Creek) indigenous people, travels from outside the town of Anniston, Alabama, to the Georgia border, where it connects with the Silver Comet Trail. Following the right-of-way of the CSX and Southern railroads, the route intersects several small towns as it courses through a varied landscape of tree canopies, creeks, cotton farms, dense forests and, in the distance, the Talladega Mountains. A sense of history and nature pervades the route, and carries on for those who lay their heads at the Hotel Finial, a renovated, late-19th century mansion that sits atop a hill above downtown Anniston. Two 19th-century structures — a railroad depot in Jacksonville, and a house, now the Eubanks Welcome Center in Piedmont — are repurposed as rest areas for cyclists. (Jacksonville is also a good place to stop for brisket barbacoa or fried chicken tacos at Heirloom Taco.) Cyclists are welcome to pedal through the verdant campus of nearby Jacksonville State University. After Piedmont, Alabama, the vibe changes dramatically as you enter the Talladega National Forest: deer or fox may cross your path, and you’ll hear the sounds of rushing water from Terrapin Creek that attracts anglers and kayakers.
Chief Ladiga Trail, jacksonville-al.org
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