The Silver Comet Trail

(Last Updated 05-07-2001)
Disclaimer and Trademark info

The Silver Comet Trail is an old railroad bed (that used to be the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad ) where the tracks have been pulled up. It runs from the Georgia/Alabama line east to I-285. The PATH Foundation and the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy have teamed up to pave the entire 38 mile trail. It is great for walking, running, biking, skating, and horseback riding. Recently, camping has been added to the list of things to do on the trail. Camping is permitted anywhere in the Paulding County Wildlife Management Area.

Maps for the trail, both on and off the internet, were once hard to come by. The only thing out there was a free (and now outdated) hardcopy of the Cobb County section published by the PATH Foundation and available at area bike stores. This is the only map I was able to find which is why I created my own site mapping the entire trail. It divides the trail into 20 sections showing paved and unpaved sections as well as links to Mapquest, Topozone, and TerraServer (aerial/satellite photos) for each (the topo and aerial links are below each map section in the bottom pane). Parking and restroom locations are also shown on the map.

Rockmart to the GA-AL Stateline
(from http://trailexpress.com/status-sct.shtml 5/7/02)
The Georgia Department of Transportation has approved a $695,000 contract to extend the Silver Comet Trail toward Cedartown. The funds were awarded from the Transportation Enhancement Fund, a Federal program. According to Ed McBrayer, Executive Director of the PATH Foundation, the award will permit the Comet to be completed to Clarkwood Road in Rockmart. This new section has been cleared of environmental issues and the right-of-way has been acquired.
PATH recently announced that bids for this project will be opened May 21, 2002 and construction should begin in June. This section will extend the Comet west to US-278 and the Nathan Dean Sports Complex from downtown Rockmart. From the Sports Complex to Clarkwood Road, the trail will be constructed as the US-278 widening project progresses.
Ga DOT paperwork has been completed and the contract has been let for the 8.25-mile section of the Comet from Cedartown to the Alabama State Line. Lewallen Construction was awarded the contract on April 19 and construction will begin in May. This section will begin on the west side of Cedartown at the intersection of Hwy 100 and US-278 near Kimoto Tech.
The City of Cedartown and PATH are working in parternship to connect Main St in downtown to the Kimoto Tech section. Right of Way is being assembled and funding has already been obtained for a Silver Comet Bridge over Cedar Creek just west of downtown.
The paving of the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama is inching eastward, for an eventual link up at the state line with the Silver Comet. When the two trails are complete there will be a 90-mile multiuse recreational trail built on the same abandoned rail corridor from Smyrna, GA to Anniston, Alabama.

Other sites of interest:

Disclaimer and Trademark info

This site and it's map site are independant of the PATH Foundation or any other organization.
All links on both sites (except to each other) will be open in another window
Send questions or comments to sctrailmap@yahoo.com