Just when you thought it was time to stop driving that gas-guzzler and get out on the bike, you actually can.

Due to the huge popularity of the Silver Comet Trail, the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area trails and the trails at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield and the increasing need to find transportation alternatives, Cobb County has developed an extensive program to develop additional trails not only in the Smyrna Vinings area, but also throughout Cobb County.

Before long, these new trails will not only provide easier access to having fun and getting exercise, but due to the interconnectivity of the trails, you will literally be able to get anywhere in the area on your bike without having to worry about getting run over.

You can click here, Cobb County Trail System, to see a map of the trail plan. Bookmark this page or check back as the trail system continually changes, so it’s fun to what what’s going on. The trail projects on the Cobb County system map are in different phases of development:

Red indicates existing, usable trails
Yellow (programmed) indicates that funding for the trail has been identified and construction will follow
Green (proposed) indicates proposed trail contruction when funding is available

A portion of the Cobb County trail system is accessible via transit. All Cobb Community Transit (CCT) buses are equipped with front-loaded bicycle racks. All CCT Park and Ride Lots have loop bicycle racks.

Following is a description of all existing, programmed and proposed trails that will have a wonderful impact on the Smyrna Vinings community.

Existing Trails

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Trails
There are five sections of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area located within Cobb County along the eastern boundary of the County.  These include: Cochran Shoals/Sope Creek, West Palisades/Paces Mill, Johnson Ferry South, Johnson Ferry North, and Gold Branch. The National Recreation Area includes approximately 20 miles of trails within Cobb County. The recreational trails will connect the proposed East Cobb Trails, the proposed Wildwood Trail, the programmed Interstate North Parkway Trail, and the proposed Mountain-to-River Trail.

Heritage Park Trail
This two-mile long trail begins at Heritage Park and crosses the wetlands on a boardwalk. It then crosses Nickajack Creek and parallels the creek for about a mile and a half. The trail traverses an old mill site that was operational in the late 1800s and connects to the Silver Comet Trail.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield (KMNB) Park Trails
There are numerous recreation trails within KMNB Park. The most popular trail is the paved road to the top of the mountain. This trail winds over a mile from the base of the mountain near the Visitors Center to a parking lot near the top of the mountain. The park lists more than 17 miles of trails.

Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is part of a larger system that utilizes the railroad track bed that connected Atlanta to Birmingham. This paved pathway extends over 12.8 miles from south Cobb to Paulding County. The eastern extension of the trail will extend to the Cumberland-Galleria area, the largest employment Center in Cobb County. The Silver Comet Trail will include 10 pedestrian bridges when the complete: Cooper Lake Road; East West Connector at Heritage Park Trail; Nickajack Creek; Olley Creek; Noses Creek; Lucille Creek; Powder Springs Creek; C.H. James Parkway; Mount Wilkinson Parkway; and Cumberland Boulevard.

For additional information on the Silver Comet, refer to Silver Comet Trail. Click here for the Silver Comet Trail map.

Programmed/Proposed Trails

Akers Mill Trail
This multi-use trail along Akers Mill Rd. will begin at Cumberland Blvd. The trail will link to the Rottenwood Creek Trail, Silver Comet Cumberland Connector and the Kennesaw Mountain to Chattahoochee River Trail. This trail will connect to the new Cobb Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, Cobb Galleria Complex and Cumberland Mall.

Cobb Parkway Trail
The Cobb Parkway Trail is a proposed one-mile multi-use pathway, which will link Cobb Galleria/I-285 and Cumberland Boulevard. This proposed trail is part of a streetscape beautification project in the Cumberland area along Cobb Parkway and will connect to the programmed Mountain-to-River Trail, commercial and office complexes, and CCT bus routes.

Concord Road Trail
The proposed Concord Road Trail will link to the Silver Comet Trail at the southernmost end. It will also provide a link to the Mountain to the River Trail and connect with an existing trail on Spring Road.

Floyd Road Trail
This two-mile trail will connect the Silver Comet Trail and Fontaine Road serving the Mableton community, providing a link to the Mable House Cultural Arts Center and Amphitheater. The Floyd Road Trail will be served by CCT Route 30

Interstate North Parkway Trail
This programmed multi-use pathway will extend 1.5 miles along Interstate North Parkway, connecting the Cumberland/Galleria area, the programmed Rottenwood Creek Trail, and the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. CCT Routes 10B and 50 run along Interstate North Parkway.

Johnston’s River Trail
The proposed Johnston’s River Line Trail is approximately 1.5 miles and would afford visitors the opportunity to visit a series of historic embankments along the Chattahoochee River.

Part of the long-range plan is to provide a parking area adjacent to Discovery Boulevard. Included in the proposal is a trail that would connect to the Nickajack Creek Trail.

Kennesaw Mountain to Chattahoochee River Trail (Mountain-to-River)
The trail is a 13.5-mile multi-use urban trail, which runs through the heart of Cobb County, from Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to a connection with the City of Atlanta’s Trail System at the Chattahoochee River.

The project fills gaps between programmed trail projects at Tower Road, Marietta Station Walk, Atlanta Road, and Spring Road.

Laurel Creek Connector
The Laurel Creek Connector will link the Nickajack Trail with the Silver Comet Cumberland Connector.

Nickajack Creek Trail
The proposed Nickajack Creek Trail will be approximately 5.2 miles. It will connect with the Heritage Park Trail in the north and end at the Johnston’s River Line Trail. It will run parallel to the Norfolk Southern rail line.

Rottenwood Creek Trail
This trail is programmed from the National Park Service land at the Chattahoochee River to Interstate North Parkway with the remaining segment proposed from Interstate North Parkway to Terrell Mill Road. Once completed, the trail will link to the University Trail in Marietta. The majority of the trail length is in the Cumberland-Galleria regional activity center.

Silver Comet Trail – Historic Mableton Connector
This proposed multi-use trail will begin at the Silver Comet Trail at the East-West Connector and traverse into Historic Mableton. The trail will begin at the proposed Fontaine Road trailhead, and will link Heritage Park, Thompson Park, South Cobb Regional Library (under construction), Mable House Cultural Arts Center, and the proposed CCT Park Ride lot. The Park Ride lot will service CCT Route 30.

Smyrna-Atlanta Road Trail
This trail is nearly three miles long, with its location proposed between Concord Road/Spring Road and Paces Ferry Road. The link would connect the Mountain-to-River and Concord Road Trails in the City of Smyrna, with the Silver Comet Cumberland Connector.

Wildwood Trail
This trail is programmed and will connect the National Park Systems, Cochran Shoals Trail, Rottenwood Creek Trail, and other segments of the county’s trail system from Wildwood, a mixed-used development, which includes residential, commercial, and office centers. The Wildwood Development is located at Windy Hill and Powers Ferry Road, adjacent to the National Park Service land on the Chattahoochee River.

Spring Road
A vital link that unites three trail systems (Silver Comet, Kennesaw Mountain to Chattahoochee River, and the Concord Road trails). The connector will link to many destinations including Cumberland/Galleria area, the Chattahoochee River, the National Park Service lands, and the proposed Chattahoochee River Trail.

This extensive trail system is yet another huge benefit for living in Smyrna Vinings and further explains the excitement everyone in the community has shown.

[tags]Smyrna Bike Trails, Vinings Bike Trails, Cobb County Trails, Smyrna Vinings Parks, Silver Comet Trail[/tags]

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