chief ladiga trail

My husband and I wanted to get out to enjoy the fall leaves in November. We started on the trail from Germania Springs Park but we should have started in Piedmont. The Eubank Visitor Center in Piedmont was a nice stopping place with water and restrooms,places to sit and rest. We decided to ride on from Piedmont to the state line...about 13.5miles. This part of the trail through the Talledega Forest was the most scenic at this time of year. Unfortunately we ran out of daylight on the way back-do not recommend riding this trail in the dark!! Our round trip was about 48miles. We needed at least 6 hours to enjoy this distance, stopping for pictures and just to enjoy the scenery but we had to do it in 5 since it was getting dark.

Wonderful environment. Never really far from a road. Watch road crossings for very rare surprise traffic.

I've been riding Ladiga and the Comet for years, and I'm giving Ladiga the ribbon. The scenery is beautiful, the terrain varied, and the guys at the Welcome Center in Piedmont are awesome! Parking at Jacksonville State University is good too- enjoy the campus! Be aware that some areas are quite isolated, but I've never felt unsafe. Only downside, I haven't found any great places along the route to eat.

Three of us rode roundtrip from Piedmont, Alabama to Rockmart, Georgia on the Chief Ladiga (Alabama) / Silver Comet (Georgia) trail.Overall the trail is in very good condition. The asphalt (Alabama) and concrete (Georgia) pavement is about 6 ft to 8 ft wide, smooth with only rare bumps or misaligned joints, and mostly flat. The Alabama section has more shade over the trail since less tree clearing was done when building the trail. The scenery is enjoyable and even on a pleasant summer day the trail is not busy. Most of the time, we didn’t see anyone else on the trail. The trail follows an abandoned rail trail, except for the section from Cedartown to Rockmart, where much of the way it parallels an active rail line and/or busy highway. This section has a number of hills; none are particularly long climbs, but many have road crossings at the bottom of the hill, so you are at a dead stop to begin the climb uphill.The Eubanks Visitors Center in Piedmont has restrooms and water. Cedartown has a refurbished train depot with water and restrooms. Rockmart has a park with restrooms and water as well as nearby businesses for food and ice cream. The trail passes through a shady park in Rockmart, where you can wade in a clear stream to cool off a bit. Other than the facilities in these three towns, there are not any others along the trail. The distance from Piedmont to Cedartown is about 25 miles and about 12 miles from Cedartown to Rockmart.We rode 77 miles in our 6-hour ride. We thoroughly enjoyed the ride along this scenic and smooth trail. The trail passes through forests, farm land and the small towns mentioned. Remember to pack enough water and bike repair supplies as you are over 10 miles away from assistance on parts of the trail.

My son and I have biked this trail more than 20 times over the past 12 years. At times we've brought along my wife, our daughters, friends and coworkers. It has almost always been enjoyable, and the times it wasn't so pleasant was due to weather (ice, rain, strong wind, etc).We almost always start at the Piedmont Alabama visitor center and ride to Cedartown Georgia. While in Cedartown, we typically grab some lunch and then ride back to Piedmont. Be sure to stop by the visitor centers along the trail and sign each register. Their funding is tied to the number of signatures they receive.We have also camped on the trail at the Cheif Ladiga Campground. It is adjacent to Terrapin Creek and the most scenic portion of the entire trail.

We were on a twelve day business trip and wanted exercise so we found this trail. We went north from Anniston for three miles one day, went north from Jacksonville three miles another day, and then south from Jacksonville three miles our last walk. All three were excellent with a clean, friendly, safe atmosphere. The sights north of Jacksonville were slim but the walk was still great. Highly recommended for biking, jogging, or walking.

My wife and biked from the starting point at Weaver almost to Piedmont and back. There were a couple of places to stop and use the restroom and you pass by a few local businesses on the trail as well. We really did not see any place close by to stop and get a snack or eat lunch. We did see a couple of parks along the way and part of the trail goes through Jacksonville State University campus. There are some slight inclines and declines along the trail, but no major hills to climb. I think the good thing about the trail is it has mile markers every half mile, the path is paved and very smooth, and there are several trail heads to start from. The bad thing is there are no stops to get snacks or meals ( at least the portion of the trail we were on).I would recommend this trail to anyone who enjoys a nice bike ride. And like some other reviewers stated previously, you can make the ride as long or as short as you want it.

Sorry, I haven't biked the trail but I have been along the trail and walked portions of it - both between Anniston - Piedmont and also on portions in north Cleburne County. It draws cyclists from around the country and offers some great views, some of which are on the Cleburne County section. The trail crosses creeks and rivers, is paved and seems to be well maintained including mowing of shoulders and cutting back of bushes and weeds. Many cycle and also walk the trail. Dont forget to take a break at the welcome center, sitting alongside the trail, in Piedmont.

We traveled from Weaver (outside Anniston) to Piedmont. We rode a little farther into the National Forest which is a great ride. It's paved and forested along most of the ride. Saw lots of wildlife if you consider turtles and rabbits wildlife. Piedmont is a nothing town. The Solid Rock Cafe is good for lunch and I'm sorry we didn't get back there for a ice cream sundae. I hope the towns on the Georgia side are more interesting than in Alabama.

The purpose of our trip was to ride the Chief Ladiga Trail. This trail reaches from the GA line to Anniston, AL, a 32.5 mile rails to trails bike trail. It connects to the Silver Comet trail which stretches from the GA line almost to Atlanta, approximately 64 miles or a total of both trails is 96 miles of paved trail rambling through the country and towns. On Saturday we had breakfast at the Solid Rock Café, which we recommend. Then we biked to Cedartown, GA a 25 mile section, had lunch at the Pickle Café and returned for a nice 50 mile ride. Sunday morning we left Piedmont for Anniston and returned for a wet 40 mile trip. It was great fun and I recommend it to anyone enjoying biking.

If you are into photography this is a good place to get great shots while you are riding. Whether for exercise or relaxation this is the way to go. Many scenic shots allow breathtaking sights for photos and just the right amount of hills and flat land mixed for the perfect workout.

We took the ride from Piedmont, AL to the stateline and back. It's about 13 miles each way.the ride is flat with a slight incline going towards the stateline. The trail goes thru the Talladega National Forest and you see this gorgeous stream that follows the trails for a few miles. Great mountain views as well. One note, we were told that there was water at the state line. Not so. Make sure you take enough for there and back.

This is a great place to ride. No cars to worry about, lots of shade for hot days. This goes all the way to Atlanta GA, so you can ride as much or as little as you would like.

Great place to go for a nice walk and see the local surrounding of nature. Great biking trail for family outtings also.

Nice place to go for a family walk or bike ride. Our kids enjoy saying they've "walked to Alabama" since we cross the state line each time we go there. Especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing color.