4-Day Silver Comet Trail Getaway Scenic Bike Tour
Duration
4 days
Daily Biking
15 to 46 miles
Trip difficulty
2-Easier to Intermediate
From
USD 2499
OR CALL (800) 257-2226
Duration
4 days
Daily Biking
15 to 46 miles
Trip difficulty
2-Easier to Intermediate
From
USD 2499
Trip Overview
Join us for a delightful exploration of three paved trails offering fascinating history, cultural highlights and peaceful biking. On this 4-day Getaway, you ride the Chief Ladiga, Silver Comet, and Atlanta BeltLine trails.
The first two of these trails, which connect at the Georgia-Alabama border, span 95 miles. The Chief Ladiga (pronounced “La-dye-ga”) Trail runs 33 miles through Alabama. The Silver Comet Trail runs 62 miles through Georgia, and you get to cycle every single one of these miles. Built along the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, both trails are rich with history. From 1947 to 1969, the luxurious Silver Comet passenger train traveled these lines between Birmingham and New York. Though you don’t pedal quite that far on this tour, you still see plenty … as the trails traverse towns, countryside, forests, and wetlands. You even cycle across railroad trestles and through a 700-ft long railroad tunnel!
In the second half of the trip, turn your attention to Atlanta — once known as the “New York of the South” and now known as a city of ever-changing skyline. You have the opportunity to visit famous downtown attractions and explore The BeltLine, a network of public parks and multi-use trails along a historic railroad corridor. Atlanta’s BeltLine is one of the most impressive urban redevelopment programs in the U.S. This getaway will thrill you with some of the best paved biking trails in Georgia and Alabama.
Surfaces for this tour: 99% Paved and 1% Gravel.
Itinerary
From start to finish, check out the route.
Join us to explore three paved trails with fascinating history, cultural highlights and peaceful biking. On this four-day tour, cycle the Chief Ladiga, Silver Comet, and Atlanta BeltLine trails … through towns, countryside, and forests to vibrant Atlanta.
Chief Ladiga Trail
Please meet at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport North at 8am. From there, shuttle to the trailhead at the Georgia-Alabama border, get fitted to your bike, and begin cycling the Chief Ladiga Trail. The trail is named after the leader of the Muscogee Nation who in 1832 signed the Treaty of Cusseta, which surrendered the tribe’s land to the United States. Along the trail, you enjoy pastoral landscapes, mountainous terrain, and plants and wildlife. Have a group lunch in Piedmont and then visit the town’s Railroad Depot Museum — an 1867 historic facility revealing the art, culture, and history of the area. As you continue along the trail, notice views of Mount Cheaha and Dugger Mountain — the tallest and second tallest peaks in Alabama. Then shuttle to the nearby Hotel Finial in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Originally built in 1888 as a Queen Anne Victorian mansion, today the hotel is known as Alabama’s finest boutique inn. End the day with dinner together at a nearby restaurant
Accommodation: Hotel Finial
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Biking: 33 miles (53 kilometres)
Elevation Gain: 780 feet (237 metres)
Terrain: Easier
Silver Comet Trail
After a hearty breakfast, shuttle back to the Georgia-Alabama border, where you start cycling on the Silver Comet Trail. Today you bike the first 45 miles of the trail through bucolic landscapes of pine trees and farmlands. You’re on your own for lunch at one of many restaurants in Rockmart. After lunch, cycle through the 700-ft-long Brushy Mountain Tunnel and then cross the stunning Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle. End your ride at the trailhead in Hiram, where you shuttle to this evening’s hotel. Consider taking a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool before heading to dinner in town.
Accommodation: Best Western Hiram Inn & Suites
Meals: Breafast, Dinner
Biking: 46 miles (74 kilometres)
Elevation Gain: 2,030 feet (618 metres)
Terrain: Intermediate
Downtown Atlanta
After breakfast, pedal the final miles of the Silver Comet Trail as it winds its way through urban areas. Then shuttle to downtown Atlanta, where you are on your own for the afternoon. Have lunch at one of the tasty nearby restaurants. Then choose your own adventure as you explore Atlanta’s best-known attractions: within a short walking distance are the World of Coca-Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Centennial Olympic Park. Later in the afternoon, meet the group to shuttle to Hotel Clermont, a beloved landmark on historic Ponce de Leon Avenue. The hotel proudly boasts that it “has been a host to many characters and events — most good, some bad, all interesting.” Go ahead and make your mark on Hotel Clermont’s history! Bring a hearty appetite, as tonight you dine at Tiny Lou’s, a Michelin recommended French-American brasserie.
Accommodation: Hotel Clermont
Meals: Breafast, Dinner
Biking: 15 miles (24 kilometres)
Elevation Gain: 630 feet (192 metres)
Terrain: Easier
The BeltLine & Departure Day
In the morning, walk to the famous Ponce City Market for breakfast. Afterward, you’re on your own for the morning. There are two bike routes you can pedal: a 10-mile route on the Atlanta BeltLine that highlights Piedmont Park, the Botanical Gardens, colorful Krog Street Tunnel, and Freedom Park. Avid riders who want to bike a bit further can pedal up to 19 miles on an out-and-back ride along an urban greenway that takes you east through Freedom Park and beyond. Or, if you prefer, feel free to spend the morning exploring the BeltLine on foot. Whatever you decide, there’s so much to see! Walk on the BeltLine to the nearby New Realm Brewing for our final lunch together before saying our goodbyes. At the end of the trip, shuttle back to the starting point hotel near the Atlanta airport.
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Biking: 10 or 19 miles (16 or 30 kilometres)
Elevation Gain: 610 or 1,060 feet (185 or 323 metres)
Terrain: Easier
Dates
Prices are per person based on double occupancy (2 people in one room). A deposit of $750 holds your reservation for most tours. For tours less than 6 days, the deposit is $500.
What's Included
- 3 nights’ accommodation
- 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
- Our own highly experienced trip leaders, with you from start to finish
- Industry leading Guest-to-Guide ratio (averaging 6:1)
- Your own ‘Account’, an online space with everything required for your adventure
- Our knowledgeable Customer Service Team to answer your queries - just a phone call, email or chat away
- Customer Service pre-trip phone calls to ensure you’re 'trip ready'
- Delicious snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to keep you fueled
- Gravel bikes with drop handlebars, Hybrid with flat-bar handlebars or E-Bikes, equipped with a front handlebar bag or rear carrier, branded water bottle, mirror and flat pedals
- Ride with GPS for navigation along with the detailed maps and itineraries
- Branded t-shirt and bag
- All activities outlined in the itinerary
- All necessary equipment (well-maintained and safe) for activities
- Transportation in our air-conditioned vans - safe, clean, modern and comfortable!
Inns
Hotel Finial
The hilltop setting of this Queen Anne Victorian mansion makes it the destination of choice for weddings and events. Hotel Finial has also been named as the Best Small Hotel in the state of Alabama by HotelsCombined and we have also received the TripAdvisor Award of Excellence, AAA Diamond Award and the Calhoun County Beautification Award.
Best Western Hiram Inn & Suites
Just 20 miles from Atlanta, there's so much to do while staying at this Hiram hotel. Six Flags® Over Georgia, Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola are just 16 to 29 miles away, offer family fun and excitement, while Kennesaw Mountain National Park, a historic mountain from the Civil War, will have you viewing the area from the eyes of an entirely different era. Or travel back in time by the millions of years by visiting Fernbank Museum of Natural History, home to cast replicas of the world's largest dinosaurs.
Hotel Clermont
Located on historic Ponce de Leon Avenue in the heart of Atlanta, Hotel Clermont boasts 94 carefully appointed rooms with modern conveniences and splendid views. They look forward to having you as a guest.
