Your Next Adventure
Your Next Adventure
Silver Comet Trail Getaway Bike Tour
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.
Itinerary
From start to finish, check out the route.
The trip begins with a brief meeting at 8 a.m. at a hotel near the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 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
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.
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.
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.
Map
Dates & Pricing
Prices are per person based on double occupancy (2 people in one room). Single supplement for private room is listed at the top of this page. A deposit of $750 holds your reservation for most tours. For tours less than 6 days, the deposit is $500.
Dates & Pricing
Prices are per person based on double occupancy (2 people in one room). Single supplement for private room is listed at the top of this page. A deposit of $750 holds your reservation for most tours. For tours less than 6 days, the deposit is $500.
Inns
Where you stay along the way.
Gallery
Images from this tour. Click each to see it larger.
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