County officials are also working to develop
specific plans to extend the Silver Creek Trail down
an abandoned rail line for about three and a half
miles to Lindale. That will link Lindale and the
main campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical
College to the overall system.
“I think a connection to Georgia Highlands
College makes sense too,” McCord said. “There is
an old spur line out there. But I don’t know if it’s
available I haven’t done the research.”
Through the years,
there has also been
some on and off talk
about connecting the
trails in the Marshall
Forest off Horseleg
Creek Road to Shorter
University.
The Braille Trail in the
Marshall Forest is one
of the most amazing
trails in all of Rome
and Floyd County. A
rope along the trail
guides visitors with
visual impairments
through the virgin
forest that is one of
Rome’s hidden gems
with several varieties
of endangered or
threatened flowers
that bloom annually.
Cave Spring
Meanwhile Cave
Spring is still trying to
figure out the best, and
least expensive, way to
connect the Pinhoti Trail to its downtown area.
It has long sought a connection to the popular
Silver Comet Trail in Polk County. A 2012 survey
determined that almost 2 million visitors use the
93-mile Silver Comet Trail yearly and most users
spend on average $50 each visit.
It’s no wonder our community wants to tap
into it and there has also been considerable talk
through the years that outdoor visionaries in the
Chattanooga area want to connect to the Silver
Comet as well.
McCord said that he wants to make sure the
county is able to develop all of the trails it has on
the books before getting too involved in planning
future routes.
Julie Smith, president of TRED, said trail
popularity is exploding. Wirh more and more
numbers telling the story that trails generate
money for communities, leaders began to see that
trails create tangible and
intangible benefits.
“Experts cite that new
trails provide a 10:1
return on investment
and when people use
trails they spend money
locally,” Smith said.
Mayor Rob Ware is
acutely aware that
connecting to the
Pinhoti and Silver Comet
would be good for
tourism in his city, but
at the same time, he
understands that Cave
Spring can impact such a
small percentage of the
real estate involved with
either project.
Floyd County and Polk
County will be counted
on for the lion’s share of
right- of-way acquisition
once actual routes are
locked down.
Ware has also
expressed serious
interest in improving a
small network of trails
Trail markers at the Jackson HIll trail system near the Rome
Civic Center. Just over three miles of trails encircle an old
Civil War fort.
within the city limits of Cave Spring, connecting
downtown with the campus of the Georgia School
for the Deaf for example.
Greenways
Aside from the economic benefits trail users,
whether they are hikers or bikers, ascribe to trails a
healthier lifestyle which is generally considered to
be better for the community at large.
46 OUTLOOK | APRIL 2020