The Chief Ladiga Trail is a
rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
in
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
that stretches for almost 40 miles from the 4th Street Amtrak Station in Anniston, Alabama to the Alabama-
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
state line. It is the state's first and longest
rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
project.
History
Trail background
The Chief Ladiga is on the same rail corridor as the
Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is a rail trail in west-northwestern Georgia, United States.
Route
The Silver Comet Trail is named for the '' Silver Comet'' passenger train that traversed the same route from 1947 to 1969. It begins in Smyrna, Georgi ...
in Georgia as far as
Piedmont, Alabama
Piedmont is a city in Calhoun and Cherokee counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 4,400 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Anniston- Oxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city is approximately one an ...
. From there it parallels an abandoned
Southern Railway line for a few miles west of town until it leaves the old Seaboard rail line, heading south on the Norfolk Southern Railway route until the trail ends just north of Anniston. In 2008, the Ladiga and Silver Comet trail were connected. A new gateway marks the connecting point at the state line. Now that the Chief Ladiga and the Silver Comet trails are connected, there is a paved corridor for non-motorized travel from just west of
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
to Anniston, making it the 2nd longest paved trail in the U.S (the longest being the
Paul Bunyan State Trail
The Paul Bunyan State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in north-central Minnesota, United States, running between the cities of Baxter/ Brainerd and Bemidji. It is named after the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan of American folklore.
...
in Minnesota).
Chief Ladiga
Chief Ladiga was a
Muscogee
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...
chief who relinquished his tribe's lands when he signed the
Treaty of Cusseta
The Treaty of Cusseta was a treaty between the government of the United States and the Creek Nation signed March 24, 1832 (). The treaty ceded all Creek claims east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
Origins
The Treaty of Cusset ...
in 1832. The Treaty was part of a broader policy of
indian removal perpetrated by the
Jackson Administration. Ladiga sold half his land (which would later become Jacksonville) to speculators for $2000.
Route
The Chief Ladiga Trail starts at the Alabama-Georgia state line. At about mile marker 7.0, the trail crosses the
Pinhoti National Recreation Trail
The Pinhoti Trail is a Southern Appalachian Mountains long-distance trail, in length, located in the United States within the states of Alabama and Georgia. The trail's southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain, near Weogufka, Alabama, the southe ...
.
It travels west to Piedmont, the direction changes to southwest then on to
Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
and going through the
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...
campus. Then, the trail goes to
Weaver
Weaver or Weavers may refer to:
Activities
* A person who engages in weaving fabric
Animals
* Various birds of the family Ploceidae
* Crevice weaver spider family
* Orb-weaver spider family
* Weever (or weever-fish)
Arts and entertainmen ...
and finally ending at Michael Tucker Park in north Anniston. It travels through wetlands, across streams, through forests and farmlands, and includes a horizon view of the
Talladega Mountains. There are several bridges and both new and restored railroad trestles.
There was a proposal to extend the trail from Michael Tucker Park southward to 4th street in downtown Anniston. , the City of Anniston hired an engineering firm to inspect bridges and design the trail extension.
On April 26, 2025 the City of Anniston celebrated the opening of a 6.5 mile extension of the Chief Ladiga Trail! The new section extends from Mike Tucker Park to the 4th Street Amtrak Station in downtown Anniston.
See also
*
Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is a rail trail in west-northwestern Georgia, United States.
Route
The Silver Comet Trail is named for the '' Silver Comet'' passenger train that traversed the same route from 1947 to 1969. It begins in Smyrna, Georgi ...
*
List of Hiking Trails in Alabama
This is a list of trails in the U.S. state of Alabama.
By county
Autauga County
* Autauga Creek Trail, ; Prattville
* Wilderness Park Trail (a.k.a. Bamboo Park), ; Prattville
* Cooter's Pond Park Riverwalk, ; Prattville
* Jones Bluff Park ( ...
References
External links
{{commons category, Chief Ladiga Trail
Chief Ladiga Trail Jacksonville State Environmental Policy Information Center (EPIC)
Chief Ladiga Trail Map (google mashup)RailsToTrails.us
Chief Ladiga TrailTraillink
Protected areas of Calhoun County, Alabama
Protected areas of Cleburne County, Alabama
Long-distance trails in the United States
Rail trails in Alabama
National Recreation Trails in Alabama
Bike paths in Alabama
Hiking trails in Alabama
Anniston, Alabama