Chief Ladiga Trail

Chief Ladiga Trail
Length 33 mi (53 km)
Location Calhoun / Cleburne counties, Alabama, USA
Designation Piedmont and Jacksonville sections are National Recreation Trail designated[1]
Trailheads Alabama-Georgia state line (33°57′1″N 85°23′46″W / 33.95028°N 85.39611°W); Anniston, Alabama (33°44′16″N 85°49′5″W / 33.73778°N 85.81806°W)
Use Hiking, Biking
Elevation
Highest point about 950 ft (290 m) near the Alabama-Georgia state line [2]
Lowest point about 650 ft (198 m) in Jacksonville[2]
Hiking details
Right of way former Southern Railway

The Chief Ladiga Trail /ləˈdaɪɡə/ is a rail trail in Alabama. It is the state's first rail trail project.

History

Trail background

The 33-mile (53 km) trail stretches from the Alabama-Georgia state line to Weaver. The Chief Ladiga is on the same rail corridor as the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia as far as Piedmont, Alabama. 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 Southern Railway route until the trail ends just north of Anniston. As of August, 2007, pavement is continuous between the Ladiga and Comet trails. 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 90-mile (145 km) paved corridor for non-motorized travel from just west of Atlanta, Georgia to Anniston, making it the 2nd longest paved trail in the U.S. (the longest being the Paul Bunyan in Minnesota.)

Chief Ladiga

Chief Ladiga was a Muscogee chief who relinquished his tribe's lands when he signed the Treaty of Cusseta 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.[3] It travels west to Piedmont then on to Jacksonville and Weaver and finally ending at Mike 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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ New NRT designated for 2011. National Recreation Trails. 2010-06-02. U.S. Department of Interior. Accessed 2011-06-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Blalock, Clarence. Chief Ladiga Trail Map. Trail Elevation Profile. 2005. Hosted on the Jacksonville State University website. Accesses 2011-06-15.
  3. ↑ TrailsNet webpage about "Chief Ladiga Trail". Picture caption. Image date: 2008-01-28. "While riding the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama, you will come to junction for the Pinhoti Trail, an Alabama hiking trail. The turnoff is located between two river/bridge crossings very near mile marker 7.0." Accessed 2011-06-14.

External links