Chief Ladiga Trail
Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox hiking trailThe Chief Ladiga Trail Template:IPAc-en is a rail trail in Alabama that stretches for almost 40 miles from the 4th Street Amtrak Station in Anniston, Alabama to the Alabama-Georgia state line. It is the state's first and longest rail trail project.
History
Trail background
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 Norfolk Southern Railway route until the trail ends just north of Anniston. In 2008, the Ladiga and Silver Comet trail were connected.[1] 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 Template:Convert 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 State Trail in Minnesota).[2]
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, the direction changes to southwest then on to Jacksonville and going through the Jacksonville State University campus. Then, the trail goes to Weaver 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 Template:Convert from Michael Tucker Park southward to 4th street in downtown Anniston.[4] Template:As of, the City of Anniston hired an engineering firm to inspect bridges and design the Template:Convert trail extension.[5] 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
References
External links
Template:Mapbox Template:Sister project
- Chief Ladiga Trail Jacksonville State Environmental Policy Information Center (EPIC)
- Chief Ladiga Trail Map (google mashup)
- Chief Ladiga Trail RailsToTrails.us
- Chief Ladiga Trail Traillink
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- ↑ Chief Ladiga Trail. TrailsNet. 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.
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