Anyone paying any attention to real estate in Atlanta over the last few years has probably noticed a lot of development along the BeltLine. A lot of development. The popular walking and biking trail on an old railroad line in the capital city has transformed once dreary areas into a booming space for shops, restaurants and housing. It is probably the most well-known trail in the state and a great example of what can happen with reclaimed land and a little imagination.
Starting Sunday, community leaders from across Georgia will be hoping to grab a little of that BeltLine magic at the Georgia Trail Summit in Columbus. Presented by the Trust for Public Land, the summit will feature field experiences, keynote speeches and sessions aimed at making Georgia a great place for hiking and cycling – and paddling, some trails are on water.
Attendees at the summit will include non-profit leaders, city planners, elected officials, greenspace advocates, recreation enthusiasts and others to spread awareness and momentum for Georgia trails. This is the fifth year for the summit, begun by the Georgia Trails Alliance, a nonprofit that works to connects members of Georgia’s trail community.
Sunday will feature a showcase of some of the trails around Columbus, including the Black Heritage Trail, the whitewater trail – which USA Today called one of the “Top 12 Man Made Adventures in the World” – and a bicycle tour of the existing and planned shared use paths and greenway in and around downtown Columbus.
The Georgia Rivers Network will also be on hand to take attendees on a five-mile flat water paddle Sunday afternoon on some of the most historic parts of the Chattahoochee River and get a first-hand view of what makes for a successful water trail. The put-in is at the site of the burning of the CSS Jackson in 1865 and the trail features remains of Columbus and the river’s industrial history – including a gas dock on the Georgia side and a grain dock on the Alabama side of the river, remnants of the past when the Chattahoochee River served as a transportation hub to Columbus.
One of the many sessions on Monday will highlight the 166 miles of trails in Cobb County, from the connection of Kennesaw State University to downtown Marietta and on to the Chattahoochee River, and including the start of the 61 mile Silver Comet Trail that connects the northern suburb of Atlanta to Alabama. The session will focus on two of the key factors in the success of the Cobb County system, partnerships and context-sensitive trail plans.
Cox Conserves, Cox Enterprises environmental sustainability arm, is the presenting sponsor of the event. Cox Conserves has contributed more than $100 million towards sustainability projects and the trails summit is another in a long line of community impact from Cox.
