Firefly Trail

The newest addition to Athens’ bike paths is The Firefly Trail, a multi-use rails-to-trails project which will extend 39-miles from Athens to Union Point. The first 1-mile segment, including a 500' bridge over the North Oconee River and a connection to the North Oconee River Greenway and Dudley Park, opened in late 2017 and TSPLOST was approved to complete the remainder of the trail within Athens-Clarke County and Winterville, including an iconic bridge over Trail Creek.

As of October 2021, a new section was opened, featuring an improved surface trail for bike and pedestrian use along the historic Georgia Railroad corridor between Old Winterville Road and Hancock Road. The trail will allow for pedestrians and bicyclists alike to safely participate in activities within Athens-Clarke County without being within close motor vehicle proximity.  

The Firefly Trail segments in Athens-Clarke County and the City of Winterville now include completion of 4.5 miles of the 7.9 miles of the Trail within the county. Design work for completion of the remaining 3.4 miles of Firefly Trail is under way and construction has begun on the bridge over Trail Creek.  The anticipated completion date for the bridge segment is Fall 2022.

The overall vision of the Firefly Trail is a planned 39-mile rail-trail from Athens to Union Point in Northeast Georgia, connecting Athens-Clarke, Oglethorpe, and Greene Counties. The historic rail line, known as the Athens Branch of the Georgia Railroad, branched off the still-active Augusta-to-Atlanta line in Union Point and passed through the towns of Woodville, Maxeys, Stephens, Crawford, Arnoldsville and Winterville on its way to Athens.