The Chattahoochee Riverwalk Trail in Columbus, Georgia is not just a cool ride for a hot day, but one of the best scenic cycling spots in this area. The trail is the best trail in a set of connecting trails known as the Dragonfly Trails Network. It is a completely paved trail that runs along the Chattahoochee River through the edge of Columbus, Georgia from Lake Oliver Marina on the north end to Baltzell Ave between Rainbow Ave & Miller Loop in Fort Benning Army Base. The stated length of this trail is 15.5 miles, but can be much longer if you enter Fort Benning and ride the trails they have to offer, as well.

We usually ride this trail (or a portion of it) at least once every two weeks as it is close enough to home to drive to, bike, and drive home within a half day, or so. The trail is very clean and we have always felt very safe while riding it.

On this day, temperatures were in the high 80’s and we were exhausted from so much intense garden work that we loaded up the bikes and headed for the river.

We usually park at Lake Oliver Marina, which is at the intersection of US Hwy 80 and River Road on the east side of the river. From there, it is a short, but hilly ride to the beginning of the trail. Just head toward the river, you can’t miss the trailhead. There is some “unofficial” parking at the trailhead, but we prefer to park at the marina for safety and the restrooms.

Ride with GPS Route

Below is the embed for our actual Ride with GPS profile ride from this trip, you can click on the title for more details.

Just after hopping on the trail, you will come to this nice little rest spot that we usually end up stopping at to adjust something on the bikes, or just check out the river for a moment. You can see US Hwy 80 in the background of the photo below. There is also a very old cemetery at the top of the trailhead, which is a little hidden in the woods but accessible and has a sign for its location.

There are a few covered bridges on this trail. This is the first one you come to when traveling north to south. The trail is nicely shaded all the way to the south, until you reach the water treatment plant. Then you have about two miles of sun before heading back into the trees along the golf course at the south end.

This trail is absolutely beautiful year round. It is a multi-use trail, so there are dog walkers, joggers, and cyclists of all kinds. We prefer to visit the trail during the week to avoid the crowds. This was a Wednesday and, as you can see, there were very few people to be found.

One of the cool murals along the trail is this one. I don’t know who she is, or who’s art this is, but it is so well done. Obviously, it was not a portrait of me. HAHA

The Riverwalk Trail follows along the river, but it is also a Rail Trail, which means it was built on, or along side, a former railroad line. Many of the railroad bridges you pass are either in use, or were converted into part of the trail for the multi-use trail. The mural from above is painted on the trestle that you see in the photo below.

This is one of our favorite stops on the trail. It is not particularly scenic, as the trees have grown between the gazebo and the river, but it is a nice semi-halfway point to stop and rest on the trail if you are riding the whole thing. If you are coming from north to south, keep an eye out for it on the right, as it is easy to miss, tucked up on a small hill as you ride by.

In addition to the covered bridges, there are a few long watershed crossing bridges that are quite lovely, especially on a hot day.

This trestle bridge is easily our favorite bridge of the trail. It is covered in part, long, and beautiful. Careful at the north entrance, though, as there is a somewhat sharp blind turn that can be clogged with traffic. We have found that it helps to ring your bell when approaching the entrance to let others on the other side of the turn know you are there.

Time was limited, as this was a work day, so we only took the trail as far as the trestle bridge and then turned back north. There is much more to see if you continue south and I will try to cover that in a future post.

As with many of our posts, if you would like to see the full high res versions of they are available on our Flickr gallery Columbus Riverwalk Trail.