Georgia & Florida Trail Inc.

When a railroad abandons its tracks, it leaves behind a perfect multiuse trail from point A to point B.

The grades are gentle, and there are design features that are built in like bridges and overpasses that are easy to modify, so it makes a perfectly beautiful linear park with paved surfaces for non-motorized recreation, such as walking, skating, jogging, wheelchair access and bicycle use,” says David Cheney, CEO of Georgia & Florida Trail Inc., a nonprofit that promotes converting abandoned sections of the G & F Railroad Corridor.

The group’s first objective is the creation of the Sweet Onion Rail Trail, also referred to as the SORT Line, which runs from downtown Vidalia south over the Altamaha River toward Hazlehurst and on to Douglas. The organization’s ultimate goal is converting the entire historic corridor, from Augusta to Madison, Florida, including some portions with active lines, known as Rail with Trails.

“Florida is a leader in the Rails to Trails movement while Georgia ranks 47th in the country,” Cheney says, “but we’re trying to change that with the development of our 200 mile-plus, people-friendly transportation corridor.

“Our mission is the economic revitalization of the Wiregrass section of rural Georgia,” he says. “We know these off-road corridors are safer and much more enjoyable than riding on sometimes dangerous and busy highways. Here you can bring the whole family for a variety of recreational activities.”