Biking the Little Tennessee River Greenway, Franklin, NC

 

• Date Biked: March 20, 2021
• Posted Mileage 4-ish
• Total miles Tracked:  6.19
• Type of Trail:  mixed surface rail trail
• Conveniences:  Trailhead with bathrooms and picnic tables
• Best Features:  Covered Bridge
• Worst Features:  Rough surface, confusing trail path 
• Wildlife spotted: None
• Vegetation:  Wildflowers
• Associated Website: https://www.littletennessee.org/ 
• Primary Author: James

When we tackled the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails back in March, we saw no reason to race straight home. From north Georgia, it's a relatively short hop into western North Carolina, so I scanned Google Maps to find a greenway we might explore. The Little Tennessee River sprang up. It is, as far as I can tell, the westernmost rail trail in North Carolina, so it seemed like a good one to check off our list. 

The Little Tennessee River Greenway follows two railway cuts along the eponymous river through Franklin, NC. Franklin is a lovely little town. We ate lunch at the Motor Company Grill, which specializes in ridiculously decadent burgers and shakes. Laden with calories, we went in search of parking for the greenway, and launched our journey from Tassee Park near the midpoint of the trail. This has bathrooms and picnic tables, but the paths down from the parking area to the trail itself were a little rugged. We headed south. Before long we reached the best feature of the greenway, the Nonah Bridge, a wooden covered bridge that is a thoughtful blend of functional infrastructure and public art. Riding through it is reminiscent of riding through a cathedral, or perhaps the upturned belly of a wooden sailing ship. 

I've thought a lot about this bridge in the last two months. Having ridden several dozen greenways in numerous states, some of our favorites are ones where the people in charge of the trail understand that greenways are more akin to parks than to highways. Yes, we love long trails that let us ride from one town to another, but usually the trail itself is the destination for us, not merely a neutral surface that exists to provide easy passage from point A to point B. Once you think of a greenway as a long, thin park, it sets some expectations. Parks feature sculptures, flower gardens, and picnic shelters. Obviously, on a thirty mile greenway that passes through multiple jurisdictions, you wouldn't expect every foot to be lined with flowerbeds. Some of our favorite trails just let nature run wild six inches off the pavement. But the Nonah Bridge leaves me wondering why more greenways don't make the effort to build beautiful infrastructure. Not to name names, but Cheryl and I can name a trails where, instead of a lovely bridge crossing a pleasant river, there's are bland concrete slabs bordered by chain-link that give the surrounding the feel of an industrial wasteland. I understand that a beautiful bridge like the Nonah costs more than something drab, but we drove over a hundred miles out of our way because of the pictures of this bridge. No doubt other people do as well. Attractive things make good attractions! 

So, big bonus points for the LTRG having such an excellent feature, one that's made me look at every greenway I've since ridden in a different light. Unfortunately, the fact that this trail includes such a great bridge makes the rest of the trail a baffling disappointment. The trail is a mix of paved and gravel surfaces, at somewhat random intervals. The gravel is rough enough that I wouldn't recommend tackling this trail on a road bike. The other problem we had was a lack of clear signage. As you head toward downtown, the trail reaches the back of a shopping center. Google maps indicated the trail continued on the other side of the river, but the pathway wasn't immediately clear, and the bridge crossing into downtown had a ton of traffic on it, so we turned back. It looks like we only missed out on another mile or so of riding. Even though there are downloadable trail maps, if a trail sort of fizzles out in a parking lot, clear markers pointing toward the next step of the journey are a necessity. 

If you're serious about biking, this trail is probably a little too short to be worth the drive just to ride it. But, I imagine that in the fall, when the color is changing, this would be a spectacular greenway for a walk or run. But, if you are looking for a longer trail that has fully embraced the "greenway as a park" philosophy, do we  have a trail for you! Up next: The Swamp Rabbit!