Visit the Firefly Trail in East Athens & Downtown

On October 20, 2017, the first segment of the long-awaited Firefly Trail officially opened in Athens-Clarke County with the ribbon-cutting for .3-miles of paved trail, including a stunning 500'-long bridge over the North Oconee River and connections to Dudley Park and the North Oconee River Greenway.  Another 0.5 miles of the trail opened a few months later, and construction of the remaining 7 miles of trail in Athens-Clarke and Winterville is underway, thanks to voter passage of the TSPLOST initiative.

The trail is accessible by foot and bicycle from downtown Athens and the Lexington Road Park-and-Ride lot. If you're driving, parking is available at the west end at Dudley Park ("Greenway Only" spaces at the waterwheel off E Broad St. or the Poplar St. Greenway lot) and the Classic Center (paid). East-end parking is available at the Lexington Road Park-and-Ride lot. Use caution crossing the highway to reach the trailhead on Old Winterville Road.

For more information on construction and opening dates, visit ACC's Firefly Trail page.

​​Jump down for FAQs about visiting the trail

Dudley park to Old Winterville Road:

OLD WINTERVILLE ROAD TO HANCOCK:

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DOWNTOWN Winterville:

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Questions about your visit?  Start here.

What is the trail like?
A 10' to 14' wide hard surface path for walking, running, bicycling, skating, and other non-motorized use (except horseback riding).  Fully ADA accessible. Dogs on leashes are welcome.

​What are some highlights of the trail?
Most spectacular is the 500-foot-long, 40-foot-high bridge over the North Oconee River, with viewing platforms on both sides. 

Does it connect to any another trails?
Yes! The Firefly Trail connects directly to the North Oconee River Greenway in Dudley Park, which stretches 3.5 miles N to Sandy Creek Nature Center, and another leg of the Greenway that connects to College Station Road from the Oconee St. trailhead.  It is also near the .5-mile Trail Creek Trail (greenway) and 4.5 miles of mountain biking at Walker Park.

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What is nearby?
From the Firefly Trail, you can easily reach Dudley Park, the North Oconee River Greenway, the “Murmur” trestle, the Multimodal Transportation Center (Athens Transit), Walker Park and its mountain bike trails, a number of student housing communities, UGA’s Chicopee Building, and Weaver D’s and Mama’s Boy restaurants.  Downtown Athens, the Classic Center and UGA’s North Campus are a short distance away up East Broad Street. ​​

Will more of the trail be opening soon?
Yes; Athens-Clarke County's website is the best source for information about the ACC section of trail.  Model Mile projects have been completed in Athens-Clarke County, Winterville, Maxeys, and Union Point.