Officials in Georgia are talking about the possibility of creating a bike trail where the former Gainesville and Northwest Railroad connected Gainesville and Helen.

The planning director for the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Adam Hazell, said that turning parts of the 37-mile route into biking and pedestrian trials would support the area's tourism and outdoor recreation.

Officials point to Georgia's Silver Comet Trail as an example of a successful rails-to-trails project. It covers more than 61 miles in Cobb, Paulding and Polk counties.

The president of the Clermont Historical Society, Sandra Cantrell, said the big challenge for the Gainesville-to-Helen route is that some of it goes through private property.

Tags: bike trail, Gainesville, Helen, silver comet trail, rails to trails, clermont historical society