Whether already an avid cycler or just interested in finding a new hobby, the new U.S. Bike Route 21 promises to be the perfect route to explore via bicycle! Recently approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, USBR 21 will connect Atlanta to Chattanooga.

The route will begin in downtown Atlanta at the Five Points MARTA Train Station, offering international cyclists easy access to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The trail will extend down the scenic Silver Comet Trail following along two-lane country roads toward the Tennessee border. Once complete, USBR 21 will extend 160.8 miles long. Future plans are being discussed that will eventually connect the USBR21 from Atlanta all the way to Cleveland.

There are two spur routes connected to USBR 21; USBR 321 goes to Chickamauga, while USBR 521 offers a beautiful view of Lookout and Pigeon Mountains and leads to Mountain Coves Farm. As of 2015, 11,053 miles of U.S. Bicycle Routes have already been established throughout 23 states across the country. Georgia’s new route is a part of a recent approval of 2,000 miles of new bike routes in five different states and it is the Peach State’s first U.S. Bicycle Route.

A map of USBR 21, as well as a statewide map of Georgia bike routes is available at Georgia’s Department of Transportation website at www.dot.ga.gov. For added convenience, traffic level indicators are included, offering information for cyclists using the route for transportation, recreation or touring. For current or aspiring cyclists interested in utilizing USBR 21, or moving closer to the heart of downtown Atlanta, there are a variety of new Atlanta homes available. For more information about home communities in Atlanta, click here.