City Loop Trail Unveiled

Local officials gather to unveil a new walking trail in Toccoa.

Officials unveiled the City Loop Trail on Thursday at one of its starting points, the Rotary Park, located next to the Foothills Center on Big A Road.

The trail is a joint effort of the Stephens County High School Interact Club, Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County class, Toccoa Rotary Club, and the city of Toccoa.

Derek Demmler is the advisor for the Interact Club and also a member of the Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County class that took on this project.

“The City Loop Trail is a walking/running trail that runs through Toccoa,” said Demmler.

It starts at Rotary Park or the historic train depot in downtown Toccoa.

“It has a 2.1 mile loop, and a 1-mile loop,” said Demmler.

Demmler said the idea is something that people have been working on for about a year and a half.

“We started talking about it before the YMCA closed its doors,” said Demmler. “We still saw a need for free exercise routes and one that is safe, well-marked, and well-lit to promote health and wellness in the community.”

At that point, Demmler said the Rotary Club, Interact Club, and Leadership class all came together to work on the trail and complete it with the help of the city of Toccoa.

“We all came together to fund the project,” said Demmler. “It came in under budget. We partnered with the city. They provided the manpower to hang the signs and the final artwork and work through the signage questions with the Historic District.”

There are also eight directional signs directing runners and walkers along the route, which follows North Big A Road to Doyle Street to Foreacre Street, then Alexander Street to Tugalo Street and then back to North Big A Road.