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Newton Trails envisions a broad network of multi-use trails that will someday connect all cities, neighborhoods, parks and recreation facilities, and schools in Newton County and extend beyond Newton’s borders to link up with trail networks in adjacent counties and beyond.  With that dream in mind, Newton Trails is focusing on its first steps – a core trail network linking Oxford, Covington, and Porterdale.

OXFORD
Newton Trails hopes to build a five-mile loop trail around the City of Oxford.  Much of the western part of the loop is expected to follow street corridors that were part of the original city plan but were never developed. The concept for the eastern part of the trail is to run along Dried Indian Creek, preferably along the already cleared sewer easement on the west side of the creek if Oxford property owners are willing, or alternatively along the east side of the creek in Covington. 

The southern and northern parts of the Oxford loop would most likely simply be directional signs along existing roads rather than an independent trail because of a lack of space.  The Oxford loop would connect three schools:  Palmer Stone Elementary School, Cousins Middle School, and Oxford College of Emory University.

COVINGTON
The County and the City of Covington have been working on pedestrian and bicycle access through downtown Covington.  Phase 1 of their work was to install sidewalks and bike lanes from the Newton County Library along Floyd Street, past the historic square, and down Clark Street past Trailblazer Park and finally to Turner Lake Park. 

The hope is that someday the section of Dried Indian Creek that flows through downtown Covington will be reclaimed and developed as a linear park or greenway that will connect neighborhoods to shopping districts and also run north and connect to the Oxford Trail. This is commonly called Phase 4 by the County.

The award-winning Turner Lake Park covers 168 acres.  In addition to the lake, ball fields, playground, pavilion, indoor basketball courts and walking track, Recreation Commission headquarters and seniors’ center, Turner Lake Park has a ¼ loop of hard-surfaced trail and nearly 3 miles of soft-surface nature trails wandering through the woods.

Phase 2 of the County’s trail plan will go through the park and is expected to continue west along Turkey Creek (the same creek that starts in Oxford) down to the Yellow River and end at Porterdale Elementary School and Newton County High School.

Phase 3 will extend East along Martin Street from the Newton County Library, pass under the bypass, and meander through newly developed neighborhoods to Eastside High School.

PORTERDALE
Newton Trails plans to extend the trail from the high school to Porterdale, thereby completing a trails network connecting Newton County’s three central cities.  The conceived route for the Porterdale Trail is along the Yellow River to Cedar Shoals alongside the historic mill.  Just north of the mill, across Hwy. 81, the City of Porterdale owns 27 acres slated for a park around which the trail will loop.  Adjacent to the park property is the historic train depot.  Porterdale secured a grant to renovate the depot and turn it into a gathering place and trail head.