The trail is named after Richard Martin, who led a 25-year effort with volunteers and various community organizations to establish the continuous 10.2 mile, rails-to-trails bicycle, equestrian, and pedestrian trail in Limestone County, Alabama.
"The Richard Martin Trail (a.k.a., Limestone Rail-Trail) is best accessed mid-route from a trailhead in the town of Elkmont, where you'll find parking, good signage, a historic depot (used for community activities), a refurbished railcar, a place to eat and antiques to buy. You'll likely encounter horses along the trail, which is a favorite among equestrians. If you intend to bike the route, take a mountain bike or hybrid, as the rough terrain will give you—and your tires—a workout. Also be sure to bring food and drink, as Elkmont is the only place to purchase refreshments along the trail.
From town the trail heads both north and south. The 4.5 miles to the north boasts cotton fields, historic homesteads and several bridges. Over the first mile, the trail merges with local roads before establishing its independence. The trail, a National Recreation Trail, ends at the Alabama-Tennessee border.
The 6.1 miles of trail to the south offer different terrain, views and history. As you pass through pristine wetlands, you'll soon reach a slight incline, 1 mile south of Elkmont, where a trestle once spanned Sulphur Creek, the site of Alabama's bloodiest Civil War conflict. A plaque commemorates the 1864 Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle, during which a Tennessee & Alabama Central Railroad supply train moving Union Army troops and goods from Nashville to Atlanta came under attack. More than 200 soldiers were killed during the ensuing firefight.
Until it was abandoned in 1986, the line brought in mail and supplies to area communities and brought out cotton, a mainstay of the local economy. The trail is named for local advocate Richard Martin, who continues to rally for the improvement and extension of the trail." source link: (
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text from marker:
"Tenn. and Ala. Central Railroad
The Tennessee and Alabama Central Railroad reached Elkmont in the fall of 1859. By 1862, the Union army controlled North Alabama and the railroad, an important supply line from Nashville to Chattanooga and Atlanta. 1.1 miles south of this spot is the site of one of the bloodiest land battles in Alabama at Sulphur Creek Trestle, part of the Sept. 1864 raids of C.S.A. General N.B. Forrest. The rail line became the Nashville & Decatur Railroad in 1866. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad had control by 1871, and in 1887, built the existing depot. The L&N served this area many years, bringing perishable goods, mail, providing transportation and export of cotton. L&N became part of the seaboard system in 1982. The line was abandoned in April 1986.
- Erected by Elkmont Town Council & Limestone County Historical Society. 2005"
text from marker reverse:
"Elkmont, Alabama
The earliest settlers to this area moved across the Chickasaw boundary before 1810 and established the Sims and New Garden settlements. The area came to be known as Elkmont, for the once abundant elk, the Elk River and the "mount" on which it sat. It began to flourish with the completion of the Tennessee and Alabama Central Railroad in 1859. The name of the Fort Hampton post office, established in 1859, was changed to Elkmont in 1866. Elkmont grew to be a commerce center for North Limestone County and was incorporated on March 28, 1873. The first high school in Limestone County was established here in 1912. Today, Elkmont's converted railroad bed welcomes visitors to connect with the past as it passes through a Civil War battle site to the south and a covered bridge to the north.
- Erected by Elkmont Town Council & Limestone County Historical Society. 2005"