Trace, Yellow and Purple Trail Loop is a 4.6 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Canton, Georgia that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
This trail starts at the Boling Park Trailhead and follows the White Blazed 'Trace' trail to the Yellow Trail and Purple Trail. The route returns on the Trace Trail. There is a mix of everything on these trails. There is a flat portion along the Etowah River, hillier portions father back in the woods, and a crushed gravel loop for light exercise. Local boy scout troops make bridges and do upkeep of trails. Very well-maintained and beautiful. Trails are well-marked with colors. Please be sure to wear Orange during hunting season.
Plenty of parking at the trail head near the back of the park.
Boling Park, Canton, GA 30114
January 22, 2021Super muddy on upper section and poorly marked. Had to use GPS to make sure we were going the right way. The upper section with clear-cut trees was not enjoyable.
January 14, 2021
January 10, 2021The back side of the loop is not marked. Stay on white. You end up going through a deforestation and there is no trail. Had to turn around and go back on white.
December 31, 2020December 5, 2020Some
November 28, 2020Ok hike. Seemed like a decent trail run but the clear cutting on the back of the loop is kinda nasty.
November 26, 2020Visited: Nov 26, 2020 Did this one solo and really enjoyed it. I decided to go on Thanksgiving day, and there were only a few other groups out (saw 3 on the trail). Terrain was easy to moderate aside from some those slippery fall leaves, but I did have trouble navigating the trail at certain points. There are plenty of trail markers (colored paint markers on trees + a few wooden posts), but their choice of orange, yellow, and purple can be hard to see during the fall season as the leaves allow the markers to blend in.
November 14, 2020November 8, 2020October 25, 2020Loved it
October 17, 2020October 17, 2020October 6, 2020Great trail. Purple section is not so great due to the cutting, but it’s clearly marked so you won’t get lost.
September 26, 2020September 26, 2020Definitely Moderate.
September 23, 2020White trail past the church becomes narrower with more hills and switchbacks. Great variety of terrain. New trail has been cut and marked in some places.
September 15, 2020Great weather for a run. Couldn't been more perfect day to get back out on the trails again.
September 7, 2020August 10, 2020The sections of the purple trail that cross the clear-cut have been blazed with 3-4 foot tall stakes marked with purple blazes. The yellow and purple trails are continuous throughout, but sections have been compromised by the clear-cut operations. Blazing on all trails has been updated.
June 13, 2020Good trail. River and stream refreshing. Part of area was cleared due to beetles. Saw very few people on the trail. Went with 4 kids between 9-12 and the all had a good time.
June 8, 2020Efforts are being made to restore the trails. The yellow trail is largely intact. The purple trail, where it begins at the intersection of the yellow trail, still exists, but is largely destroyed as it descends to the confluence with the orange trail. If you want to hike/run the yellow and purple trails, its possible. When the purple trail dies at the clear cut, follow the orange markers down the hill to the logging road. Follow the logging road to the right, continuing down the hill. After you cross the creek at the bottom of the hill look for pink markers on the left that guide you back to the trail. The trail crosses the orange trail, then follows the logging road up a hill. Be careful. Although much of the downed timber in this area has been cleared, its still a bit treacherous. At the top of the hill the "trail" continues to the left back down the logging road. Continue following the pink markers. Eventually, the trail reappears. Its a shame much of the purple trail has been destroyed. Hopefully, in the coming year, we will be able to restore the trail by rebuilding it in the unlogged areas along the creek.
April 10, 2020Lived in Canton for 30 years and never knew about it until AllTrail... Maybe because there are no signs? Anyway, it was a great experience and we enjoyed the beauty of this trail. We were a little surprised that it went right by Hightower Church. Would like to go all the way to end next time since we stopped at the church and turned around.
April 1, 2020Yellow trail is great, but once you turn on the Purple/Pink Trail it is all knocked down. I must have missed the “no trespassing” sign and kept going as the logging trails more or less followed the map and I was more than 60% of the way. I did have to climb through some logs to get around an active logging truck/crane but eventually found my way back to the lower half of the pink trail as it headed into the white trail. Love these trails, but you cannot complete this trail safely as of now.
March 1, 2020Part of this trail is impassable due to logging related to a pine beetle infestation. When you get to the first turning, take a left. You can hike out to the cairn and double back, which I think would put you in the 3-3.5 mile range. There are also a few loops you can do past the cairn and then come back from there.
January 1, 2020Parts of the trail look to have been taken out. Our first time out so maybe I'm mistaken but further back, there was heavy equipment and deforestation going on. had to turn around more than once
