Video: Tanglefoot Turns One Year Old

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HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) — The Tanglefoot Trail, expected to be a recreational and economic success turns a year old this weekend. What use to be 44 miles of old rail bed belonging to the former GM&O railroad is now a walking and bike trail.

Just as developers anticipated, after ten years of work a trail once used by Chickasaw Indians and a railroad company is already attracting bike riders and has a small business clientele.

“We have an implement company that has locations in Houston and Tupelo that has chosen to purchase property and it will be adjacent to the trail. In fact it will have some bicycle and trail amenities,” said Joyce East, Tanglefoot Trail Board Member.

A year after an opening ceremony of the trail from New Albany in the north and Houston at the southern tip, a plan on the drawing board has become reality. Tanglefoot Board Member Joyce East says there are new developments emerging.

“And we have approval for the master gardeners to design and build an arbor at mile marker zero which is the beginning of the Tanglefoot Trail,” said East.

Although designed for walking and recreational biking, the trail through Chickasaw, Pontotoc, and Union Counties is a pleasant place to rest, eat, and shop.

“Other improvements in New Houlka in Chickasaw County have been an ice cream shop, a sandwich shop, and the other communities as well in New Albany. We boost of a bicycle shop and some repair shops in Pontotoc. So things are really picking up,” said Joyce East, Tanglefoot Trail Board Member.

The Tanglefoot Trail has an estimated economic impact of as much as $4.8 million for Northeast Mississippi.