How About Miles Apart?

Russell Forest provides room to roam

Forget maintaining six feet of social distance; why not try a mile or two? With over 100 miles of existing trails running though several thousand acres of old growth timber, the Russell Forest Trails system provides a beautiful place to refresh your spirits.

For those longing for some physical activity, the miles of improved trails provide a wonderful place to enjoy a long walk, an invigorating run, a challenging mountain bike ride, or a leisurely trail ride on your horse.

The Russell Forest is a unique feature of the Russell Lands On Lake Martin community. With roughly 25,000 acres of contiguous property, Russell Lands had a rare opportunity to create multiple waterfront neighborhoods connected by thousands of acres of beautiful rolling woodlands.

This opportunity became a reality starting more than ten years ago with the creation of the first of many trails adjacent to Willow Point. This first trail, called “Big Way,” extended from the Willow Point Cutoff Trailhead to the Wilson Road Trailhead near Kowaliga Bridge.

Multiple trails were soon carved through the woods. Green Way, Pony Express, Dark Valley Loop, E. W. Rail, and Link Way are just a few of the trails that were quickly added. There are so many trails in the Russell Forest that you can quite literally walk for miles without seeing anyone. But don’t worry—if you do see someone, most of the trails are wide enough to stay six feet apart!

How to use the trails

While the trails were created for the enjoyment of the property owners at Russell Lands On Lake Martin, there is enough room for others to join us. There are some rules for registration and use as well as maps available via our website and the Russell Lands mobile app. Visit the website or get the app: For iOS or for Android.

Property owners may walk, hike, run (with leashed pets) without cost by merely filling out a registration form. Bikers and equine users need to fill out a registration form and pay a use fee.

We are living in a surreal time with the COVID-19 event. Fortunately, we have the wonderful Russell Forest in which to renew, refresh and unwind in this very difficult time. We hope that our residents all have a chance to use the trails and maintain a safe social distance while they do. It should be easy—there are hundreds of miles through thousands of acres.