(Featured image is from the Augusta Canal Tow Path near the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. The tow path is one of the trails on the Bombasin Land Trail. Photo by Charmain Z. Brackett)
Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau invites the public to come and celebrate National Trails Day with the launch of the new Bombasin Land Trail on Saturday, June 3.
“We are thrilled to host the official launch of the Bombasin Land Trail with a ribbon cutting ceremony on National Trails Day,” said Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Shelly Blackburn.
According to a media release from Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Bombasin is a collection of land trails on the Savannah River sub-basins that span Columbia County. These collections of trails include Bartram Trail, Lake Springs Loop, Keg Creek Loop, Rock Dam Trail, Evans to Locks Trail, Augusta Canal Tow Path, Euchee Creek Greenway and Blanchard Woods Cross Country.
“Our team at Visit Columbia County created the Bombasin Land Trail by packaging existing land trail opportunities into a user-friendly visitor experience,” Blackburn said. “The concept for Bombasin was born out of the desire to attract visitors to Columbia County and provide exposure to unique outdoor experiences that have always been a natural luxury to our area.”
All these trails offer different adventures including biking, hiking, running or walking the scenic routes.
“Outdoor recreation has long been one of the greatest assets in our region, especially regarding the abundance of land trails. Bombasin offers the opportunity to discover the natural beauty of eight individual land trails, each with its unique personality,” Blackburn said.
Columbia County previously created a water trail program called Serene 18 Paddle Trail and believe the new Bombasin Land Trail is a great addition as well.
“Our team saw great success creating the Serene18 Paddle Trail and developed Bombasin as a similar marketing tool to package existing land trail opportunities into a user-friendly visitor experience,” Blackburn said. “Both Serene 18 and Bombasin are perfect for first-timers, families and aficionados alike.”
The ribbon cutting will be held at 9 a.m. at the Petersburg Trailhead Pavilion. Following the ribbon cutting, there will be opportunities to join a guided hike, mountain bike ride or run along the Bartram Trail. A free lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 1.p.m. ; reserve a spot at https://bit.ly/Bombasin by May 30.
Christopher Rickerson, an Augusta University graduate, is a correspondent for Augusta Good News. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
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