Three Rivers Greenway
2019 Hiking Week 17
Back in March I featured the Timmerman Trail and Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve. Connecting to the Timmerman Trail, and near Congaree Creek, is the Three Rivers Greenway. It's also called the Riverwalk here in Columbia. There are a few sections to this trail that will (hopefully) all connect together in the future. They follow the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree Rivers and I am so glad our community has set these places aside for trails. Year-round you can see visitors and people from the area out walking, biking, running, and picnicking along the trails. For Easter Sunday, we actually had a picnic at the Columbia Canal Riverwalk (which is part of the Palmetto Trail).
The Three Rivers Greenway is made up of sections at the Columbia Canal, Cayce Riverwalk, Timmerman Trail, and the soon-to-open Saluda Riverwalk. There is also a spur of the trail that is in the Granby Mill Village area. The website says there are at least 12.5 miles of trails but I think it's probably more than that now. You can view a map of the trails here.
Over the years, we have walked many sections of these trails. In the winter, we like to use the Columbia Canal as a place to walk since it is lit at night. Cayce Riverwalk and Timmerman Trail are good to visit in the summer because they are more shaded by trees. There is an amphitheater on the river in West Columbia that is a part of the trail. They use it for free concerts in the spring and fall. They are also constructing an all-inclusive, enabling park near the river, which should be very popular with families.
One thing I like about the trails too, especially on the Cayce/West Columbia side of the river, is that there are many sections and many access points with parking. You can pick small sections to do at a time or longer stretches, depending on your time and activity. There are also picnic tables, shelters, and bathrooms along the way.
This past weekend, we decided to try and do a longer walk with my in-laws, where we parked one car at one end, and another further down on the Cayce Riverwalk. We started at the parking area at Moffat Street, near Jarvis Klapman Blvd (you have to go past it, then turn into the neighborhood to get to the parking lot but it's usually a good place to park). Then we followed the trail all the way to the Thomas Newman boat landing. This walk was about 4.6 miles, since we walked up to the Cayce Picnic Shelter to see some of the art work. You could add miles to that by continuing along the Riverwalk to where the trail connects to the Timmerman Trail. Depending on which way you go, this adds at least 4 more miles.
Along this section of the trail, there is art work in many different forms - on the bridges, the benches, and even on fallen logs. After the 2015 flood, the Riverwalk was closed for a long time and a local artist was commissioned to carve animals into the fallen trees that were along the trail. I love the artwork. The animals are so cute and it's fun to try and spot the carvings along the way.
We also spotted a turtle along the trail, not far from the turtle carvings.
At one point, you reach a parking area in a neighborhood, Jones Park, from here, you follow the sidewalk through the neighborhood to another entrance to the trail on the river on Old State Road.
I hope you can visit and enjoy the Riverwalk soon. There are many restaurants along the way and Cayce is seeing a lot of new development along the river. Just be sure to check online to see if there are any closings. Throughout the year they have to close sections of the trails because of flooding. The trail is so close to the river that parts can easily be covered by water or mud. Good places to check are: City of Cayce facebook page, The River Alliance facebook page, and the Congaree Riverkeeper facebook page.
Columbia recommendations
Back in March I featured the Timmerman Trail and Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve. Connecting to the Timmerman Trail, and near Congaree Creek, is the Three Rivers Greenway. It's also called the Riverwalk here in Columbia. There are a few sections to this trail that will (hopefully) all connect together in the future. They follow the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree Rivers and I am so glad our community has set these places aside for trails. Year-round you can see visitors and people from the area out walking, biking, running, and picnicking along the trails. For Easter Sunday, we actually had a picnic at the Columbia Canal Riverwalk (which is part of the Palmetto Trail).
The Three Rivers Greenway is made up of sections at the Columbia Canal, Cayce Riverwalk, Timmerman Trail, and the soon-to-open Saluda Riverwalk. There is also a spur of the trail that is in the Granby Mill Village area. The website says there are at least 12.5 miles of trails but I think it's probably more than that now. You can view a map of the trails here.
Over the years, we have walked many sections of these trails. In the winter, we like to use the Columbia Canal as a place to walk since it is lit at night. Cayce Riverwalk and Timmerman Trail are good to visit in the summer because they are more shaded by trees. There is an amphitheater on the river in West Columbia that is a part of the trail. They use it for free concerts in the spring and fall. They are also constructing an all-inclusive, enabling park near the river, which should be very popular with families.
This past weekend, we decided to try and do a longer walk with my in-laws, where we parked one car at one end, and another further down on the Cayce Riverwalk. We started at the parking area at Moffat Street, near Jarvis Klapman Blvd (you have to go past it, then turn into the neighborhood to get to the parking lot but it's usually a good place to park). Then we followed the trail all the way to the Thomas Newman boat landing. This walk was about 4.6 miles, since we walked up to the Cayce Picnic Shelter to see some of the art work. You could add miles to that by continuing along the Riverwalk to where the trail connects to the Timmerman Trail. Depending on which way you go, this adds at least 4 more miles.
Along this section of the trail, there is art work in many different forms - on the bridges, the benches, and even on fallen logs. After the 2015 flood, the Riverwalk was closed for a long time and a local artist was commissioned to carve animals into the fallen trees that were along the trail. I love the artwork. The animals are so cute and it's fun to try and spot the carvings along the way.
At one point, you reach a parking area in a neighborhood, Jones Park, from here, you follow the sidewalk through the neighborhood to another entrance to the trail on the river on Old State Road.
I hope you can visit and enjoy the Riverwalk soon. There are many restaurants along the way and Cayce is seeing a lot of new development along the river. Just be sure to check online to see if there are any closings. Throughout the year they have to close sections of the trails because of flooding. The trail is so close to the river that parts can easily be covered by water or mud. Good places to check are: City of Cayce facebook page, The River Alliance facebook page, and the Congaree Riverkeeper facebook page.
Columbia recommendations
Comments
Post a Comment