Along The Greenway: A Blog
Tubing Safety: Saluda Riverwalk opening brings recreation regulations
During the second weekend of the soft opening of the Saluda Riverwalk, dozens of folks excited about the prospect of tubing on the river on a hot summer day left the parking lot disappointed. The opening of the riverwalk as a City of Columbia park prompted regulations...
Saluda Riverwalk Primer: What you need to know if you’re new to the latest greenway section
If you’re one of those rule-followers who turned away when you found the parking lot gate closed at the Saluda Riverwalk in the past year, or if you hadn’t considered exploring the new Three Rivers Greenway section until it officially opened, you’re in for a treat as...
New signage along Saluda Riverwalk aids with location
As the Saluda Riverwalk heads into the summer in its seemingly never-ending limbo - officially not open, yet heavily used - the City of Columbia continues making strides to improve management of the trail. Trail users have noticed blue oval signs installed recently on...
What’s up with those red metal cylinders anchored in the rocks on the Saluda?
The wayside signs along the Saluda Riverwalk do a great job of telling the history and ecology of the water and land along the park, but those signs can’t answer all of your questions. ...
I wondered: Is the high ridge along Congaree north of boat landing man-made?
Among the thoughts I’ve wondered as I walked on the Three Rivers Greenway: Is the large, straight ridge just inland of the trail between the Thomas Newman Boat Landing and the Cayce wastewater treatment plant a man-made structure or the result of natural river...
Nearby Palmetto Trail passages are the greenway’s rural cousins
As glorious as the Three Rivers Greenway trails can be in spring, sometimes I feel the need for a different recreation experience. Lately, I revisited two of the greenway’s rural cousins for the first time in nearly a decade, and I found both of these sections of the...
Please treat rare rocky shoals spider lilies with respect they deserve
Each year, a team of Columbia parks workers, state and federal agency experts, and river enthusiasts venture out on the waterways bordering the Three Rivers Greenway to conduct an important scientific survey. They paddle kayaks to locations on the Broad, Saluda and...
Blue Bike SC makes cycling on the greenway easy even if you don’t have a bike
The various Three Rivers Greenway sections are among the safest places in the Midlands to ride a bike. The only hassle is getting your bike to the greenway. I lower my handlebars and toss my beach cruiser in the back of an old Toyota Matrix. If you don’t have a...
Signs make navigating 12,000 Year History Park easy for newcomers
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped to help 12,000 Year History Park novices confused by the trail signs. The maps on those signs show the entire Three Rivers Greenway trail system, stretched out from the I-26 bridge over the Saluda River to the west, the...
Early Saluda Riverwalk tour: Who knew the process would take two decades?
As we wait for the Saluda Riverwalk to officially open, it’s worth looking back at when discussion of a paved walkway on this beautiful river section first began percolating -- more than two decades ago. The River Alliance plotted its plans for trails along the rivers...