Kayakers Expected to be Seen at Blueways Trail
WEDNESDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2007
More kayakers are expected to be seen on the Beaufort River if Beaufort County's first state-recognized Blueways kayaking trail attracts the outdoor tourists the program's experts expect.
According to South Carolina State Trails Program, 2,000 miles of navigable waters are estimated in the state. However, not all are highlighted as Blueways, which are eligible for state money to install trail signs at launch points, distribute promotional brochures and set up websites so paddlers can plan their self-guided trips.
The Beaufort Soil and Water Conservation District, a state-funded office for county conservation programs, led a campaign to obtain $10,000 from the S.C. Department of Parks and Tourism to set up the county’s first Blueway, which runs from Port Royal to Lady’s Island.
Beaufort Kayak Tours co-owner Kim Gundler says that it really helps a Blueway trail to have an active vacation.
About 30 local kayakers recently tested the trail on a Sunday afternoon.
The route runs 6.2 miles from Port Royal Landing to White Hall Landing on Lady’s Island, taking paddlers past Fort Frederick’s 18th-century tabby ruins, Beaufort Memorial Hospital and downtown Beaufort’s shops and restaurants.
The route is a one- to two-hour trip depending on the direction of the tides and the paddler’s skill.
The trail is the first leg of many Blueways the Beaufort County Planning Department mapped out. The district hopes to extend a trail to Penn Center and the Gullah historical museum and St. Helena soon, says trails coordinator Phylis Atkins.
For more details on this story, please visit www.beaufortgazette.com.
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