WINNSBORO – A new 42-mile bicycle route connecting the Broad River at the Alston Trailhead to Lake Wateree State Park is opening another way for residents and visitors to explore Fairfield County, with downtown Winnsboro serving as a hub along the route.
At a ribbon-cutting celebration on Nov. 6, next to the Goode Law offices in downtown Winnsboro, speakers described the River-to-River Trail, a project of the Palmetto Trail, as an investment in recreation, community connections and opportunities for visitors to discover local businesses and historic places.
“The route creates new opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and experience what Fairfield County has to offer,” said Ariel Leone, events coordinator for the Palmetto Trail.
Winnsboro Mayor Demetrius Chatman welcomed participants on behalf of Town Council and the town’s residents, saying the occasion represented more than the opening of a recreational route.
“Today is more than cutting a ribbon,” Chatman said. “It’s about connecting communities, celebrating our history, promoting a healthy lifestyle and welcoming new visitors to experience our beautiful town.”
He said the trail offers another opportunity to showcase Winnsboro, encourage outdoor recreation and support local businesses.
Erin Johnson, of Central Carolina Community Foundation, said the foundation supported an early planning grant for the project through an initiative called Connected Communities.
The scale of the proposed route initially seemed ambitious, Johnson said, but the foundation believed in the project and the people working to accomplish it.
The funding required matching support, bringing other partners into the effort.
“We’ll put in, but there’s gotta be other partners at the table,” Johnson said, describing the foundation’s approach.
She credited municipal, county and federal participation, along with individual donors, for helping turn the proposal into a completed route. The foundation serves 11 Midlands counties and has also supported work at the Alston Trailhead, she said.
“This is a project that’s going to connect neighbors as well as connect us back to this community, back to this earth, back to nature that we all care so deeply about,” Johnson said.
Attorney Jesse Goode, who owns Winnsboro’s historic freight depot with his brother Jonathan, also an attorney, said the placement of a trail kiosk at the property carries a connection to the building’s original purpose.
Now used as a law office, the depot once helped connect Winnsboro and Fairfield County with surrounding communities and the rest of the state through freight transportation.
Goode, a lifelong cyclist, became involved after riding area gravel roads with Scott Nelkin of Columbia’s Cola Town Bike Collective. Nelkin introduced him to Palmetto Trail representatives who were considering a connecting route.
Goode credited the organization’s staff with the work and persistence needed to complete the project. He said he and his brother were pleased to provide space for the kiosk near the route’s midpoint.
Through cycling, community and stewardship, he said, riders will have opportunities to see what Winnsboro and Fairfield County offer.
Palmetto Trail representative Mary Roe said the project’s vision took root through the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities grant. She described the new route as part of a broader effort to expand outdoor recreation in Fairfield County.
Over the past few years, she said, the organization has invested $2 million in public access to the Broad River. Improvements include a new kayak launch, additional trailhead parking and a 1.2-mile nature trail expected to open soon.
Those facilities serve hikers, cyclists, paddlers, campers and people simply seeking a peaceful walk, she said.
“We are deeply committed to helping reduce the health disparities facing Fairfield County by creating safe, accessible places for people of all ages and backgrounds to move and play,” she said.
She thanked the foundation for two grants supporting the River-to-River and River Bluff trails, the Goode brothers for hosting the downtown trailhead, and Frank Canning for repeatedly riding and marking the route.
With that infrastructure in place, she urged residents to help make it successful.
“Now it’s time to promote it, use it, and enjoy it,” she said. “Tell your neighbors, bring your families, and take pride in the beautiful outdoors we share.”