Mountain bike trail opens in Ladson - Summerville Journal Scene

By Roger Lee
Summerville Journal Scene??

The recently opened Wannamaker North Trail is ideal for mountain bikers.

A trail designed with Lowcountry mountain bike enthusiasts in mind is now open.

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its Wannamaker North Trail at Wannamaker County Park June 2.

The eight-mile biking/hiking trail, located approximately 12 miles from downtown Summerville, is designed for and open to mountain bicyclists of all experience levels for only a $1 a day. It is also open to hikers and joggers, but pedestrians should know the terrain contains tight curves and elevation changes.

The single-track trail offers multiple routes of varying length that are surrounded by scenic live oaks, beech trees and parts of the Goose Creek Reservoir. Brad Phillips of Lowcountry Fat Tire Freaks collaborated with park officials to design the trail and made sure thrilling natural and man-made sections were included.

?We encourage everyone to come out but warn this isn?t a trail you would want to ride a beach cruiser on,? Matt Moldenhauer, land resource manager for the commission?s planning division, said. ?Probably the most significant feature for riders is what we call The Ridge. Ranging in height from six feet to 15 feet, it extends for nearly a mile and includes undulating curves and dips.?

Park officials and Phillips spent approximately seven months designing the course and getting it rider friendly. Moldenhauer said the project wouldn?t have been possible without Phillips? help and the approximate 1,500 hours of volunteer work he and the other Fat Tire Freaks put in. The cycling group has also agreed to help maintain the trail.

The trail entrance is located off Westview Boulevard in Goose Creek and The City of Goose Creek was also involved with the project. During last week?s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Goose Creek Mayor Michael Heitzler said he sees the potential for future recreational facilities in the area.

?This trail is a good idea and good ideas beget more good ideas,? Heitzler said. ?I was out here with councilman Phillips and he said this would be a great place for a dog park. It would also be a great place to start a historic walk. It?s just an interesting and exciting area.?

A video featuring the trail and directions on how to get there are available at http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?nid=1532

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com

Notice about comments:

Journalscene.com?? is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com?? does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com??. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

giuliana rancic temptations work hard play hard tim ferriss wmt human nature arkansas football