Friends of Spanish Moss Trail say Rebow Road link is open; Port Royal crossing expected within weeks

Dean, executive director of the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail, said the volunteer organization is marking a new connection at Rebow Road and expects a Port Royal segment that crosses Rebow to open within "probably the next 2, 3 weeks." The remarks were made during an interview on the Beaufort County Report.

The Friends group, Dean said, formed around 2010–2011 as the Spanish Moss Trail was conceived. The organization has about a 12-member board and has worked closely with Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal to build, maintain and add sections to the trail. "We've been a pretty successful organization, working closely with Beaufort County, with the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal, to get this built and to maintain it and, add stuff, which we're doing today," Dean said.

Why it matters: the trail functions both as a local recreation corridor and as a tourism draw, Dean said. He described groups of bicyclists coming specifically to ride the trail and a seasonal pattern of higher traffic in spring and fall. "It's a real tourist attraction, but it's also a very significant asset for the people that live here," he said.

Route and property issues: Dean explained the trail largely follows an old railroad right-of-way that ends at Rebow Road. To extend into Port Royal the Friends negotiated an easement with Safe Harbor Marine for the private land across Rebow; that agreement cleared a major property obstacle and allowed the Port Royal connection to move forward. "Getting into Port Royal was part of the original plan," Dean said. "Across Rebow Road, we're on private property belonging to Safe Harbor Marine, and we had to negotiate, you know, an easement with those folks to get across. But that's done."

Funding: construction and improvements, Dean said, have relied on a combination of public and private funds collected over roughly 15 years. He listed county money, City of Beaufort and Port Royal contributions, state funds on some projects, and private donations. Dean singled out a significant private gift from the Cox Foundation and donor Jim Kennedy, who he said has a house locally and supported the trail because he is a cyclist. "It's a combination of public dollars and private dollars," he said.

Next steps: Dean thanked attendees at the event and said organizers were glad to complete the current section. He reiterated that the Port Royal segment is expected to be finished within weeks. The interview closed after brief additional remarks and a sign-off on the Beaufort County Report.