The grand opening for the First Broad River trail may have been postponed due to rain, but that didn't stop a steady stream of hikers and bikers from making use of the new pathway over the past weekend.
The trail is a 1.5-mile route that runs under a historic railroad trestle and over the First Broad River via a suspension bridge. It starts at a paved parking lot located on West Grover Street in Shelby and continues over the suspension bridge and through the woods to an area below Ingles at 1818 E. Dixon Blvd.
In addition to walkers and runners, the trail is also open to bikes, and there is a launch for boats, canoes and kayaks.
"The canoe launch is not complete yet, but it is usable and accessible now," says Shelby City Planning & Development Services Director Walt Scharer. "We have a lot of other things in the works as well - picnic tables, benches and landscaping that will all eventually be a part of the trailhead and suspension bridge areas."
This new path is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, which runs through parts of 15 counties in North and South Carolina. The long-term plan is to connect this new trail to the Broad River Greenway and other segments of the Carolina Thread system, says Scharer.
The re-scheduled trail grand opening is set for Saturday, June 4, 2016, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., with ribbon cutting commencing at 10:30 a.m. The event will include vendors, raptors from the Carolina Raptor Center, a trail-mix-making demonstration with samples, a trail bicycle demonstration and a guided nature tour. Parking for the grand opening will be provided at the Utility Operations Center, located at 824 West Grover St., Shelby.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Photos by Jeff Melton