Monday, November 15, 2021
South Chattahoochee Riverwalk Trail
Columbus is Georgia's third largest city, with a population of around 200,000 - about the same size as Knoxville - and is home to Fort Benning, one of the largest Army installations in the world.
Today we biked the South Chattahoochee Riverwalk Trail, part of Columbus's Dragonfly Trail Network, a series of interconnected greenway trails that connect in downtown Columbus.
South Chattahoochee Riverwalk
Mighty Chattahoochee
Parking at Rigdon Park, we first rode south, where the trail soon leaves the river and passes into wetlands. Further on, we rode alongside a golf course, past the National Infantry Museum, and through Oxbow Meadows Environment Park, finally turning around at the museum village of Historic Westville.
Beware!
Looking for gators
National Infantry Museum
Historic Westville
After retracing our ride, we paused for lunch at the truck, then biked north along the wide, green Chattahoochee River past the National Civil War Naval Museum and through multiple city parks before reaching Columbus's downtown (which by the river they call “Uptown”).
Chattahoochee River
Part of the Riverwalk
Ornamental poof grass
Uptown, we rode out onto Waveshaper Island and then hiked among the rocks for a closer view of the Chattahoochee River rapids, which form the longest urban whitewater course in the world.
Chattahoochee River from uptown Columbus
Urban whitewater
Up the creek without a paddle
Remounting the bikes, we rode across the 14th Street pedestrian bridge to Alabama before returning to Old Yeller, ending with a total ride of 22.1 miles. We'll revisit these trails later in the week.
Pedestrian bridge linking Georgia with Alabama
Columbus from the Alabama side
Tonight we had dinner a quarter of a mile from the Sleep Inn at Vallarta Mexican Restaurant. The carnitas were excellent, and they served some of the best salsa we've ever had!
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