Members of the Statesboro and Bulloch County community gathered at City Hall on Wednesday, July 19th, to learn more about a proposed hiking and biking trail for the area. The Georgia Hi-Lo Trail would run roughly 250 miles from Athens to Savannah, passing through towns like Sandersville, Swainsboro, and Statesboro.
Georgia Hi-Lo has a goal of building America's longest paved trail to empower rural Georgia. While in the planning phase, members of the board and foundation visit each county along the proposed trail to speak with city and county officials, as well as private land owners, to hear questions, concerns, and to find each county's unique destinations that would benefit from added accessibility.
Part of that accessibility is ensuring everyone who wants to recreate or use the trail as transportation has the ability, including wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles, and pedestrians. The trail would focus on connecting rural Georgia's "hot spots", including the Statesboro Farmer's Market and Georgia Southern University.
The Firefly Trail, which is under construction today, begins in Athens and spans down to Union Point. This section of trail is the beginning of the Georgia Hi-Lo. Each section of the trail will be funded by various outlets, including grants from Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Housing and Urban Development, and Georgia Department of Transportation.
The PATH Foundation and Georgia Hi-Lo are also working to build small sections in each county to give residents the chance to experience the trail. During their evaluations of Bulloch County, PATH and Georgia Hi-Lo have attempted to find trails already in use that could be tied into, like the Willie McTell Trail and the S&S Greenway.
There are several possible routes through Bulloch County, but the foundation wants and needs your input. Please visit georgiahilo.com and click the "Take Survey" button at the top of the page. This will give every citizen the opportunity to make their voice heard. Residents can also visit PATHfoundation.org to read more about the construction, as well as ask questions regarding taxes, crime rates, property values, and how trail routes are chosen.
