Participants in this year’s Saluda River Rally on June 5 will see the start of improvements to Dolly Cooper Park where the nine-mile paddle begins.
The 40-acre park in the Powdersville area embraces the riverfront with an ADA accessible kayak facility and the Saluda River Walk, a 0.9-mile walking and hiking trail, with more improvements planned, according to county officials.
Future improvements call for a trail expansion to connect the site to the old Highway 81 bridge which would be rehabilitated as a pedestrian bridge and an overlook to the river.
“We actually ripped out the pre-existing concrete walkway to the river and lifted it up on a fixed pier system so that the water can inflow during storm events and recede without creating a liability and a hazard on the walkways,” said Anderson County Parks Manager Matt Schell.
The County also is adding a second ADA accessible kayak facility about 1,500 linear feet downriver from the initial one installed about 10 years ago at Dolly Cooper Park. The launch will allow a tubing experience, and a craft launch and takeout in the same parking facility. Future plans also call for restroom facilities, playgrounds and picnic areas along the river.
Meanwhile, the Saluda River Rally launches from Dolly Cooper Park on June 5 (weather permitting) as a fundraiser for Special Olympics athletes in Anderson County. Rally options include a 9-mile (3 hours) paddle or a 15-mile (5-hour) paddle. Click HERE for more information.
Video courtesy of Anderson County Media Department.
