Waccamaw Blue Trail Targets Ecotourists
By Christina Lee Knauss
The Waccamaw River may well be the Grand Strand area's most underappreciated resource.
Its dark waters cut a scenic and sometimes mysterious path through Horry County on its way to Winyah Bay in Georgetown, and the river is home to a myriad of species of wildlife, but many people in the area have never even visited it.
Organizers of the recently announced "Blue Trail" project for the river hope to change that.
The planned Blue Trail along the Waccamaw will include more than 100 miles of river beginning at the North Carolina border and going all the way down to Winyah Bay in Georgetown County. The effort is sponsored by the American Rivers Project, considered the country's largest group dedicated to river preservation; Waccamaw River Keepers and the Pee Dee Land Trust.
"The Blue Trail will be the water equivalent of a hiking trail," said Stacy Williams, Blue Trail organizer for the Waccamaw. "We're going to create a waterproof map which will have landing and camping information on it, as well as information about areas of historical and cultural significance."
Williams said the trail project recently received a three-year grant to help get it established, and she started work on the project in May. The goal, she said, is to use recreation to promote protection of the Waccamaw's natural beauty and natural habitats.
"We're really in the beginning and planning stages - getting different partners together, working on some of the rules for protecting the river, letting people know about the project and getting the community involved," Williams said, adding that the eventual goal after the trail is established is for the community itself to eventually take over ownership.
"There's been a lot of interest already in the community here because people are beginning to see the potential for the project," she said. "Ecotourism is really the next phase in tourism, and it'll be the mechanism that will propel more people into our area to explore the river. It's really an untapped resource."
Williams noted that similar Blue Trail projects in South Carolina are already being conducted for the Congaree River near Columbia, and the Wateree River near Kershaw County, also in the Midlands.
Williams said the Waccamaw has a lot to offer locals and visitors alike, ranging from the wide range of natural habitat and wildlife it supports to its kayak- and boat-friendly course. It also flows through some of the area's most historic regions and towns, including Conway and the Bucksport area, which was one of the most thriving trade locations during the early history of Horry County.
"It's good for beginning kayakers because both upstream and downstream there are really no rapids to deal with," she said.
Williams pointed out that recent special kayak events she participated in drew paddlers from kindergarten age to senior citizens in their 90s, a testament to the river's draw and its accessibility.
The Waccamaw has a lot to offer boaters as well because of its many twists, turns and cutoffs, all offering something new to see in the way of scenery and wildlife.
"It can be easy to get lost out here because of all the branch-offs, but that's where a map will help and that's part of the fun - to discover something new," Williams said.
For more information about the Blue Trail project or American Rivers, call (843) 957-2367. You can also visit the organization's Facebook page, or its home page at www.americanrivers.org.
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