New linear park coming to city of Laurens

Posted on July 31, 2018 in Blog

A stroll along a trail can be an opportunity to relax and be refreshed by nature. Recently, INHF and the City of Laurens began a journey to create even more outdoor recreation spaces by transforming a discontinued rail corridor into a linear park for the community.

The two-mile trail, which will stretch from the northwest side of Laurens to an area outside of town, provides access to nature that neighborhoods in the area currently don’t have. Connecting through the city to the Three Rivers Trail, this new section will create a route over 32 miles long once completed. Here, people will be able to walk, run or bike using the community’s new dock-less bike-sharing system.

Plans are already in the works to create a recreational area at the end of the trail — an oasis for the community to enjoy and explore the outdoors.

“The idea is to encourage an active lifestyle and connect folks to nature,” said Andrea Boulton, INHF trails and greenways director. “People will be able to walk right outside their door, get some exercise, and when they get to the end of the trail, there’s a place to sit and relax before they come back.”

Construction of the trail is slated to begin in 2019, after fundraising and engineering plans are completed.