Saturday events include rides, hikes, food

From staff reports

A scenic new 8-mile walk, hike and bike trail on the shores of West Point Lake officially will open Saturday.

The Lakeside Trail, which begins at Shafer Heard Park, will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by a slew of events including group bike rides, nature hikes, a bunny hop competition, a ladle race and other games. A picnic lunch will be provided and local groups and businesses will operate booths offering activities and information related to outdoor recreation.

The Lakeside Trail System includes trails for hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing, with rest stops along the way for picnicking, bird watching and relaxing. It is open to the public free of charge.

To date, one continuous, 8-mile loop has been completed, but volunteers continue to work on improving and lengthening it, making the trail system an ongoing project. Additional loops will be added and interpretive signs will be posted along the trail to identify interesting natural features.

The Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, the largest southeast non-profit mountain bike advocacy group with members/chapters in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, has been involved with creating the trail system.
The local chapter of the Chattahoochee Valley Area SORBA has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development of a multipurpose trail system located in and around the R. Shafer Heard Day Use Park, Eagle View Park and other corps-owned property.

“Before (Lakeside Trail) we had some trails at Pyne Road Park, but nothing like this,” said Ken Hacka, Chattahoochee Valley SORBA president.

The corps and SORBA have been developing the trail for two years with volunteer labor. Saturday’s events end at 2 p.m.