McQueen's Island Historic Trail

Most of my rides this fall revolved around football games, and that's been a good excuse to try new trails.   I was actually in Savannah, Georgia November 6th for a non-football weekend and took the bike along.  Ms. Rusty and I parked at Fort Pulaski and rode the six mile McQueen Island Historic Trail.
( @bpitch1 was scheduled to join us but had a GPS incident.)

The Savannah & Atlantic Rail Line was built in 1887 to link Savannah to Tybee Island.  After a highway was constructed 1923, the railroad was abandoned.  Locals took the abandoned line and created the McQueen's Island Historic Trail.  The trail runs three miles roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 80 and another 3 miles through the marshes along the Savannah River.  The trail is packed gravel and completely flat.  Numerous benches and picnic tables line the trail, and there's a portable toilet around the midway point.
The marsh and river are beautiful.  Signs indicated all the wildlife to be seen, but on our November ride, we only saw birds and fiddler crabs.

I've thought about the ride for almost a week now, and I haven't been able to get excited about this trail.  I though the surface was good, but Ms Rusty considered it too rough.  The scenery was amazing, but I didn't feel like biking added anything to the enjoyment and hiking would have probably been a better way to enjoy the trail.  It was sunny but windy and cool (cold?) when we rode.  That didn't help my enjoyment, and I can even imagine insects, heat, and humidity being an issue for most of the year.  Ms Rusty liked the trail, but I felt it just lacked something.  @bpitch1 rode the day after us, and he captured what I was struggling to express.  He rode a few miles, and then turned around saying he was cold and the trail was just boring.  Nothing changed -flat, straight, same scenery mile after mile.  The trail is okay, but I would have enjoyed the bike paths and historic districts around Savannah better.  Perhaps the locals enjoy McQueen's Island Trail for a different look, but to me, it's just okay.  But if you're in the area, try the trail and let me know what you think.



The link's information is a bit outdated.  The trail has been fixed and is back to a full 6 miles, but the review accurately hits on the other basics.
Trail Link Review and Maps



Yes, the scenery is beautiful!





Erosion is an ongoing concern





End of the Trail