The first 3.5-mile section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail officially opens Saturday, June 5, with a 10 a.m. dedication ceremony at the White Oak Post Office just north of Woodbine on Hwy. 17.

To celebrate the opening, Camden County and Coastal Georgia Rails to Trails are inviting trail lovers of all ages to come out and explore the trail, on foot or bicycle.  Bicycles will be available free of charge, courtesy of Camden Bicycle Center of St. Marys and Monkeywrench Bicycles of St. Simons Island, or you can bring your own.

The dedication is an approved event of National Trails Day, sponsored by the American Hiking Society.  Children ages 5-12 will have the opportunity to enter the National Trails Day coloring contest for a chance to win an outdoor prize pack from The North Face and have their artwork featured in American Hiker magazine.

Trail mix and bottled water will be provided free to attendees.

This initial section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail extends both north and south from White Oak.  It is the first part of a planned 68-mile trail to be built on an abandoned CSX railroad bed running from Kingsland to Riceboro.  The trail will run across marshes, maritime forests, and 43 rivers and creeks in Camden, Glynn, McIntosh, and Liberty counties.  In Camden County, the Rail-Trail, the East Coast Greenway and the Coastal Georgia Greenway share the same route.  The 1.5-mile Woodbine trail is also a part of these trails.

The trail is 10-feet wide with a hard-packed surface.  On this section, the trail was constructed with finely crushed concrete reclaimed from I-95.  The surface accommodates walkers, runners, and bikers - everything except skates, road bikes, or motorized vehicles.  Equestrians can ride on the grassy area alongside the trail.

Amenities along the White Oak stretch include a picnic shelter, benches, and restroom facilities.  At the trailhead in front of the post office, parking has been improved to accommodate more visitors.

The cost of building the White Oak segment is being split three ways among the Atlanta-based PATH Foundation, Coastal Georgia Rails to Trails Inc., and Camden County, owner of the White Oak segment, which provided in-kind construction assistance.  In addition, the Camden Community Alliance and Resources (CCAR) organization represents the Camden County biking community and its volunteers, including Safe Routes to Schools; a National initiative.  CCAR volunteers drive County and local initiatives to provide bike paths and related amenities throughout Camden County.

Visitors to the dedication will be able to join Coastal Georgia Rails to Trails.  To track progress on the trail and learn of other planned activities, go to www.georgiacoastrailtrail.org.