ABOUT

Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail raise funds and awareness to ensure a sustainable, well-appointed and safe outdoor recreational experience on the Spanish Moss Trail.

We are dedicated to improving the quality of life in Northern Beaufort County by advocating for the development, enhancement and maintenance of the Spanish Moss Trail – through community partnerships, local government participation, and private support.

The story of the Spanish Moss Trail begins with the historic Magnolia Line Railroad – established in 1870. Railroad operations ceased in 2003 and in 2008 Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority acquired the right-of-way to use as a utility corridor. In January 2011, they granted a surface easement to Beaufort County to develop 14 miles of the corridor as a recreational trail – called the Spanish Moss Trail. 

Since 2013, nearly 10 miles of the Trail have been developed and are open to the hundreds of people who use it each day, connecting the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal.

The Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail are advocating for a formal Downtown Beaufort Connector that will run from the ceremonial heart of the Trail at the Depot Road Trailhead and connecting into historic downtown Beaufort.

We also have a fully-funded segment in the Town of Port Royal that we hope will open to the public in 2024.