SAVANNAH, July 10, 2026 – July 6 was an important day for Savannah as the city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the newest segment of the Tide to Town Trail, creating a continuous trail from Daffin Park to Lake Mayer.

The event, which took place at a community park on East 58th Street just east of the Truman Parkway, featured remarks from local dignitaries and a walk along the new trail. Several speakers lauded Ardsley neighbors John Bennett, a professor at Savannah State, and Caila Brown, former executive director of Bike-Walk Savannah, for their advocacy.

The completed trail, including the just-opened section, runs from Police Memorial Park just east of Daffin Park to Lake Mayer. As there are both sidewalks and bike lanes on Washington, it is now possible to walk or bicycle on non-motorized facilities from Bull and Washington to Lake Mayer.

To access the trail from Ardsley Park, take Washington to Daffin Park, go to the far end of the park along Bee, cross Bee onto Kerry Street, and follow the sidewalk. At the end of Kerry, follow the path slightly to the right and you’re on the trail.

Where the trail used to come out onto 51st Lane back toward Bee Road, which is still available as a spur, the main route makes a sharp left onto a new pathway constructed on the 52nd Street bridge over the Truman, complete with concrete barrier to separate path users from automobile traffic. At the far side of the bridge, a pedestrian crossing signal allows you to cross 52nd safely, and the trail then runs along the Truman all the way to Eisenhower, where it follows Eisenhower and Sallie Mood to Lake Mayer. A part of the segment between DeRenne and Lake Mayer has been planted with thousands of camellia and is locally known as the Camellia Trail.

The trail includes lighting, signs, and guard rails, and is paved in concrete except for several wood-deck bridges.  Much of it runs along the east side of the Truman Parkway, so it is referred to colloquially as the Truman Trail. It goes past several neighborhood parks, some of which are accessible from the trail.

The new segment – from Bee and 51st to DeRenne – is 1.9 miles long; added to the previously built segments, the entire trail is about seven miles in length. 

The trail is, by design, part of a larger project. The overall vision for Tide to Town is a 30 mile loop circling within Savannah, with the present section being the easternmost part of it.

Alderman Palumbo, a long-time supporter of the project, told Stroll Ardsley , "This trail is a promise kept. In 2021, I put every capital dollar I had into completing this trail. For the first time ever, Daffin Park and Lake Mayer are connected and will provide an incredible amenity to the entire Ardsley family. This is what Vision Zero looks like off the shelf and on the ground. Every mile of protected trail is a mile where a kid can bike to the park and a neighbor can walk to work without risking their life.”