Riverwalk Spotlight: Granby Park
Did you know that Granby Park was the very first segment of the Columbia area’s riverwalk system? In this final installment of our Riverwalk Spotlight blog series, we’re talking about this lesser-known part of the Three Rivers Greenway. Opened in 1998, Granby Park is located near the historic Granby and Olympia mill villages.
Features
Lots of great overlooks. Granby Park has some of the best overlooks of the Congaree River. Have lunch with a river view at one of the numerous picnic tables and benches.
Paved and unpaved trails. Granby Park has around half a mile of lighted, ADA accessible path, but also half a mile of off-path hiking/mountain bike trails.
Paddle and fish. There are multiple fishing spots and a boat launch in the park.
The railroad trestle. An impressive railroad trestle bridges the Congaree River between Columbia and Cayce; it makes for a great picture!
Things to do
Be an explorer. The thick forest surrounding the trails hides all kind of features to explore. Hunt for remnants of old mill structures, secret streams, and hidden river outlooks.
Check out the mills. The park trail connects to the Mill Village Riverlink, a paved path that leads you through the old mill village and eventually ends at USC’s Greek Village. Olympia and Granby Mills, which are now student apartments, were formally textile mills that harnessed energy from the river.
Find treasure. One unique way to spend the afternoon is the search the river for treasure. Because of the park’s location in a historic area between two cities and near an old mill town, you can sometimes find old bottles, mysterious rocks, and other cool finds.
Other things to know
Dog friendly. Like the rest of the area’s riverwalks, Granby Park is dog friendly. Be sure to pick up after your pup!
Bathrooms. Granby Park has nice bathrooms located in a replica saltbox mill house. They are at the entrance at 100 Catawba Circle.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the various riverwalks and parks of the Three Rivers Greenway. Columbia is extremely fortunate to have three beautiful rivers in our backyard and to have so much access to them. We’d like to give another huge thank-you to the River Alliance, the non-profit that has worked for decades to establish and maintain the Greenway.