The Second Most Magical Place in Augusta
Historical beauty beyond the fairways of Augusta National
To most people, Augusta, Georgia is the home of the Masters Golf Tournament. The fairways and greens of the Augusta National Golf Course are like no other, and full of splendor. I like to think of it as the most beautiful garden on earth. Sadly, beyond the Masters gates is Washington Road, and that is anything but beautiful. For many, Augusta the city stands in stark contrast to “Augusta” the golf course. Fortunately, one only needs to travel a small way off the beaten path to find a beautiful treasure that’s quite a bit more accessible than everyone’s favorite golf course. I present to you, the Savannah Rapids and the Headwaters of the Augusta Canal.
First, let’s dispatch with a technicality: This place technically isn’t in Augusta. It’s in Columbia County, the neighboring county to Augusta’s Richmond County. For locals, there’s no real distinction here. It’s all consider to be Augusta. Savannah Rapids is located a mere 6 miles from the fortress of Augusta National and 8 miles from downtown.
A Short, But Fascinating History Lesson
The government known as the Confederate States (yes, those rebels) has to their credit only one building project. It was in Augusta and was the Confederate States Powderworks. Their one and only infrastructure accomplishment was the direct result of a fancy new canal, the brainchild of a man named Cumming. The main armory for the Confederate Army was made possible by the water power supplied by the canal, one of the only successful canal projects to ever happen in the south. A diversion of the Savannah River along a fall line, the canal provided Augusta with water power to support factories and industry. Augusta, in classy fashion was the very first city in the south to have street lights installed. With the help of the canal, Augusta grew and eventually became the capitol of Georgia for a short time. Augusta’s historical soul is tied to the canal, and it is only fitting that the canal remains a source of recreational life-blood for Augustans today.
Exploring a National Heritage Area
A “National Heritage Area” is a place designated by the United States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally-distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography. These areas tell nationally important stories about our nation...
One of less than 50 National Heritage Areas, the Augusta Canal is a place where you can experience history, beauty and nature all in one place. Or, you can ignore that, and just enjoy the beautiful outdoors and relax. At the Augusta Canal, people walk, they jog, they kayak, go tubing, or have cookouts. Birdwatching, swimming, and even scuba diving are all possible in this quick escape from reality. There’s not too many places you can stroll through functional infrastructure over 150-years-old and feel the stillness and peace that envelops you at Savannah Rapids. It’s romantic.
And to be sure, lovers abound at the park. Be it carving their names into the old canal wall, or more poignantly “locking” their love to the locks, the area seems to bring out the desire to just hold hands and make promises. All along the gates on the stone bulkhead, people have placed engraved locks. You have to wonder what the promises were, and if they’re going to be as enduring as the canal itself.
Water = Fun
A man I met along the canal, we’ll call him Kayaker Greg, getting ready to launch his kayak into the river side. Kayaker Greg claimed to be one of the first people to combine kayaking and scuba diving at Savannah Rapids.
“This place is a real treasure. It’s as beautiful and wild as any place I’ve been, but it’s like..right here.”
Listening to Greg share his experiences and wisdom about his particular form of sport, it would be easy to forget I was standing so close to downtown. He described thriving underwater aquatic life and dangerous currents among the rapids. His pending adventure seemed astonishingly extreme in such an urban setting. As Kayaker Greg talked and did his thing, my attention began to wander off to a great blue heron watching us— or watching for fish more likely, perched on a rock just offshore. Across the river from us was a beautiful green pasture with three very happy horses enjoying the sunshine and greens. This place is nature, and this place is beautiful.
Unique Geology and Significance
The first European explorer to delve into the interior of the United States, Hernando de Soto, began his journey inland at the fall line of the Savannah River. It’s a place where the river becomes too shallow and rocky for boats and is the impetus for this canal’s starting point.
The backwater area above the fall line, known as “99 Islands” was the ancient home of Native Americans. These settlements are old and profound. One, named Stallings Island, is the site of the oldest know Native American pottery ever found, dated from around 2000 B.C.! From Native Americans to Spanish explorers to the founders of Augusta, it’s a privilege to be able to exist and to recreate in such a special place. The old towpath trail, holding the ground between the canal and the river is an easy stroll, but also a walk back in time. Just as importantly, it’s a damn good path for bike rides and walks or runs.
Remembering an Era Passed By
A close friend had a wedding along the Augusta Canal. We rode one of the tour boats as part of the reception and it was an amazing and unforgettable part of the evening. Through the years and continuing today, people choose this place to hold events of significance. At the canal’s edge there is an old-timey barbecue pit built around 1880 that still works and a covered dancing pavilion! It’s a classy place to turn back the clock and fire up the charm. When there, you can’t help yourself but to picture in your mind the events that were held there through it’s more than 150 years. Ladies with parasols and gentlemen dressed to the nines in their horse-drawn carriages or new-fangled motor cars are what I picture.
Walkway and dancing pavilion, photo by Eric Robertson
Fairytale-like pathways, amazing cedar trees, and all the spanish moss your southern heart could crave, help make Savannah Rapids one of my favorite places to visit. It’s the place in Augusta I go when I want to check out for a bit. It’s the place I go to exercise. It’s the place I go to see nature, and it’s the place I go to reflect and remember the past. Its accessibility and proximity help make this a core part of the real Augusta, the Augusta for everyone.
