The repair of West Columbia’s Riverwalk was completed in August. Since then, volumes of users have returned to Riverwalk to walk, run and fish in the Congaree River. Some of them come from close proximity, while others come from municipalities or bordering states. 

Jack Bottomly of Cayce was at the West Columbia Riverwalk Tuesday. He and his brother-in-law Larry Key were fishing near the steps that descend toward the Congaree River, near the Gervais Street Bridge. Larry came to town from Enterprise Alabama. 

“I love the access you have here to the river,” Jack said. “It’s shallow and I can wade and fish. My brother-in-law waded out to the middle of the river to fish. It’s a great place to come.”

Jack said he fishes for perch, bass, striper and trout in the river. While he was talking about the river Tuesday, his brother-in-law caught a small mouth bass.

Pete Burroughs was at Carraway Park at the Riverwalk, Tuesday, with his grandson. He’s from Wilmington, NC. He was in town to visit his daughter.

“We came over to go to the State Museum,” Pete said. “The museum has not opened yet, so we came over to the park. “It’s our first time here.  It’s a great park and my grandson loves it. I would definitely love to come back.” 

Mike and Cindy Alford came to the West Columbia Riverwalk, from Blythewood Tuesday, to get their exercise.  

“We like to walk here and we’re glad that it’s repaired,” Mike said. Cindy said there is nothing like Riverwalk in Blythewood, so the couple makes the trip to West Columbia to walk.

Mike said Riverwalk provides a tree-shaded trail that helps mitigate the heat in the summer months. He also said the couple prefers to walk in the winter when the temperature is lower. 

Aside from land lovers taking full advantage of the West Columbia Riverwalk, tubers came out in droves over the summer. The Palmetto Outdoor tubing service went to weekends-only after Labor Day, but it was another record summer. 

Michael Mayo, Palmetto Outdoor owner, said tubers came from Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington DC to float down the Congaree on an inner-tube. “It was a great summer, especially  July,” Mayo said. “And the new float from West Columbia to the new Cayce takeout, for ages under 10, was a big hit.”

Mayo also thanked the City of West Columbia for the shower that was installed at the West Columbia Riverwalk. He said many river-tubers stay in West Columbia overnight and go to the restaurants nearby. 

If you have not gotten out to see the repaired West Columbia Riverwalk, what are you waiting for? It’s a beautiful asset to West Columbia and a destination for visitors from all around.