The 52nd Street bridge over Truman Parkway used to have narrow shoulders and nothing between a bike and passing cars. Today it has a protected bike lane. That lane is part of Truman Linear Park Trail Phase 2B, and the city held a ribbon cutting for it on Monday, July 6, 2026.
John Bennett is an assistant professor of public administration at Savannah State University. He told the Savannah Morning News that for years he made the "terrifying" trek across that bridge on his bike to get to work. Now he rides the trail to campus. "If you were trying to design a trail to get me from home to campus, this would pretty much be it," he told the paper.
Phase 2B is short. Its job is to connect two trails that already existed. With it in place, the Truman trail runs as about 7 continuous miles from near Daffin Park to Lake Mayer, and this is the first fall you can walk, run or ride the whole thing.
What 1.9 Miles Connected
Phase 2B is 1.9 miles long. It starts at 52nd Street and Bee Road and ends at East DeRenne Avenue. On the north end it ties into the Police Memorial Trail, which was Phase 1. On the south end, by way of the 52nd Street bridge, it ties into Phase 2A and continues to Lake Mayer Park.
You'll see two different mileage numbers, and both are right. The Friends of Tide to Town trail page says the Truman Linear Park Trail "runs from 52nd Street to Lake Mayer, providing more than 5 miles of separated, paved pathways." The Savannah Morning News counts from near Daffin Park, which takes in the Police Memorial Trail too, and gets about 7 miles. The 5-mile figure covers the newer phases. The 7-mile figure is how far you can go now without leaving a trail.
Phase 2A is the southern stretch. It begins at Lake Mayer on Sallie Mood Drive and runs north along the east side of Sallie Mood. It crosses Eisenhower Drive, passes under Truman Parkway, crosses Casey Canal on two bridges and reaches Jenkins High School on DeRenne Avenue. Phases IIA and IIB are built from concrete, with timber boardwalk sections and bridges. The trail is lit for night use and has security cameras and emergency call boxes.
Bennett helped push for the trail's early phases as co-founder and second executive director of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, which is now Bike Walk Savannah. He said the point was always "about connections." In his words, the newest section "shows people this is transportational as well." Before Phase 2B, the trail was two separate pieces for exercise. Now the pieces connect, and the trail can get you somewhere.
Where to Get On
Friends of Tide to Town lists eight major access points for walkers and riders. Only three trailheads have parking, though: the Daffin Park Dog Park, the Scarborough Sports Complex, and the northwest corner of Lake Mayer Park. If you drive to the trail, your choice comes down to those three.
| Access point | Trailhead parking | Where it puts you |
|---|---|---|
| 52nd Street at Bee Road | No | Start of Phase 2B |
| 52nd Street at Oakland Drive | No | Near the 52nd Street bridge |
| Reuben Clark Drive near Jenkins High School | No | Middle of the route |
| DeRenne Avenue at Reuben Clark Drive | No | Where Phase 2B meets Phase 2A |
| Scarborough Athletic Complex | Yes, at Skidaway Road and Bona Bella Avenue | Middle of the route |
| Eisenhower Drive near Truman Parkway | No | Phase 2A |
| Sallie Mood Drive | No | Phase 2A, north of the park |
| Lake Mayer | Yes, at the park's northwest corner | South end |
The Daffin Park Dog Park isn't on the access-point list, but it is a parking trailhead at the north end, near the Police Memorial Trail.
At four street crossings you can push a button to stop traffic so people walking, biking or rolling can cross. They're at 52nd Street and Oakland Drive, Delesseps Avenue, DeRenne Avenue, and Eisenhower Drive at Sallie Mood Drive. Before you get to one, it helps to know these are push-button signals and not a light on a timer.
The design firm on Phase 2A lists the places the trail connects: Lake Mayer, the Chatham County Aquatic Center, Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex, Ambuc Park, Bacon Park, Guy Minick Youth Sports Complex, Scarborough Sports Complex and Jenkins High School. If you already drive to one of these for practice, a game or a swim, the trail is another way to get there.
Daffin Park to Lake Mayer in One Outing
You can now treat both parks as one trip. Here is the route from north to south, using only places along the trail:
- Start at the Daffin Park Dog Park trailhead. It has parking. The city lists a walking trail, playground, pavilion, picnic areas, tennis and basketball courts, a pool and an athletic field at Daffin Park.
- Head toward 52nd Street. Phase 2B begins at Bee Road. Use the push-button crossing at Oakland Drive.
- Cross the 52nd Street bridge over Truman Parkway in the protected lane that opened in July.
- Continue to DeRenne Avenue at Reuben Clark Drive, near Jenkins High School, where Phase 2B hands off to Phase 2A.
- Follow Phase 2A south. It crosses Casey Canal on two bridges, passes under Truman Parkway, and crosses Eisenhower at the Sallie Mood signal.
- Finish at Lake Mayer. Chatham County lists a 1.4-mile paved walking and jogging path, bathrooms, a playground, a fishing pier, a fitness course, two pavilions, a community center and a dog exercise area. The park is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Dogs must be leashed or inside the fenced dog park.
If you'd like a shorter outing, the Scarborough Sports Complex trailhead at Skidaway and Bona Bella sits near the middle, and you can head north or south from there. Lake Mayer's daily hours mark the outer limit for ending a trip at the south end. The trail itself has lighting, but the park closes at 9 p.m. Neither the city's Daffin Park listing nor the trail page mentions water fountains or bike-repair stations along the route. Bring water.
November Puts the Daffin End on Race Courses
With the trail fully connected, the Daffin Park end is now a natural place for races to finish. Two November races finish there or are held there.
The Savannah Southern Half Marathon & Fleet Feet 5K is on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Visit Savannah's listing shows the course starting at Forsyth Park, passing Grayson Stadium and finishing at Daffin Park. If you plan to use the Daffin Park Dog Park trailhead that morning, check the race details first, because traffic and parking may be busier than usual.
A week later, on Saturday, November 21, 2026, the #HonorMark 5K/10K, Ruck and Kids Fun Run takes place at Daffin Park. The race page says Fleet Feet Savannah supports and runs the event. The ruck division and kids' fun run make it more than a standard road race.
Races aside, a crowd was already using the trail before Phase 2B opened. The Savannah Morning News reported that bikers, runners and walkers were out "aplenty" before the ribbon cutting. Of the roughly 100 people at the July event, several arrived by bicycle.
What the City Is Adding Next
With the main path in place, the city is turning to extras along the trail. City Manager Jay Melder told the Savannah Morning News that the city is exploring bike repair stations and water stations. He said wayfinding signs could point to trail entrances, parks along the path and other parts of the Tide to Town network.
Lake Mayer is also where the next phases begin. A phase along Middleground Road, from Georgia Southern University's Armstrong Campus to Montgomery Cross Road, is in design. Other phases are still in planning. One is a "Heritage Trail" on the west side that would connect the Canal District to downtown. Another would run along Montgomery Cross Road from Lake Mayer to Abercorn Street.
The city scheduled a "Reimagining Montgomery Cross Rd." community meeting about that phase for Tuesday, October 20, at STEM Academy at Bartlett, 207 E. Montgomery Cross Rd. The city's announcement described the stretch from Sallie Mood Drive to Abercorn Street as a five-lane road with limited sidewalks and landscaping and no bike lanes. The announcement said the agenda included options for a multi-use trail, lighting, landscaping and bike infrastructure. District 4 Alderman Nick Palumbo said he hopes the road can become "not only as a place to go through but also a place to come to."
The Truman trail is one piece of a larger plan. The city's goal is a core loop of more than 30 miles connecting 62 neighborhoods, 30 schools and three major hospitals, using off-road paths and protected bike lanes. You can follow the route on the city's Tide to Town trail map.
If you live near one of these trailheads and you're starting to think about a move, or you just want to know what your home is worth, Robin Lance can walk you through it without pressure. We follow projects like Tide to Town because they change how people get around the neighborhoods we serve. Get your home value whenever you're ready, and we'll talk it through with you.
