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10 January 2026 | BeaufortLifestyle.comYou might catch a few glimpses of it as you drive into or around Beaufort %u2014 alongside Highway 21 near the Marine Corps Air Station, or just before the highway morphs into Boundary Street, or maybe crossing Robert Smalls Parkway %u2014 but most of its current 10-mile length winds out of sight along breathtaking marshes and creeks, and through quiet neighborhoods in northern Beaufort County. But despite its often-hidden nature, the Spanish Moss Trail is no secret. In fact, it%u2019s one of the area%u2019s most popular recreational experiences. More than 100,000 residents and visitors walk and bike portions of the 12-foot-wide concrete path through neighborhoods, salt creeks, nature preserves, cultural features, and historic sites each year. And soon, that experience is about to expand, thanks to two long-awaited major connection points opening early this year.TAKING THE FIRST STEPS The Spanish Moss Trail%u2019s journey began more than 15 years ago when Dean Moss, then general manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, drove that organization%u2019s effort to acquire the right-ofway for the historic Magnolia Rail Line to use as a utility corridor. Shortly thereafter, BJWSA granted (%u201cgave%u201d might be a more accurate term for the 99-year agreement for a whopping $1) a surface easement to Beaufort County to own and develop 16 miles of the corridor as a public-access recreational trail. Those who don%u2019t know Dean might marvel at this extraordinary gesture, but it likely didn%u2019t surprise those who know he%u2019s spent his professional career and subsequent active retirement working with water and land conservation activities, including the Port Royal Sound Foundation and Open Land Trust. They%u2019ve also seen firsthand his passion for leading the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail, whose mission is to connect neighborhoods and conserve our unique water and nature preserves, cultural features, and historic sites for the enjoyment of those who live in and visit the Lowcountry. %u201cI love this community,%u201d Dean says. %u201cI%u2019ve been a part of it for 40 years. I%u2019ve been interfacing with local and state politics all my life, so I%u2019m uniquely qualified to deal with all the different forces, people, and entities that need to come together to make big projects happen.%u201d And so the Spanish Moss Trail was born %u2014 but that was only the start. The work to bring the Trail into existence has involved a large and dynamic collaboration between the PATH Foundation of Atlanta, Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, and the Town of Port Royal. Dean founded the Friends of Spanish Moss Trail The Growing Journeystory by JEANNE REYNOLDS photos by RICHARD STEINBERGERtrail photos courtesy of FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAILLeft to Right: Joe DeVito - Board Chair, Sissy Perryman - Director of Advancement, and Dean Moss - Founder and Volunteer Executive Director