York County Council approves next steps for Catawba Bend Preservation Park
The plan was to protect the land near the Catawba Bend River from rapid development.
Now, York County officials are creating a multi-phase park project to bring people closer to nature while also respecting the over 1,900 acres and history of the Catawba Bend Preserve Park, which is expected to open its doors to the public this fall.
Following a $21 million purchase in 2018, the York County Council this week agreed to continue the park’s ongoing renovations by starting contract negotiations for the construction of a disc golf course and 10-mile mountain bike trail.
While the layout of all the park’s renovations is not confirmed, once a contract is accepted, the bike trail is expected to be available for public use in the late fall.
According to Joe Allen, the Catawba Bend Preserve park senior superintendent, the disc golf course and picnic table area will be near the “big pond” in the park. Construction has yet to begin.
These changes to Catawba Bend are a part of the county’s master plan approved in 2015. Expansion plans are estimated to cost a total of $52.6 million.
“I would call this phase one. There are multiple years, multiple phases of what we want to do with Catawba Bend,” said York County spokesman Greg Suskin.
Just 10 minutes out of the city of Rock Hill, the Catawba Bend is a place for people to escape the noise of the town and explore the backwoods, according to Allen.
“What’s not to enjoy? A great green piece of property to just go feel connected to nature, let loose of all those daily grind activities for a little while and get back to nature,” said Allen. “It’s very peaceful out there.”
Expansions and funding of Catawba Bend
Renovations in the works would not be possible without the federal funding grants that were awarded to the Catawba Bend Park.
Allen said the park received grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Recreational Trails Program from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Those grants totaled $600,000, funds that will go toward the mountain bike trails.
Additionally, Allen wrote to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and received the Undiscovered SC grant which is worth $200,000. The York County Council said it will match the grant, which gives the park $400,000 towards the 18-hole championship disc golf course as well as a nine-hole beginning warm-up course.
Parts of the park, such as hiking and picnicking spots, the cross-country trail and the disc golf course, will be available this fall. Additional sections, including the paved greenway trail and mountain bike trail, will open in the spring of 2026.
