Savannah's No-Hills Workout

Savannah's No-Hills Workout

Savannah is table flat -- bad news indeed for mountaineers who find themselves in coastal Georgia, but a relief for many bicyclists. One favorite spot for local bikers is the Savannah Wildlife Refuge, where alligators (not that you should poke at them with a stick, but they're really about as dangerous as furniture) bask alongside the trail. Another possibility is Rails-to-Trails, a 3-mi route that starts a mile east of the Bull River Bridge on Highway 80 and ends at the entrance to Fort Pulaski. Tom Triplett Park, east of town on U.S. 80, offers three bike loops -- 3.5 mi, 5 mi, and 6.3 mi. Though much of downtown is fairly unfriendly to bikers, several of the suburbs -- Windsor Forest, Ardsley Park, the Isle of Hope -- are fine for riding relatively free of traffic hassles.

That same flat terrain makes Savannah popular with runners (though the city's sizzling summer temperatures make light-color clothing and liquids, plenty of them, life-saving necessities). Many local runners enjoy the wide, shady sidewalks of Forsyth Park; others venture to Daffin Park (on Victory Drive, between Bee Road and Waters Ave). Lake Mayer, on the city's Southside, offers a nice 1.41-mi loop. Tybee Island has a white-sand beach that is hard packed and relatively debris-free, making it a favorite with runners. The area's most challenging run is by far its steepest -- the bridge crossing over into South Carolina. The bridge run, particularly for runners accustomed to the region's horizontal landscape, can mean a particularly painful 5 mi.