By LEE HINNANT

Tourism officials in three counties are working on a simple but high-impact way to lure visitors to the Lumber River – establishing a well-marked paddling trail with signs, maps and brochures.

Using a grant from the Duke Endowment, the officials are working with Lumber River State Park staff to help visitors easily find river access points, camping sites and other amenities. The hope is to eventually create additional camping sites, said Jennifer Long, tourism director for Columbus County.

“We’ll also be doing a basic web site,” Long said. “We expect to have something ready to market in two months.”

Bill Lane, a National Parks Service planner from Atlanta, recently reviewed the concept and remarked that paddle trails are relatively inexpensive but can help draw visitors from far-away areas. The sorts of people attracted are usually those who will take care of the environment and who have significant amounts of money to spend on leisure and entertainment, he said.

For years, I have believed that Columbus County’s three rivers – Lumber, Waccamaw and Cape Fear – are among its least-utilized natural resources with tremendous potential for ecotourism.

It took 20 years, but supporters of the Lumber River finally acquired federal designation as a National Wild and Scenic River in 1998. The Lumber River was the state’s first official recreational water trail and is North Carolina’s longest state park – 115 miles.

Making it easy for canoeists and kayakers to plan their trips and find their way around with a designated paddle trail can only bring positive attention to this fantastic resource.

Much of the river in and near Columbus County is an easy paddle but it’s hardly boring. The Lumber River is prime habitat for several endangered species – such as the red-cockaded woodpecker – and species of special concern. It’s easy to spot all sorts of water birds, river otters, beavers and other interesting creatures along the dark water.

Long is cooperating with tourism leaders in Scotland and Robeson counties to make the trail a reality. She also hopes to work with officials in Hoke County, where the headwater of the river is known as Drowning Creek (perhaps not the most tourism-friendly moniker).

Long said she hoped to use what she learns from the trail process to someday create a similar set of signs and brochures for the Waccamaw River.

“I really think this is going to open new opportunities for some paddlers,” she said.