The newest phase of Forsyth County’s Sawnee Mountain Preserve opened Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially welcome the newest amenity in the county’s parks system.
Sawnee Mountain Preserve Phase III is located north of downtown Cumming at 2505 Bettis Tribble Gap Road.
Funded by the Parks, Recreation and Green Space Bond approved by voters in 2008 and by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VI program, Sawnee Mountain Preserve Phase III features more than six miles of hiking trails, two picnic pavilions, a playground with a rubberized surface, restrooms and additional parking.
District 1 Commissioner and Commission Chairman Pete Amos, in whose district Sawnee Mountain Preserve is located, thanked citizens for making the new phase of the park possible by their approval of the Parks, Recreation and Green Space Bond and the SPLOST sales tax program.
“I am so proud that we have been able to preserve this beautiful land and open it as a recreational amenity for the public to enjoy, and we could not have done so if it were not for the support of our citizens,” said Amos. “I would also like to thank the Dr. Dunn family for their assistance in making this phase possible.”
One of the individuals instrumental in making the Sawnee Mountain Preserve a reality – Mary Helen McGruder – noted the importance of the project.
"The completion of the third phase of the trail system is a continuation of the partnership started years ago between Forsyth County and Sawnee Mountain Foundation," McGruder said. “We are pleased that today our citizens can enjoy the mountain from literally one end to the other. We would particularly like to thank Natural Resources Division Manager Matt Pate for his dedication to this effort and for his work on the mountain.”
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/1/366327/forsyth-co-phase-iii-of-sawnee-mountain-preserve-opens