Savannah, GA

River St. and Talmadge Bridge

As a standalone or in combination with other runs in Savannah, it is pleasant to run along the wide pedestrian walkway along River St., which features great views of the Savannah River and Hutchinson Island. Lots of shops, restaurants, hotels. The best section is the 1.2 miles between the Savannah Marriott Hotel and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. To add some exercise and get the thighs burning, there are several spots where stairs run up from River St. into the Historic District. Unfortunately, there’s no real riverside path on the Hutchinson Island/Convention Center side of the river.

It is also possible to run over the bridge itself.  We recommend going early, when there’s less traffic, to enjoy the sunrise and great water views. With a 5.5% grade rising nearly 200 feet, it’s one of the few opportunities in Savannah to get some elevation in!  There’s no dedicated sidewalk, but there is a reasonably wide shoulder. Best to run on the side against traffic. It’s 1.7 miles from the bridge ramp off W. Oglethorpe Ave. to Hutchison Island. You can also run nearly another mile to cross the Little Black River.

A couple of options here: run out and back across the bridge. Or, take the off-ramp (carefully!) at Hutchison Island onto Savannah Harbor Parkway, and run along the parkway (good sidewalk) to the Westin Hotel, which is adjacent to the golf course. There’s also a short waterfront section between the Westin hotel and the Convention Center. It’s 4 miles one-way between the Marriott Hotel on the River St. side and the Westin! A good option for a one-way run is to take the ferry back – it runs frequently between the Westin, the Marriott, and the Hyatt. Our route map is from the Marriott to the Westin, one-way.

Ferry Schedule
Essentials
  • 4 miles one way. Options to do out and back including just the bridge.
  • Flat - except some elevation going up and over the bridge
  • Marriott Hotel on River St., Savannah. Or, Westin hotel across the water.

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Essentials
  • 4 miles one way. Options to do out and back including just the bridge.
  • Flat - except some elevation going up and over the bridge
  • Marriott Hotel on River St., Savannah. Or, Westin hotel across the water.