One of the best reasons to live in Greenville SC. I am a displaced Yankee, having retired after many years of teaching in the excellent but for most of the year cold and snowy Ithaca New York.
I retired to Greenville SC almost exactly one year ago, have lived downtown at a place I could not really afford and have recently moved to a place adjacent to Furman University. In both places I was within a mile's walk of different sections of the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It was put together, much of it along the old and defunct Swamp Rabbit Railroad, by the Greenville Hospital system, and serves the community very well indeed!
Walkers like myself , joggers, and many many cyclists use the path daily. At 66, in spite of other conditions not curable by exercise alone, I feel healthier than I have in years, primarily because of my near daily walks along the trail, averaging 4 to 5 miles, occasionally getting to a bit over six miles.
After realizing that I could not afford to live downtown, my primary reason for picking my current abode is that it is near the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Downtown much of the trail follows the Reedy River and at the very center of downtown runs through the beautiful Falls Park. Along the trail are places to stop and refresh oneself, eat and drink. One of my favorites is that pictured above, Williams Hardware, a defunct hardware store now a cafe and general store.
Another, closer to the center of town, is the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, which features local produce, cheese, beer etc. A prime reason, along with a mild climate and nearby mountains, to visit or live in Greenville SC! David T Buenos Aires 14 contributions. Everything seemed to indicate that this trail was both beautiful and an easy ride in the city. We started by parking at the YMCA and trying to head into the downtown area on the trail. It was only 1. We never made it. From the start, the signage on the tail was awful.
We got lost numerous times and off the trail on a couple of occasions. When we finally got going, the trail was closed for repairs. The detour was again poorly marked and we got lost. The detour also led up a steep hill which was too much for my father. So we gave up on the idea of getting to downtown and headed back in the other direction.
We only got about half a mile past the YMCA when the trail dead-ended into a road which was another giant hill that was too much for my father. It seems like the trail is in pieces rather than being the connected trail that is advertised. The difficulty level with the hills was much harder than advertised. We finally ended up driving downtown and the falls and bridge were spectacular!
Too bad the trail didn't get us there. We moved to Greenville, SC about 8 months ago and heard lots of great things about the Swamp Rabbit Trail, but never got to fully traverse it until this past holiday weekend! We had family come in from California and finally used their visit as an excuse to get on the trail!
The weather was perfect, as it was overcast to begin the day, but the sun broke through closer to lunch time. There were sections of the trail that did not have a lot of shade coverage, but then a large portion of the trail near Furman University and closer to TR had lots of shady coverage.
There was a total of 7 of us - 3 adults over 35, and a 13, 11, 8, and 6 year old. The 6 year old was on a tag-a-long attachment to one of the adult bikes , while each of the other kids had their own. It was more of a challenge for the 8 year old, as the wheel diameter for his bike was much smaller than everyone else's, but he made the trek alright with lots of encouragement and some pulling along by myself.
The entire ride took just a little over an hour, as there is a slight incline the entire distance to TR. We stopped off at Sidewall Pizza and man had we worked up an appetite! After a great lunch, we hopped right back on our bikes and rode the trail back. It was much easier coming back toward Downtown Greenville as all the previous incline was now downhill! And due to it being downhill, it was a much quicker ride.
We even got caught in a thunderstorm that soaked us all entirely through, only 10 minutes before reaching Reedy Bikes! All in all, we highly recommend renting bikes from Downtown versus from TR, as having to bike uphill on the tail end of your ride may be more of a tiresome and daunting task! This was such an enjoyable and memorable ride by everyone, especially the kids, that they continued to talk about it throughout their visit here, and even asked in the subsequent days if we could do the bike ride again!
Butterbean Charlotte, NC 25 contributions. Great experience on the Swamp Rabbit Trail today! Where to rent? We chose Freehub because it is right in the Trail in downtown Greenville. Their hybrid bikes were in great shape, and the woman working there was friendly and helpful. There needs to be some SIGNS along the way to "educate" these bikers about announcing their presence when passing others.
Many of them act as if they are above needing to exercise common courtesy. Perhaps if enough people correct them as we have been doing then maybe these "tour-de-France" wannabees will realize that they don't own the trail! In the meantime, signs would certainly help get the point across. I drive down from Asheville just to ride this trail I enjoy it that much!
Based on previous reviews, we made the trip to SC from VA to ride this trail. We're really glad we did. We started our ride in the town of Travelers Rest. There is a nice Hampton Inn in Travelers Rest. There is a parking area for the trail beside the cemetery.
Pay no attention to the mile markers. This is a 15 mile ride one way, but the markers start at 24 and go up???? I assume the trail will be longer some day. From the bike shop, you cross the street to connect to the trail. There are quite a few road crossings on this trail, but only a few major ones. You also pass quite a few industrial sites which are not very scenic, but they don't deter from the "overall" beauty of this trail. The trail is paved to perfection; a very smooth surface, and a very flat ride.
Once you get to Greenville, you'll be amazed at the beauty of the downtown area. River Place is full of shops, artists and restaurants. We had lunch at "The Lazy Goat" and loved it. Both the view and the food were incredible.
There is a beautiful Hampton Inn right in this area too. If we'd known ahead of time, we would have stayed there, because downtown Greenville would be a beautiful place to stay and play. This whole area is one big "park" where locals sit to eat their lunch or feed the ducks. It's beautifully maintained with swings, benches, flowers, etc.
Once you reach this destination, you won't want to leave, but, crossing to the other side of the falls the trail continues on for a few miles through Cleveland Park and terminates on Faris St. Cleveland Park is nice too, but if you're pressed for time, just stay in Falls Park and spend the day enjoying the atmosphere. It's wonderful.
June 3, Rode from Downtown Greenville the length of trail and back. Pleasant, easy ride. Places to venture off trail in Travelers Rest, food, etc. So many places in Downtown Greenville along trail to eat, linger in lovely parks. Great Trail. Thank you, Greenville for finally getting the leg completed from downtown to Furman. Have ridden the entire Trail 4 times now and it is beautiful!
Also, would like to see more cyclists wearing helmets for protection. Head injuries are bad news. Thank you, again for all the hard work on making this long-awaited trail a reality. Plan to be out there at least once a week when the weather is good. Great job to all the people involved in S. The trail is flat. If I had any criticism, I would let everyone know that we could not find any toilets the whole distance 10 miles. Hopefully there are plans to build toilets or place portable toilets at least at either end of the trail.
As a long time runner I was especially impressed by the four foot wide rubberized asphalt portion of the trail. Way to go Greenville!! Keep up the good work and keep on keepin' on taking care of us runners!! This trail should not even be reviewed until it is completed It's an embarrassment Just when you thought Greenville had stepped up And it's been this way for 2 years The idea was nice but the execution of the plan stinks I walked this trail in December of '09 between Cleveland Park and Faris Road and was thoroughly impressed.
The two-foot wide, soft, track-like surface is great for runners who are concerned about the pounding harder surfaces does on the knees, while plenty of room remains bikers on the asphalt. I think the location is great, as it follows the Reedy River for most of its journey between downtown and the southern end. Having grown up in Greenville, I had always enjoyed the quality of the downtown, but I thought it lacked quality connections for pedestrians to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Now I live in Indianapolis, and I've enjoyed the city's excellent, far-reaching trail system from distant suburbs to downtown. So I'm extremely proud that my hometown of Greenville also sees the value of these trails, and the surface design for joggers actually trumps the surface of Indy's greenway system. Signage appears to be complete now, including signs along the trails in Cleveland and Falls Park. These signs point the way to the beginning of the Carolina Swamp Rabbit Trail.
Some signs are on posts, but many, as you get closer to the trail heading North, are applied to the sidewalks. Also, the trail is now extended to the South, almost all the way to the campus of Greenville Technical College. Look for the signs indicating the trail just to the East side of the river where the Woodland Way bridge crosses it.
This is also East of the old stables buildings. The trail now proceeds a total of 1. As it comes to East Faris Rd. It is not yet complete to the College, and lacks the jogging surface after you reach East Faris Rd. The section from the Park to Faris Rd.
This section is almost totally a secluded, riparian area. From Faris Rd. Asphalt not Roadzhyme paving will begin soon at the Travelers Rest end of the trail and will be completed to Furman University before the end of Landscaping along the trail has been completed near the Furman University campus.
Some work on trusses must be completed before paving can continue on into Downtown Greenville. In Downtown Greenville, signage is starting to go in along the finished portions of the trail. Also, Sunrift Adventures of Travelers Rest sponsored guided tours and free bike borrowing for rides on the paved portion of the trail in Downtown Greenville. At this time, there is no signage leading to the trail head, or identifying the trail head.
To find the trail from surface streets, Take River St. Turn onto Reedy View Dr. Proceed up river on Reedy View about yards. Linky Stone Park will be on the right great native plant education for young and old and as you continue past the park and beneath the Academy St.
Cross the street and continue along Reedy View Dr. See above. The trail is complete for about 1. You can still see some of the old rails where the tracks crossed the Reedy on a low trestle. The trail has a riparian view, but is bordered by an industrial and warehouse neighborhood with poor lighting so keep urban safety in mind.
A future trail section that is not yet paved has had the rails removed and the road bed graded through Furman University and is definitely usable as part of any excursion at the University. This trail starts downtown behind the Peace Center and is the beginning of much larger trail that will connect to Travelers Rest. I think about 12 miles. Log in Register. Search trails Close. Register Now. States: South Carolina. Trail end points: Tate Rd. Trail surfaces: Asphalt, Boardwalk.
Quick Links:. Submit Photo. Submit Review. Nice sunny December day with lots! Get out early to avoid crowds in downtown! Lots of places to take a break.
Great ride!!! December ride on the rabbit with a train blocking trail. See the red light and all the riders. Great trail!!! At a newly built park along the trail just east of downtown. Beautiful scenery as you go through this area.
At the intersection of the boardwalk and Church St. Switchbacks make the climb possible. Looking down. The boardwalk up to Church St. Take a break from the trail and explore the Furman Univ campus. Restrooms and water here too. Trail goes through many wooded areas. Trail climbs uphill south to north. Hardly noticeable, but southbound is a lot easier. You can extend your trip a little further north by using the 'sidewalk' along US In places, you don't even realize you are going through an industrial area.
Note that Travelers Rest is Lanes for biking, and soft lane for jogging. A wetlands area from the boardwalk near Lake Conestee. The less used southern section of the trail south of I Typical Street crosing, rails are in place. Submitted by debjag1 aol.
Nice to see the trail go around a beautiful tree like this. This is what the trail looks like as it goes through a marshy area near Lake Conastee. This is one of the wooden bridges in the Conastee section of the trail. This is one access point to the new Conastee section of the trail. A large part of the trail is now paved and fences have been placed along the steep parts. Snow doesn't last long on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Another old train car, this one on Furman University.
The trail will go across this intersection and past Sunrift Adventures eventually. Heavy equipment has been working on this section near Cedar Lane Road. The trail goes through River Place and into Falls Park. A sign for the newly paved section connecting to Cleveland Park near the stables. View Classic Gallery Submit Photo. Parking and Trail Access The Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is easy to reach from Highway , which it loosely parallels, and there is no shortage of parking in the numerous parks along the route, including Gateway Park Henderson Dr.
Great Trail…poor signage September sandymo. Sunday Afternoons Cleveland park and beyond airplane September rlbullock. Great for all ages! September danadeaton. This trail has potential September robert. Rode it again September kjclow. Love this! June tf87ftjg9c. Beautiful Trail! April csweet Awesome trail March epicslyfox3. Improvements in Progress December litespeedvb. Portions Closed October csgreene Nice Trail October longellob.
Roadies Beware September litespeedvb. Poorly marked and poorly paved in multiple portions. Worth the trip June marke June bikecholo Great Trail June gunney For a few miles August timmy Nice trail, well connected June modiorne. Always a Pleasure November mstelljes1. Great Trail!! September dmckee Completed it from both ends June kjclow. Riding the trails May robinchilds.
Great biking trail. March opstadp. Bike Riding November tommybyars Multi-faceted trail September haga Vacation week of cycling July riicr Swamp Rabbit Trail March jimtalone. Great trail July mrcycle April 2, April beckycostill. Wonderful Spring Ride! Your generous financial support shows that we are all working together to improve our community.
To volunteer to serve or provide ideas and feedback, please contact [email protected]. Combat litter by downloading the Greenville County Litter Ends Here app to report problems or volunteer to pick up. Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, underwater or on the side of a city street.
There are over 2. Get started on your treasure hunt! Check our facebook page for posts about items found along the trail. Also check in with other trailside businesses close to where the item might have been lost. Found something on the trail? Please post a description on our facebook page in hopes of connecting with the owner. Motorized wheelchairs are permitted. You can end your ride here or continue another mile along the Hincapie Path, a multi-use greenway that follows the Reedy River, offering long views of the watershed.
The foot wide trail includes eight feet of asphalt and five feet of a rubberized surface for runners and walkers. Situated in the heart of the Upcountry, Greenville is known as the Textile Center of the World and offers great shopping, entertainment, historic, Hike and Bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
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