The Swamp Rabbit Trail runs from Travelers Rest, through Falls Park and Cleveland Park in downtown Greenville to Greenville Tech. There are many options for parking all along the trail. As I was planning this trip, Colin Young, who is the Program Coordinator for the Division of Greenways for Greenville County Recreation District, provided lots of information and guidance for navigating the trail. You can find more information at the Swamp Rabbit Trail website.
The weather was ideal and there were many people using the trail on all sections. For this reason and because you will find many things to explore, you should plan for a full day. There are many businesses along the trail that offer bathrooms, snacks, lunch and water for filling your bottles. We saw several very interesting playgrounds and the trail passes the Greenville Zoo.
The section that passes through Falls Park is heavily used so be ready to take it slow. There you will see the Reedy River in all it’s glory, the Liberty Bridge and many displays of public art.
The Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery is located the at mile marker 31.5 near the Furman Campus. There we saw groups of runners and cyclists gathered to socialize after exercising. The Cafe offers yummy snacks and sandwiches as well as some groceries and many locally sourced food options.
Near the cafe, there is an old auto repair building that has been converted into a bike storage and workshop for TTR Bikes. TTR’s main shop is located in downtown Greenville — the trail location is used for test riding tandems and recumbent bikes. It’s the perfect use of an old abandoned building with an ideal location for trying before you buy. We watched as a couple learned how to ride a tandem and as the mechanic assembled a CoMotion tandem for a racing team (valued at $7K!).
Don’t miss the detour onto the Furman campus. The campus is beautiful and there is a trail that will take you around a scenic lake and clock tower.
There are several restaurants in Travelers Rest that flank the trail and all eagerly welcome trail patrons. David and I selected The Cafe at Williams Hardware where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Don’t miss the cole slaw…it was fantastic.
Some sections of the trail have cushioned running strips that give runners and walkers their own lane which is a huge plus for all users. All of the pavement is pristine. The only hazards are the road crossings where train rails are still imbedded so you have to navigate the rails while watching for auto traffic. The only negative comment that I will make about the experience relates to my own peeps — the “roadies” — who were a bit rude. Most of them gave no warning before passing and once it nearly caused an accident as bike traffic backed up at a busy road crossing. Use your bell if you have one to alert other trail users that you are passing. If you don’t have a bell, just yell “On Your Left” and pass with caution. It’s just good manners.