Saturday, January 1, 2011

South Carolina Bike Trails


Happy New Year! Anyone looking to make plans to bike any interesting routes in 2011 may find this post useful. I did a quick google search to come up with some Bike Trail suggestions. The most comprehensive list I could find was at this website which is part of the South Carolina State Trails program website. The website hosts information about the South Carolina Bicycle Touring Guide, a guide that lists some of the bicycle trails in the state. It seems that the Department of Transportation and Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism have shared the duty of updating this guide over the years. The lists of trails could probably use an updating since the website has listed the most recent update as 2000. There is a part of the website that hosts the State's 2002 Trail Plan from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The plan includes several bicycle trail updates and expansions. However, well-known routes like the Swamp Rabbit Trail aren't listed. (That's probably due to the fact that the route isn't maintained by the State. Here's a great link to a page with a google map of the trail.)

If you're interested in riding locally, I suggest checking with local park and recreation or planning departments to see if there is a listing of suggested bicycle routes or paths.

For those into mountain biking, here's a list of several trails throughout the state. There are a few in the Upstate area. 

The information listed in the State guide and website does not seem to differientiate between bicycle trails for road bikes and mountain bike riders. If you're looking to explore a new trail in 2011, consider contacting the State or a local municipality before heading out to learn more about the conditions of the trail. Enjoy!

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