Any family, racer, hipster, urban planner, landscape architect, business or parks and recreation major should take a spin on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. After living in the Upstate for a few years, I finally had my turn on the regionally-famous trail, and it was everything everyone said it is.
Hitting the trail at noon on a 78 degree Saturday, the trail was full, but not crowded. There were rides of every type - serious, first-timers, family-riders, fat-tire cruisers. The trail starts in Traveler's Rest, but there are many different locations to park a car or hop on the path. (Bathrooms are also plentiful.) Riding from TR to Greenville, the path goes for long stretches without crossing any roads - a racer's dream! Closer to and within the Greenville, there are more places where auto and bike traffic have to look out for one another. Yet having the SRT in the City allows people to visit parks, shops, cafes and other businesses by bike. A boon to the local economy! Who doesn't like to get rewarded with an ice cream or cold beer after a long bike ride?
Students from area university and colleges - Furman, Clemson, Bob Jones and any of the community or technical colleges - should visit the trail at least once while they are in school. The trail is a living classroom to learn about urban design, the entrepreneurial spirit, recreational infrastructure, history, ecology, civil engineering and real estate. The trail connects people and places, creates new opportunities, allows us to view pieces of the past and contributes to the identity of the Upstate. Oh, and then there's the whole having fun riding a bike thing, too. If you don't have a bike to ride the trail, there are even places that rent bikes.
The SRT is one of the many trails across the country. There's even a plan (a dream) that a network of trails will connect places across the country. One day, you may be able to ride from LA to NYC or Portland to the Florida Keys all by way of a bike trail.
Bringing it back locally to the Upstate, get out on a not-too-hot day in the coming months, and go for a spin on the over 17+ mile trail.
Hitting the trail at noon on a 78 degree Saturday, the trail was full, but not crowded. There were rides of every type - serious, first-timers, family-riders, fat-tire cruisers. The trail starts in Traveler's Rest, but there are many different locations to park a car or hop on the path. (Bathrooms are also plentiful.) Riding from TR to Greenville, the path goes for long stretches without crossing any roads - a racer's dream! Closer to and within the Greenville, there are more places where auto and bike traffic have to look out for one another. Yet having the SRT in the City allows people to visit parks, shops, cafes and other businesses by bike. A boon to the local economy! Who doesn't like to get rewarded with an ice cream or cold beer after a long bike ride?
Students from area university and colleges - Furman, Clemson, Bob Jones and any of the community or technical colleges - should visit the trail at least once while they are in school. The trail is a living classroom to learn about urban design, the entrepreneurial spirit, recreational infrastructure, history, ecology, civil engineering and real estate. The trail connects people and places, creates new opportunities, allows us to view pieces of the past and contributes to the identity of the Upstate. Oh, and then there's the whole having fun riding a bike thing, too. If you don't have a bike to ride the trail, there are even places that rent bikes.
The SRT is one of the many trails across the country. There's even a plan (a dream) that a network of trails will connect places across the country. One day, you may be able to ride from LA to NYC or Portland to the Florida Keys all by way of a bike trail.
Bringing it back locally to the Upstate, get out on a not-too-hot day in the coming months, and go for a spin on the over 17+ mile trail.
Loved this entry! I have yet to pick up a bike to ride the SRT but i sure walk it! im going to miss it when i move later this year. Hopefully i can run into another that is as long and idyllic as this one.
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