Upstate South Carolina’s Swamp Rabbit Trail

The 28-mile Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is a multi-use walking, biking and running trail that promotes sustainable living and economic growth across the region.

Winding throughout downtown Greenville and sprawling to Traveler’s Rest to the north, the trail has created a unique growth environment for small businesses like the bike rentals, restaurants, cafes, and breweries along its path. With 750,000 users in 2023 alone, the trail’s steady foot traffic has boosted these businesses, generating new job opportunities within the region. The Swamp Rabbit Trail is known for its proximity to the No. 2 Best City Park in the U.S., as well as to countless local eateries like Southernside Brewing Co., Soby’s and The Commons food hall.

Greenville’s favorite trail is turning heads nationally, too. One of the Swamp Rabbit’s most evident impacts is its role in promoting tourism. Visitors from 30 different states have flocked to experience a taste of Upstate SC along the trail, with about 26% of weekend users coming from out of state. And it’s not just tourism that drives the trail’s popularity. In 2022, 9.7% of all Swamp Rabbit trips were made by locals walking or biking to commute to work, an indicator that matches Greenville’s tendency toward healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle choices.

The Swamp Rabbit has also won several awards over the years, earning a spot as the #3 biking trail on Blue Ridge Country’s Best of the Mountains awards, #1 on Fodor’s Best Urban Bike Paths and as a nominee for the 2024 USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards. These awards are just some of many recent accolades the region as a whole has received, with Greenville ranked one of the 10 Friendliest Cities in the U.S. (Conde Nast Traveler) and one of the South’s Best Cities in 2023 (Southern Living).

Upstate SC is known for its variety of lifestyle opportunities — from outdoor adventures to culinary masterpieces — while still maintaining a friendly, small-town vibe that makes it welcoming to newcomers. Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail is part of a robust ecosystem of nearby trails, including Spartanburg’s 55-mile urban Daniel Morgan Trail System (“The Dan”); Doodle Trail, connecting the cities of Easley and Pickens; and South Carolina’s 500-mile Palmetto Trail, which connects Walhalla in the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Intracoastal Waterway near Charleston.

Explore the Swamp Rabbit Trail with this interactive map and learn more about living in Upstate SC.