Get Out and About in Gorgeous Greenville
Greenville region’s natural attractions make it easy to get outdoors.
Greenville embraces an active lifestyle and offers so many ways to connect with the outdoors, whether your pursuit is hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, canoeing or ziplining. A collection of outdoor parks, greenways, recreational venues, trail systems, gardens, community centers and bike paths put green spaces within easy reach. Plus, the Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic Coast beaches aren’t far away.
Greenville offers more than 400 acres of parklands, including the 32-acre Falls Park on the Reedy, often described as “an oasis within the city.†This postcard-perfect downtown park has inviting trails, manicured gardens, scenic overlooks and beautiful waterfalls. A signature attraction of the park is the “floating†Liberty Bridge – a 345-foot-long pedestrian suspension bridge that offers views of the park’s centerpiece, the 60-foot Reedy Falls.
Pedal Power
Cycling is a popular draw for the Greenville region. Good weather, terrain advantages and local motorists’ awareness and respect for the bicycling community make it an ideal environment for cyclists. Greenville also offers numerous bike clubs, organized races and a bike-share program.
The most utilized recreation feature in Greenville County is the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, which runs beside the Reedy River on a scenic 22-mile course. That course includes a popular 10-mile section that stretches north from downtown Greenville to Travelers Rest.
Swamp Rabbit Trail is used by an estimated 500,000 cyclists, runners and hikers each year and contributes about $6 million annually in economic impact to the region. About 30% of the trail usage is by people who live outside Greenville County, according to Bob Mihalic, Greenville County director of governmental affairs.
“When business executives are thinking about locating here and ask me about our recreational advantages, the first two things I mention are the great weather and Swamp Rabbit Trail,†he says.
Mihalic says Greenville County Parks, Recreation & Tourism oversees maintenance of Swamp Rabbit Trail as well as 55 well-manicured parks throughout the county. Residents also have access to indoor swimming pools, ice skating rinks and waterparks located in Greenville, Piedmont and Simpsonville.
“A majority of our parks have individual walking trails, too, and many of the county’s parks have athletic fields that benefit a lot of people,†he says.
If you’d like to learn more about the Greenville area, check out the latest edition of Greenville, SC: Live Here. Love Here.
