In July 1890, a local newspaper detailed a trip on the “Swamp Rabbit” out to spend a day at Paris Mountain. The railroad had only been open for two years, but it already had a nickname that would stick around for over a century.
That moniker came straight from how the line was constructed. The tracks ran through particularly swampy ground along the Reedy River and were built cheaply, which made for a famously bouncy ride. Add in the local swamp rabbit population living in the marshland, and you have a piece of local history.
Today, the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail spans roughly 20 miles along that exact same corridor. It stretches from Greenville Technical College right through downtown Greenville, past Falls Park on the Reedy and the Furman University campus, and all the way to a spot just north of Travelers Rest. If you include all the connecting greenway segments, the broader Swamp Rabbit Trail Network reaches 28 miles of outdoor adventure.
What the Ride Is Like
The trail is paved with boardwalk sections, flat, and rated easy, which makes it workable for almost anyone on wheels. It’s open to biking, walking, running, inline skating, and is wheelchair accessible…