It was
a sunny day, albeit without the heat that has plagued the Upstate for the last
month. We loaded up the bicycles and headed north to Furman with the goal of
hopping on the Swamp Rabbit Trail for the day. Our goal was to bike the 4 miles
from the south end of the Furman campus all the way to the Swamp Rabbit Café &
Grocery (SRC&G), eat lunch, rest, and then make the return trip - for a total of 8
miles.
There
is parking at both ends of this section of trail, though the dirt lot off
Duncan Chapel Rd. is on the small side when compared to the extensive trail
parking available at SRC&G. If the lot is full, try the visitor parking lot
at the Trone Student Center on Swan Lake – it’s just another ½ mile north. While
we unpacked the bikes the boys explored, admiring the old rail car to the side
of the trail that pays homage to the trail’s origins as a rail line connecting
Greenville with Travelers Rest. The trailhead also features a convenient map,
water fountain and vending machines.
For more on Furman and Swan Lake, please visit my post A Lake Hike at Furman University
Headed
south you'll pass milepost 27.5, a small clearing with a picnic table, and then milepost 28 before coming to Watkins Bridge Road. Here the trail meets up with the
Reedy River, mostly staying within a stone’s throw all the way to the southern
terminus in Lake Conestee Nature Preserve. After crossing Watkins Bridge Road it’s
smooth sailing; a straight, level, shaded cruise until you hit milepost 28.5 where the trail gets a lot more urban, with backyards and power lines
paralleling the path. Right before crossing Little Creek there is a little
wooden structure on the trail, providing room to pull off for some shade and a
view of a small meadow.
After the
Little Creek bridge there’s another pull-out, this one with concrete benches, a
table and some rose bushes to sweeten the ride.
Milepost
29 marks the beginning of a not-so-scenic stretch, industrial/automotive
businesses and fences on both sides. However not too much further and you’ll
spot the green boxcar of Swamp Rabbit Station and you’ll know you’re halfway
to SRC&G. I was happy to see that the pocket park is coming along –
the Berea Community Mural Project dedicated “Looking Back” this past May.
For more on this pocket park,
please visit my post Swamp Rabbit Station
The
next portion parallels power lines and has less shade, but is pleasantly green
and has various trees and shrubs planted alongside that will eventually help
cool down cyclists. We cruised past the 29.5 milepost and before we knew it
were back in the woods. The next mile is pleasant enough, shade and woods to
both sides; we hit milepost 30, then 30.5.
Immediately
after crossing Langston Creek the trail intersects with W. Blue Ridge Drive. We
walk our bikes across all the road crossings on this section of the SRT as they
involve wide roads that see quite a bit off traffic, but luckily there aren’t
all that many roads to cross…
The
last ¾ of a mile (from W Blue Ridge to Cedar Lane Rd.) passes by quickly. More
power lines, then another short wooded section, with a Swamp Rabbit Grocery
sign and then milepost 31 to let you know you’re almost there. The Reedy River
has been to the right ever since crossing Watkins Bridge Road, but here you’ll cross
over to the other side of the river, emerging to a large grassy area and an
abandoned warehouse. It’s advised to decrease your speed as you maneuver the
trail under Cedar Lane Road, but upon emerging on the other side you’ll see
the Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery to your right.
In
addition to a map, bicycle racks and restrooms, SRC&G is home to the Swamp Garden (an excellent natural play area for the kiddos), the new
storage-container-turned-pizza-place, and of course the restaurant and grocery.
The opportunity to purchase a refreshing King of Pops or enjoy a locally sourced
lunch is definitely one of the benefits of cycling this section of the Swamp
Rabbit Trail. Other positive aspects: there’s relatively low traffic on this
section and it’s pretty level in elevation. Two drawbacks to this portion of
the trail are the road crossings and the slightly monotonous scenery. Having
rested, consumed a Swamp Pizza, and played in the Swamp Garden, we hopped back
on our bikes and hit the trail north, back to Furman.
Related posts:
 |
| Crossing the Reedy River Bridge |
No comments:
Post a Comment