Explore the best rated trails in Bowman, SC, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Wateree Passage (Palmetto Trail) and Congaree Boardwalk Loop . With more than 16 trails covering 134 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I live in the area, and frequently walk all of these trails. They are excellent. They're not all connected currently. Due to construction, some sections are closed. The West Columbia section is closed for the next six months. Part of the Riverfront Park is closed too. Your best bet if you're looking for distance is Candi Lane or the Timmerman Trail located at Dominion Energy. You can get around 11.5 miles round trip from the Timmerman Trail to Blossom Steet and back. Candi Lane is 6.8ish miles round trip. The Timmerman Trail is mostly shaded as is Candi Lane. The Riverfront Park, not so much.
Awesome Greenway , very well maintained and very clean. Definitely worth checking out and seeing.
A pretty good little trail for gravel riding, but as others have said, poorly maintain and poorly marked. But if you look into kill time, it’s OK for beginners.
Goes longer than 1.5 miles. You can park at Drayton hall elementary school and walk either way. Lead a to village green, which is a nice neighborhood with trails and hills as well.
We’d hoped to ride our bikes the promised 19.8 miles, so we’re disappointed to find that closures and construction reduced our ride to 3.5 miles each direction. We parked as far North as the trail goes, at Capital City Passage Trailhead. It’s pretty and would be cool, but unfortunately wasn’t worth our effort to get our bikes there.
This trail is well maintained and mostly flat. The parking lot on the Swan Lake end was under construction so I had to park near the Swan Lake-Iris Gardens Visitors Center and cross the road to get to the trail. The people inside the center were really nice and told me how to get to the trail head. I like that they have buttons and walk signs at a few of the intersections. Be mindful that the only restrooms are at the trail heads (unless you want to try going off trail into a local business along the way).
We parked at Kelley Jones park and the trail is closed. There was a police officer stationed there on a golf cart. We asked him if there was another way to ride this section of the trail. He told us the railroad is doing construction (not communicated to the city per this police officer) and the trail is closed from 7:30am-4pm Mon-Fri for 2 weeks. He told us about another segment a few miles away at the Newman boat ramp. We went there and rode the 4 mile loop. It’s a better walking trail than bike trail but still pretty.
The signage for the intact part of the trail was below average. The detour section was poorly marked unless you are familiar with the road building project. It will be much nicer when completed, but for now it is best to avoid that area.
Horseflies were hungry this morning. Trail was very nice
It’s not perfect , but it is to me. I always start in the south at the Timmerman trail head near I-77 . You go north & follow to the connection at the boat ramp, then follow the signs for the on street connection to the next portion moving north . I look forward to the river decks reopening and doing the whole trail again! The trail does get busy near the West Columbia Main Street area, but that’s most trails. Stay south if you are looking for fewer folks on the trail.
It is not connected to the other side of the river. Live and learn, I will start further down the trail on the west side of the river next time.
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