Explore the best rated trails in Hendersonville, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Pacolet Nature Trail and Wilma Dykeman Greenway. With more than 27 trails covering 83 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.
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The Three Creeks Trail adds about a mile to Spartanburg's growing network of trails, christened the Daniel Morgan Trail System or "The Dan" for short. The 10-ft wide paved trail stretches between...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
The trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
This is a 2-mile greenway located in the newly improved River Arts District on the east bank of the French Broad River. It was developed as part of the larger River Arts District Transportation...
Closure Notice: Starting in 2020 and continuing through 2021, portions of the Swamp Rabbit Trail will be subject to ongoing closures for trail repaving. Please consult with the official site for the...
The Brevard Bike Path is a relatively flat trail, nearly 5 miles long. About 1 mile (northwest end) follows the old Carr Lumber Company railway corridor and extends into the Pisgah National Forest up...
The Pacolet Nature Trail is a paved trail in the quiet rural community of Pacolet, located along the banks of the Pacolet River. The trail matches the sleepy nature of the town, providing trail users...
The Wadsworth Trail parallels Willis Road from Harmon Drive to Hawk Creek Drive, with a spur heading south along SR 42-4382/Caldwell Drive. The Willis Road portion is 1.85 miles (one way), while the...
The Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile...
The Oconaluftee River Trail is a popular 3 mile out-and-back trail along the banks of the river of the same name. The popular gravel trail is one of two in the Smokey Mountains National Park that...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Reed Creek Greenway is a short but pleasant multiuse path that connects downtown Asheville to the University of North Carolina campus. The trail starts on Magnolia Avenue and parallels the creek and...
Constructed in 1981 as the city of Spartanburg's first mixed-use trail, the River Birch Trail was in rough shape, with vegetation overgrowing the route and the surface cracked and failing, until the...
Glens Creek Greenway is a one-mile shared use trail in Asheville, North Carolina. It stretches between Weaver Park and Broadway St. Although short, the trail connects to destinations including Weaver...
The Doodle Rail Trail connects the towns of Easley and Pickens in the northwestern corner of South Carolina. The paved trail follows the former Doodle Line railroad for just over 8 miles and includes...
The French Broad River Greenway links three of Asheville's parks: Hominy Creek River Park, Carrier Park, and French Broad River Park. The trail follows the river, coursing through a wooded strip of...
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In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
Part of an expansive revitalization effort that the city of Spartanburg has undertaken to improve the economic and ecological well-being of the Northside neighborhood, the Butterfly Branch Greenway...
Located in the quiet, rural outskirts of Spartanburg, SC, the Glendale Shoals Trail provides a lovely path for visitors to explore some of the natural beauty of the area. The natural-surface trail...
The Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile...
The French Broad River Greenway links three of Asheville's parks: Hominy Creek River Park, Carrier Park, and French Broad River Park. The trail follows the river, coursing through a wooded strip of...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
The Oconaluftee River Trail is a popular 3 mile out-and-back trail along the banks of the river of the same name. The popular gravel trail is one of two in the Smokey Mountains National Park that...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
The Three Creeks Trail adds about a mile to Spartanburg's growing network of trails, christened the Daniel Morgan Trail System or "The Dan" for short. The 10-ft wide paved trail stretches between...
Part of an expansive revitalization effort that the city of Spartanburg has undertaken to improve the economic and ecological well-being of the Northside neighborhood, the Butterfly Branch Greenway...
Reed Creek Greenway is a short but pleasant multiuse path that connects downtown Asheville to the University of North Carolina campus. The trail starts on Magnolia Avenue and parallels the creek and...
In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
The trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
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The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
This moderately difficult walk follows the bed of railroad that was never completed—the America Civil War got in the way of SC Statesman John C. Calhoun's rail dream. They did get as far as starting...
This is a 2-mile greenway located in the newly improved River Arts District on the east bank of the French Broad River. It was developed as part of the larger River Arts District Transportation...
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This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. The...
Glens Creek Greenway is a one-mile shared use trail in Asheville, North Carolina. It stretches between Weaver Park and Broadway St. Although short, the trail connects to destinations including Weaver...
The Pacolet Nature Trail is a paved trail in the quiet rural community of Pacolet, located along the banks of the Pacolet River. The trail matches the sleepy nature of the town, providing trail users...
The Wadsworth Trail parallels Willis Road from Harmon Drive to Hawk Creek Drive, with a spur heading south along SR 42-4382/Caldwell Drive. The Willis Road portion is 1.85 miles (one way), while the...
Closure Notice: Starting in 2020 and continuing through 2021, portions of the Swamp Rabbit Trail will be subject to ongoing closures for trail repaving. Please consult with the official site for the...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
Reed Creek Greenway is a short but pleasant multiuse path that connects downtown Asheville to the University of North Carolina campus. The trail starts on Magnolia Avenue and parallels the creek and...
The Oconaluftee River Trail is a popular 3 mile out-and-back trail along the banks of the river of the same name. The popular gravel trail is one of two in the Smokey Mountains National Park that...
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
This is a 2-mile greenway located in the newly improved River Arts District on the east bank of the French Broad River. It was developed as part of the larger River Arts District Transportation...
_194549_sc.jpg)
A natural-surface trail that runs through the gorgeous Edwin M. Griffin Preserve just outside the center of Spartanburg, the Cottonwood Trail offers a lovely path into the wooded landscape surrounding...
Constructed in 1981 as the city of Spartanburg's first mixed-use trail, the River Birch Trail was in rough shape, with vegetation overgrowing the route and the surface cracked and failing, until the...
The Doodle Rail Trail connects the towns of Easley and Pickens in the northwestern corner of South Carolina. The paved trail follows the former Doodle Line railroad for just over 8 miles and includes...
The Pacolet Nature Trail is a paved trail in the quiet rural community of Pacolet, located along the banks of the Pacolet River. The trail matches the sleepy nature of the town, providing trail users...
The Wadsworth Trail parallels Willis Road from Harmon Drive to Hawk Creek Drive, with a spur heading south along SR 42-4382/Caldwell Drive. The Willis Road portion is 1.85 miles (one way), while the...
Part of an expansive revitalization effort that the city of Spartanburg has undertaken to improve the economic and ecological well-being of the Northside neighborhood, the Butterfly Branch Greenway...
This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. The...
The Brevard Bike Path is a relatively flat trail, nearly 5 miles long. About 1 mile (northwest end) follows the old Carr Lumber Company railway corridor and extends into the Pisgah National Forest up...
Glens Creek Greenway is a one-mile shared use trail in Asheville, North Carolina. It stretches between Weaver Park and Broadway St. Although short, the trail connects to destinations including Weaver...
Located in the quiet, rural outskirts of Spartanburg, SC, the Glendale Shoals Trail provides a lovely path for visitors to explore some of the natural beauty of the area. The natural-surface trail...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
The Three Creeks Trail adds about a mile to Spartanburg's growing network of trails, christened the Daniel Morgan Trail System or "The Dan" for short. The 10-ft wide paved trail stretches between...
The trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Closure Notice: Starting in 2020 and continuing through 2021, portions of the Swamp Rabbit Trail will be subject to ongoing closures for trail repaving. Please consult with the official site for the...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
First time riding. Short and easy. Gravel path on last bit a little narrow and challenging to avoid walker’s. Lovely. It would be nice to finish or widen last half.
This was our first ride on a rail trail and we loved it. Not crowded at all, smooth surface and beautiful scenery.
Too crowded with walkers and little kids for a pleasant ride. Groups of walkers block path and do not move to side. Some areas too narrow and with blind corners. Two bike wrecks I know of in 40 minutes due to walkers and little kids running out in front of bikes. Not a good experience.
We rode from Travelers Rest to the swamp rabbit café and grocery. Perfect place to stop and have a wonderful lunch! The path was smooth, mostly level and shady. Even in 80° it was a comfortable ride.
I rode 14 miles of the Swamp Rabbit Trail starting in Traveler's Rest and ending at the trail's end near Greenville Tech. The fundamentals for a great trail experience is here it just needs more investment in signage to bring it to its full potential.
Traveler's Rest is a perfect trail town and provides many options to get something to eat, shop and multiple locations to lock up your bike. You can tell that the town has really embraced the Swamp Rabbit Trail; its a shame that they don't have great signage to direct you to the trail or to find a good parking spot on the trail. Within the first quarter mile I had to use my phone to figure out that the trail continued across the street because there was no signage directing me there and it was not so obvious as the trail is tucked behind the sidewalk.
As you leave Traveler's Rest the signage for the Swamp Rabbit Trail does come into play but it still is confusing to find and stay on the trail through Furman University, the Cancer Survivors Park, and a playground by the local zoo. All of these points provided great scenery and multiple options for food I just wish it was more obvious which paved section was the actual trail.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail website is very detailed and I wish the actual trail had as much thought put into it as the website does. The trail itself is in very good condition which made riding an enjoyable experience. I can tell that the local communities have invested a lot of time and money into this trail; a small investment in better signage will make this trail a five star trail.
This time we started and ended in Travelers Rest. Lots of dining options that are open later than the Swamp Rabbit. Makes it easier to plan an all day ride when you're not limited by the clock. Start of the trail was more crowded with walkers and younger riders. Once we got through the first mile or two, everyone spaced out. My only complaint is that many of the faster riders did not think it important to annouce themselves. This is not unique to the Swamp Rabbit Trail but just seems to be more common this year.
I use the bike trails in West Asheville several times a week, as they are relatively flat and run along the river. But the connections between stretches of trail can be dangerous. For example, if I want to ride from the new RAD trail toward Carrier Park, I must do so along a stretch of Amboy with no trail, nor even a road shoulder. (The only other option is to go under the bridge through French Broad Park, which is often muddy.) And if I want to continue in the RAD to Craven Street parking, I must cross the road where the trail suddenly is one way instead of side-by-side two way. Except for the stretch through RAD, a cyclist must contend with dog walkers and toddlers on tricycles. Bottom line: wear a helmet!
We rode end to end and back yesterday on our tandem. It’s a very nicely done trail and the pavement is smooth as silk. It’s probably not a destination trail, but if you’re in the area, you don’t want to miss it. There are plenty of places to grab a drink or a bit to eat. There is a bike shop in Spindale. The at-grade crossings are plentiful in a few of the towns, but we still managed a decent pace and the crossings were well marked and safe.
The Thermal Belt is a lovely trail, now with a smooth, 12' asphalt surface. It's the 2nd longest rail-trail in NC, after the American Tobacco Trail. The one caution: Be careful not to let your front wheel wander off the pavement. There's a 3" drop-off to loose gravel shoulders. Those shoulders slope away from the pavement. So your next destination is a ditch. If Rutherford County will build up the shoulders, then the Thermal Belt will become much safer.
Trail is marked open from dawn to dusk
I parked at the Willis Rd YMCA. This paved path is a good mix of uphill, downhill, and flat. Plenty of shade. Adding mileage is easy if you cruise through the lovely neighborhoods along Willis Rd.
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