Find the top rated running trails in Highlands, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Started at the Hendersonville visitor center and headed out. Fill your water bottles and use the restrooms at this really nice visitor center! Very well marked trail with lots of safe crossings for the roads! Super wide super smooth asphalt so no issues bypassing pedestrians and other cyclists! Rode all the way to the end and found a pumpkin patch! Since we were on our bikes, I only purchased five small ones for two dollars each! We also stopped by the farm stand trail side, and got some of the best Golden delicious apples we’ve ever had! Beautiful rail trail……kudos to Hendersonville because there were 1000 people using it on this stunning Saturday! It has a brewery, playground, coffeehouse, Quik Mart, all on the side of the trail if you need anything. We really enjoyed the countryside! A winner for a Saturday early Fall bike ride!
Rode the trail today a few times back-and-forth back-and-forth to get a few miles in. Beautiful river with the roar of the water and the roar of the trucks on the highway. Leaves covering the trail in a few spots so it could be slippery. Great parking at both ends. We did take a rod on our second trip around and did a few casts the access spots, but didn’t get anything.
Very nice trail, minimal parking, but meant more for walking. Very busy with walkers.
My wife and I found this to be a great trail to ride. Nice 17miles and beautiful.
The trail itself is a definite 5-star experience—beautiful, peaceful, and perfect for exploring with kids. The bridges and the walk along the river were serene and made for a fun adventure. However, I’m giving it 4 stars due to the parking situation. It was a bit tricky to find a spot, but once we figured it out and luckily found a quieter area near one of the less crowded trail entrances, the rest of the visit was fantastic.
I walked this trail yesterday, and it was one of the most magical experiences. I brought my dog along, and he was able to cool off with a dip in the water when he started to get too hot. I highly recommend this trail to anyone looking for a peaceful, paved, path shaded by trees, with beautiful views of the water.
I have ridden many rail trails across the US. One of the things that I look for are access to water, bathrooms and food. This trail has it all! Warm spring day - lots of people & dogs out enjoying the trail with happy smiles. There are areas of downed trees on either side of the trail from the Hurricane damage but it doesn’t affect the trail at all. It is paved asphalt so there are “root humps” here and there but nothing terrible. Gentle inclines and declines. I enjoyed my ride!
My husband and I love this trail. We have done it a couple of times. Took my sister and her husband on it. They enjoyed too. It’s smooth and clean. We park in Easley and ride up to Pickens. We always stop in Pickens at a restaurant and eat. (So my sugar levels don’t go too low). Then we head back. Very nice and polite people on the trail.
This is a nice trail that runs beside and crosses over the river. Most of the trail is paved, but parts were not paved or were perhaps covered in sand and dirt. (Hence the 4-star rating.) I am unsure if it is always this way or a result of the recent Hurricane that passed this way. (Fall 2024).
I was impressed with the number of benches along the trail and the great signs helping us know where to go. One portion (in Franklin) runs through an unpaved parking lot behind some stores. At first, we were confused but then we saw a sign explaining where to go to get back to the trail.
Also in Franklin is a small "Women's History Park" with a statue and plaques explaining the park and the statue. It was worth the time to look and read.
There are also some cafes and restaurants in that area so you can enjoy a quick coffee or a more relaxed meal.
Being autumn, there was a lot of "tree debris" on sections of the path but overall this was a nice path that we hope to enjoy again.
This trail was beautiful and fun, but the hills made it pretty challenging. I had to get off my bike and walk quite a bit more than I’d hoped. I parked at Doodle Park in Easley, and managed to make it to Pickens and back! The bathrooms at both end were clean, and the trail wasn’t crowded. I went on a weekday morning though ¿.
Just what I was looking for: easily accessible, thoughtfully designed and well maintained, beautifully picturesque in places! Just the right length to be a good workout if you do the whole thing or for smaller jaunts between the little parks in connects. This trail would be ideal for a group outing where the members are at different ages and abilities. Children and walkers could start at the Pet Park on 7th St., for example, and go north through the pretty, level, middle section that runs along the creek while the bicyclers cover the longer distance.
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