Find the top rated hiking trails in Sumter, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Found this trail but seemed confusing to navigate it. My husband and I ran into 2 guys from Summerville and gave us great directions to get to the trail. Take 52 No and turn left on Power House Rd. And then right onto Old Black Oak Rd. That will take you right to Dykeview Rd. There is a gate with an opening to get your bike through. There is a small parking area there too. After about 5 miles the Dykeview Rd. ends and you come down and turn left on Black Oak Rd. You then turn right on Butter Rd. And follow then turn right onto General Moultarie Dr.Continue until you turn right onto Martin Lane which leads right to the second levy trail.
On April 15, 2026 my wife and I "e-biked" the trail beginning at the southern hwy 52 trailhead. We are active, fit retirees at 70 years old. The trailhead is spacious but has no accomodations ( restroom, water, garbage can , etc. ) Immediately you are challenged to cross a 5-lane highway ( use the turn lane as somewhat of a safety island ) . The initial trail through the mostly pine forest was shady, poorly marked, and with significant surface roots on average every 4-5 feet of trail. Leaving the pine forest as you approach the dam you will need to portage your bikes across a railroad track ( no crossings provided ). Again signage was found lacking and we were unsure of the trail location or direction. BTW, the trail description posted on this site is woefully lacking and somewhat inaccurate. We used google maps to confirm that the trail was actually at the top of the levee / dam. There are actually two trails / service roads that parallel the lake. One is at grade below the levee and the other is atop the levee. Neither is identified as the Lake Moultrie Passage trail. We took the levee trail. It offered a good compacted , level gravel road with a spectacular elevated view of the lake.
We arrived at Bonn Grocery a little after noon. In the abscence of trail signage we asked a grocery patron where the trail continued. he pointed us a couple blocks away to Butter Street as the trail connection. At Black Oak Rd and Butter Street we found a trail maker facing in the opposite direction, located low enough to be obscured by weeds and other signage. We were planning to have lunch at the Watermark Bar & Grill only to find it closed and posted as under the control and jurisdiction of the sheriff' department.
We continued down Butter Street to Barn Rd to Pauline Drive. These thoroughfares are two-lane with no shoulder, significant local traffic, and more than a few agressive drivers ( despite we were moving at 15-18 MPH in full power mode on our bikes ) We turned around and did not proceed to the Pooshee Plantation Rd. / Wildlife Management portion of the trail which we were very much looking forward to biking.
We suggest the trail map be more detailed , identifying the trail characteristics such as when you will be sharing the road with vehicles and with no designated bike lanes. Possibly include information as to how to access the non-vehicular portions of the trail.
We enjoyed the part of the trail we biked but were disappointed that we were not able bike more miles without being forced to share the road with vehicular traffic.
Have been bike packing with son for last 5 years. We have done the C&O, Creeper and GAP trail and some single track in Brevard area. Went to the SFT because of the location and name - The area in SC was gorgeous, we went in spring and just caught the beginning of the pollen season, which made breathing a bit tough. The trail was mostly cut grass and cypress roots. We only managed 4-5mph and with the bikes loaded up with gear... it was very tedious and hard going. So much so that after the first day... we switched over to forest/lumber dirt roads that seemed to run parallel to most of the SFP trail. To me the SFP seemed more conducive to hiking or full suspension MTB trail, due to the surface and vast amount of roots to navigate. Gravel roads however were great and got us to our destination and back.
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.
We parked at the southwest end of the trail and walked 1.5 miles in. There is plenty of shade along the portion we did. The trail was paved for the first mile, followed by crushed stone. Well worth walking if you are in the area.
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.
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.
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