How the Swamp Rabbit Trail gave a historical town a new life and a new identity.
traveler Rest , South Carolina got its name in the 1800s for exactly the grounds you ’d reckon — it serve as a rest stop for farm animal herder who were traversing the Blue Ridge Mountains .
In 1888 , the Greenville and Northern Railway power train , nicknamed The Swamp Rabbit , started operate between Greenville and River Falls , bringing passenger through Travelers Rest . The gearing switch to freight service only in the 1920s , but Travelers Rest continued to prosper until the eighties and 1990s when the textile mills around South Carolina startle closing and the local storefront shut down one by one . All that was really leave alone were some big - box stores and eatery at the boundary of town .
But then , in 2009 , the runway line was converted into theSwamp Rabbit Trail , a multi - use pathway along the Reedy River . The trail opened in stage , but the first section was a 9 - mile greenway that plug in Greenville and Travelers Rest . It now consists of a 28 - mile ( and farm ) net of lead that give out through downtown Greenville and Falls Park with its 28 - base instinctive waterfall , while tie to the 400 - acre Conestee Nature Preserve .
Swamp Rabbit Trail|Courtesy Discover South Carolina
The trail has had a monumental encroachment on the local saving , with shops and restaurants near the trail report up to an85 percentage increase in revenue . “ The first class that the trail was open they had about 15,000 multitude [ who ] used it , ” aver Tim Todd , Director of Discover Upcountry Carolina . “ Now it ’s about half a million people a twelvemonth . ”
The trail ’s popularity combined with the boom of neighboring Greenville spur the revitalization of business district Travelers Rest . Today , it ’s home to the coffee tree - workshop - creperie comboTandem , Swamp Rabbit Brewery , andCharlie ’s Southern Rustiques , a little old-hat depot set in a vintage Sinclair petrol station . Local restaurateurs from surrounding towns are open outposts in Travelers Rest , too , include Greenville - basedChicora Alleyand Community Tap .
One downtown store that ’s been there since before the trail isSunrift Adventures , the oldest out-of-door paraphernalia store in South Carolina . They ’ve been serve outdoor enthusiasts who come through on their way to the surrounding state parks , rivers and lake since 1980 . It now has a thriving bike letting occupation thanks to the trail as well .
Coffee shop and creperie Tandem.|Courtesy Discover South Carolina
While the paved , mostly - monotonous Swamp Rabbit Trail attracts casual cyclists and jogger , Travelers Rest is a goal for another kind of cycling enthusiast , too . About 10 miles northwards of downtown is the Tuscan - inspiredHotel Domestique , a 13 - elbow room boutique hotel start by George Hincapie , a racing cyclist who was adomestique — or sustenance passenger — for Lance Armstrong . Hincapie had train in the Blue Ridge Mountains to train for the Tour de France . Naturally then , Hotel Domestique pull many tough - core cyclists with their direct rides , Ventum bike rentals and in - house wheel auto-mechanic .
Hincapie also hired James Beard semifinalist Adam Cooke to be the chef at Hotel Domestique in 2013 , and Cooke has stayed in the area ever since — he now serves up farm - to - board cookery at the nearbyTopsoil Restaurant , which he own and operates with his clientele partner , Wendy Lynam . “ When I first moved here to aid launch the hotel , most of [ downtown ] was jolly vacant , ” Cooke says . “ I remember marvel why . It ’s such a cute little town and a great location . Then , over the last 10 years , the town and surrounding sphere have raise like gaga . ”
As for Topsoil , he tells me , “ It was always a dream to do something a little chip smaller . We open this restaurant with a big stress on our own life-style and our own piece of work - life balance . ”
Charlie’s Southern Rustiques|Courtesy Discover South Carolina
Topsoil gets a lot of brunch traffic from Swamp Rabbit Trail drug user , especially bicyclist who razz their bikes in and take hold of something to consume before riding back to Greenville . The restaurant ’s report also draw foodies from Asheville , Atlanta and beyond . Despite all the acclaim , though , Cooke still stick genuine to his nidus on oeuvre - lifespan counterpoise . He keeps Topsoil open only for four twenty-four hour period a week . He spends one of the other days visiting local farms , and the other two riding bicycle or skateboards with his kids on the Swamp Rabbit Trail .
The success of the lead , which is guess to generate $ 6.7 million in touristry revenue annually , now has people following it in other ways . Namely , in 2015 , the Doodle Trail opened , tie in the South Carolina cities of Pickens and Easley . Meanwhile , the Ecusta Trail is currently being proposed in North Carolina on another unused railway line cart track that connects Hendersonville and Brevard .
But no matter where these trails go , you ca n’t say that they do n’t still take back to the Swamp Rabbit Trail , the very reason why Travelers Rest is back on the map .
The trail goes by the back of Topsoil Restaurant.|Photo by Fiona Chandra
Swamp Rabbit Trail|Courtesy Discover South Carolina
