Search Results

Rolling farmlands, mature forests, and the historic town of Glenn Springs highlight the Glenn Springs Passage. In the 19th century, Glenn Springs was known for the health benefits of its mineral waters. Now listed in the National Register, the historic district includes 20 historic buildings from about 1840 to 1940 and the site of a popular resort hotel.

Starting from either trailhead, this section of the Palmetto Trail is flat, easy hiking or riding mostly on a wide dike system that provides a beautiful view of the lake.

Capital City Passage, the first urban passage on the Palmetto Trail, features South Carolina’s largest city and seat of state government. The passage follows city sidewalks through beautiful neighborhoods, past city parks and schools, along the historic Horseshoe and across the steps of the State Capitol.

The Newberry Passage, which opened in 2019, runs through an 18th-century cemetery, down the city’s Main Street, and through the Newberry College campus, passing by historic homes, the Newberry Opera House, and the city’s old courthouse. 

This moderately difficult section of the Palmetto Trail connects the Lake Moultrie Passage at the Diversion Canal and the Eutaw Springs Passage at Eutawville. You will hike/ride over open grass covered fields, through dense hardwood forests, and on shady sand covered roads at times within sight of Lake Marion.

Lake Marion Passage skirts along the high-water mark of the lake’s north side between Santee, SC, and Mill Creek County Park. Trail users are rewarded with magnificent vistas of the upper coastal plain and opportunities to spot abundant wildlife and colorful flora, especially in the spring rainy season.

The Peak to Prosperity Passage proceeds west from the Alston trailhead in Fairfield County across the impressive Broad River trestle. The view from the 1,100-foot-long bridge is spectacular, especially when bald eagles soar. Across the river in Newberry County, the rail-trail skirts Peak and cuts an easy swath through piedmont forest to Pomaria and Prosperity.

This passage joins the Braille Trail, located on the campus of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, and is designed to meet the needs of their students. Cedar Springs then meets up with the Hub City Connector.

Oconee Passage begins in Oconee State Park and ends at Oconee Station State Historical Site, a backcountry military garrison and trading post from the 1790s. From the park, the passage follows a scenic roadbed that pinches into a path along the mountain ridgeline.

This round-trip hike of approximately 5.9 miles begins and ends at the Sassafras Mountain parking area. The bonus of this trip is the short walk to the new observation deck atop Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in SC, which affords magnificent views of the surrounding area.