Falls Park on the Reedy and Swamp Rabbit Trail

The abundant flow of Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina has been used to power mills since the 1760s. The first was a grist mill followed by an ironworks, coach factory, a sawmill, a paper factory, an armory, and textile mills. By the early 1900s there were eight textile mills operating along the Reedy River. These mills used the river to wash away their wastewater  and excess dye. That practice along with  discharging residential sewer water directly into rivers means historically the Reedy is the most polluted river in South Carolina. 

It's not a good idea to wade in the water or eat the fish but Falls Park, created in the early 2000s after years of lobbying by the local garden club, is a beautiful place with a unique suspension bridge over the falls and trails along the river. Swamp Rabbit is the main trail and provides access to the zoo, parks, hotels, restaurant, shops, and cultural activities. 

We walked/rolled along Swamp Rabbit Trail from Cleveland Park to Falls Park, a distance of about a mile and a half one way.  Along the way we stopped at the Anderson Memorial Airplane to read the signs, the Cancer Survivors Park to walk/roll on the short trail, and the Garden Club trail to walk/roll to a small waterfall. The Swamp Water Trail is paved but there are some very steep sections especially the section that climbs to the bridge. Most wheelchair users will need assistance. Small side trails at Falls Park may be steep or have steps. The total length of Swamp Rabbit Trail is about 28 miles with spurs and including a disconnected section. If we revisit Greenville we'll check out the other areas that the trail travels through. 

The parking lots at Cleveland Park are large enough for any RV. Parking at the Unity Park lots to the north of Falls Park will allow wheelchair users to avoid steep sections of the trail because it's at the same elevation as the fall's bridge. Falls  34.84591, -82.38735