Here's how two new Spartanburg trails, extensions will transform city, county recreation

PAL (Play, Advocate, Live Well) Spartanburg has been spreading trails throughout Spartanburg, and they aren't slowing down.

The organization opened the Hub City Hopper, the bike trail that runs from the Mary Black Rail Trail through downtown Spartanburg to Daniel Morgan Avenue, in December.

PAL will be celebrating the completion of the Beaumont Mill Village Pathway, Saturday, March 18, at 11 a.m. This completion marks two new additions in three months to the Daniel Morgan Trail System, also called "The Dan."

Earlier this week, PAL, along with the city's Parks and Recreation department, received a unanimous vote of support for their planned revitalization of Duncan Park at the last City Council meeting.

However, their most recent win is the agreement made between them, Conserving Carolina, and Upstate Forever with Norfolk Southern for the sale of the Saluda Grade Rail Line.

The acquisition of the rail line is expected to be complete in two years. In three to five years, the Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy, the name of the coalition of PAL, Conserving Carolina and Upstate Forever, will be able to bring a 31-mile long recreational rail trail to northern Spartanburg County and Western North Carolina.

While the exact sale price is part of the confidential agreement, PAL Director Laura Ringo said the state has already committed $5 million toward the acquisition. The PAL and Upstate Forever are advocating for an $11 million dollar investment from the state this year, and plan to fundraise for the remainder of the South Carolina half of acquisition price.

Conserving Carolina of Hendersonville, NC will be contributing the other half of the total acquisition costs.

However, the benefits of the trail will outweigh the costs, Ringo said.

"This is going to be transformational for the entire region of Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina," Ringo said. "It's going to have a tremendous impact on the economies of Inman, Campobello, Landrum, Tryon and Saluda, and it's going to be a great resource for health and recreation.

"We've done a preliminary economic impact study, and it shows that in the first year alone of the project, there will likely be at least 125,000 visitors who hopefully will stop and have lunch in one of the downtowns, potentially stop in the shops and spend their money in these communities."

The Saluda Grade Trail will run from the city of Inman through Campobello, Landrum, then across the NC border to Tryon, Saluda and Zirconia. The trail will feature rural scenery, historic landmarks, nature preserves, lakes and waterfalls. It may even be tied into The Dan in the future, Ringo said.

"Eventually, we hope that the Saluda Grade will connect into The Dan and that we'll get some people to come and stay in hotels and really build Spartanburg County as a major outdoor recreation destination," Ringo said.

Here are more details on PAL's big start to 2023:

Beaumont Mill Village Pathway to connect Adams Park to McCracken Middle School

Beaumont Mill Village Pathway features a paved walking trail and a bridge over Lawsons Fork Creek. The new, one-third mile trail starts in Beaumont Mill Village's Adams Park, crosses the river, and winds up the hill where it connects with the Upper Drayton Trail by The Lively, a new apartment complex across from Drayton Mill.

"The bridge is a great partnership that happened with Spartanburg Water," Ringo said. "When they installed the new sewer line, they agreed to put a pedestrian bridge on top, and we are so appreciative of that partnership."

The result of another partnership with Norfolk Southern can be seen on the other side of the bridge: a section of covered trail under the Norfolk Southern trestle.

"(It) took us about six years to get full approval from the railroad and then get through construction. It ties into the existing lower Drayton Trail and then ties into the Beaumont Mill Village," Ringo said. "It's a great way to connect these two mill village neighborhoods as well as the many apartments and other things that are happening. And the canopy allows us to go downstream to connect into the River Birch Trail."

Once that final connection is made, walkers on the pathway will able to take it from Adams Park all the way to McCracken Middle School and the Cottonwood Trail.

A makeover is planned for Spartanburg's Duncan Park

Duncan Park is an important connector on The Dan, acting as the meeting spot for The Mary Black Rail Trail and the planned Fairforest Creek Trail.

"It's a great facility that could have even more amenities included and it's the city's largest park, so it can be a major recreation destination," Ringo said. "Our hope is that the parks are really a major destination along the trails. So if you want to go out for a walk and stop for lunch or have family that wants to play, the parks and the trails are tied together and feel like a cohesive recreational opportunity."

Ringo said the next step, now that City Council approval has been obtained, is to conduct a survey of the park and render drawings for the desired changes, like the lakeside renovations. A Friends of Duncan Park committee will also be created to allow for a community voice throughout the renovations process. Residents interested in joining the committee can email info@palspartanburg.org.

A pilot program for lake programming is planned for the fall.

The Dan: A growing trail system and growing plan

The Dan will connect Spartanburg from west to east and out to several county parks. Four trails have been completed − the Upper and Lower Drayton trails, which were complete when the trail system was announced in 2019, the Hub City Hopper, completed in 2022, and the Beaumont Mill Village Pathway, completed this year.

The target size of the trail system has grown as well, from an initial 32 miles in 2019 to now 55 miles of connected trails, and a little more than 20 miles are complete so far. PAL hopes to have the majority of The Dan within the urban footprint completed by 2030.

A trail connection near Country Club Road, which will include a side path from the Mary Black Rail Trail to Glendale, is currently under construction. A connection from Glendale to Clifton is planned to begin construction next year.

The next trail to be completed is the River Birch Trail, which will connect the Upper and Lower Drayton Trails. Ringo said it is expected to open this summer.

"Our next big piece that we expect to open will be the River Birch Trail. Right now, (the segment) from McCracken Middle School to East Main Street is open, so the next phase is East Main Street up to (Beaumont Mill Village)," Ringo said. "So then you could park at Adams Park and you could get all the way up to the Spartanburg Regional campus at Mary Black or all the way to McCracken. And if you were to use the existing Cottonwood Trail, you could have some additional miles."

Samantha Swann covers food and restaurants in Spartanburg County. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her with your burning restaurant questions, recipes, and new dinner specials at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sameatsspartanburg. Can't get enough food news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for foodies, Spartanburg Eats.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: PAL celebrates trail growth, Saluda Grade sale, Duncan Park approval