Local breweries
Swamp Rabbit Brewery has poured house-made beer just off the trail since 2014, with spots like The Tasting Room of TR rounding out a small but lively scene.
The area we call home
Why Travelers Rest, SC
A small Upstate town with a big draw: the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a walkable Main Street, and a front row seat to the Blue Ridge foothills, all minutes from Greenville. Here is what makes it one of the most sought after places to live in the region.
A quick history
From a railroad stop to an Upstate favorite
Travelers Rest earned its name long before it was a town, back when it was a resting point for travelers heading into and out of the mountains. The community was incorporated in 1891, and the rail line later nicknamed the “Swamp Rabbit” helped shape the town that grew up around it.
Mills and manufacturing arrived through the 20th century, but the modern story of Travelers Rest is its reinvention: that old rail corridor became the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and a quiet Main Street became one of the most charming downtowns in the Upstate.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail & the outdoors
A 20-mile greenway through the front yard
The Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is a paved, roughly 20-mile multi-use path that connects Greenville to Travelers Rest, passing through Falls Park and the Furman University campus along the way. In Travelers Rest you can step on at Trailblazer Park, ride or walk to coffee and lunch downtown, and be back home without ever touching a highway. Beyond the trail, the Blue Ridge foothills, state parks, and waterfalls are a short drive north.
Food, breweries & downtown
A Main Street worth lingering on
Independent dining
Main Street eats well above its size: crepes and coffee at Tandem, wood-fired pies and homemade ice cream at Sidewall Pizza, bakery fare at Upcountry Provisions, and farm-driven dinners at Topsoil.
The farmers market
The TR Farmers Market at Trailblazer Park is a Saturday ritual through the season, right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail with live music and mountain views.
Up the mountain
Gateway to the Blue Ridge
Travelers Rest sits right where the Upstate meets the mountains. Head up Highway 276 through Marietta and the foothills open into state parks, waterfalls, and trails, most of them within a half hour of your front door.
Paris Mountain State Park
Minutes from downtown, with a swimming lake, mountain biking, and miles of wooded hiking trails.
Caesars Head & Raven Cliff Falls
Up Highway 276, dramatic overlooks and Raven Cliff Falls, the tallest waterfall in South Carolina at over 400 feet.
Jones Gap State Park
Trails along the Middle Saluda River through the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, a short drive north of town.
Table Rock State Park
A classic Upstate summit hike and a quiet mountain lake, an easy day trip from Travelers Rest.
A growing place to live
One of the Upstate’s fastest-growing towns
Travelers Rest’s population grew roughly 70% between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, one of the steepest climbs in Greenville County. People come for the trail and the downtown, then stay for the schools, the Furman University presence, and the easy reach of both Greenville and the mountains.
That growth is exactly why we build and rent new homes here. If you want to be part of it, our home models are a good place to start.
Good to know
Questions about Travelers Rest
- Where is Travelers Rest, SC?
- Travelers Rest sits in northern Greenville County, just north of the city of Greenville at the foot of the Blue Ridge foothills. It is a short drive from downtown Greenville and a popular gateway toward the mountains.
- Is Travelers Rest a good place to live?
- It is one of the fastest-growing towns in the Upstate. Its population grew roughly 70% between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, drawn by the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a walkable downtown, Furman University, and easy access to Greenville and the mountains. USA Today has named it one of the best small towns in the South.
- What is the Swamp Rabbit Trail?
- The Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is a paved, roughly 20-mile multi-use greenway that runs from Greenville, through the Furman University campus, into Travelers Rest. It is one of the biggest reasons people walk, bike, and put down roots here.
- What is there to do in Travelers Rest?
- Plenty for a town this size. You can bike or walk the Swamp Rabbit Trail, grab a beer at Swamp Rabbit Brewery, eat your way down Main Street from Tandem Creperie to Sidewall Pizza and Topsoil, shop the local boutiques, and catch live music at Trailblazer Park. Just up Highway 276 you reach Paris Mountain State Park, Caesars Head, and Raven Cliff Falls, the tallest waterfall in South Carolina.
Make it home
Live in Travelers Rest with Village West
New construction rental homes minutes from the trail and downtown, or book the furnished Airbnb at 2 Solis Court to try the town first.