Somewhere to go on a Friday
A brewery and a wine bar within a couple of blocks of each other, both a short walk off the trail. Enough that an evening out does not mean driving into Greenville and finding parking.
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.
Read our guide to riding the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Travelers Rest, with parking, distances, bike rentals, and what is open along the way.
See our local guide to things to do in Travelers Rest, from the Beyond the Burrow rabbits to the farmers market and the state parks up the road.
Your Main Street
What is a walk from home
Dinner without a reservation
Main Street eats well above its size, from wood-fired pizza to farm-driven dinners, and most of it is independent rather than a chain. It is the part of living here that surprises people most.
Saturday mornings
The farmers market runs at Trailblazer Park through the season, right on the trail, with a lawn built for standing around. For a lot of households here it is the default weekend plan.
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. The closest is Paris Mountain, about 7.3 miles out toward Greenville rather than up 276, and we wrote a full guide to Paris Mountain State Park covering every trail, the fees, and the Saturday biking rule.
Paris Mountain State Park
About 7.3 miles by the short route, and the one you can use on a weeknight. 1,700 acres, four lakes, a summer swimming area and a mountain biking trail system.
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, per the U.S. Census Bureau, 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 same annexation of Furman is why the town’s census figures read the way they do, which we break down in our renter’s guide to whether Travelers Rest is a good place to live. If you are weighing this town against the city, we also compare Travelers Rest and Greenville for renters, and Furman staff can read what it is like renting a home near Furman University.
That growth is exactly why we build and rent 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.
- Why is Travelers Rest growing so fast?
- 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.
- Do you have to drive into Greenville for everything?
- No. Travelers Rest has its own grocery stores, including a Walmart Supercenter, a Food Lion and an Ingles, plus restaurants, a brewery and the farmers market, and downtown sits directly on the Swamp Rabbit Trail rather than a drive away from it. You will still go into Greenville for a wider selection and for the airport, but day to day living does not require it.
Make it home
Live in Travelers Rest with Village West
Rental homes minutes from the trail and downtown, or book the furnished Airbnb at 2 Solis Court to try the town first.