Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Loop Trail Set for June 3

May 30, 2022

The community is invited to attend the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Loop Trail, the official beginning of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail (SRT) in Laurens County, this Friday, June 3 at 11:30 AM.

The groundbreaking program and reception will take place at the new trail site at 291 Professional Park Road beside the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce under the white tent. Following a brief program and turning of the dirt, attendees are invited to a reception held inside the Chamber of Commerce office.

The Laurens County Trails Association’s two-mile trail is the first of 16 projects funded through the county’s Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) referendum approved by voters in the November 2020 election.

“Voter’s approval of the penny sales tax referendum in the last election was the push we needed to move the Loop Trail forward and make this groundbreaking  possible,” Bud Marchant, director of Laurens County Trails Association said. “Our trails association and community credit the vision and insight of Laurens County Council and the Capital Project Sales Tax Commission for making funding possible to turn the dirt on Friday.”

This is a perfect example of what County residents can do, Andy Howard, director of Laurens County Parks and Recreation added.

“My department is committed to seeing this project is completed within budget and to the expectations of the taxpayers,” Howard said. “This trail will lead to great things in the county for many years to come.”

In addition to the $300,000 project total awarded through the CPST, Prisma Health has also provided funding to keep the dream alive.

The Loop Trail will offer visitors, including biking, walking, and running enthusiasts, with a unique venture through wooded and open land on an asphalted trail meeting standards set by the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, the Upstate’s 22-mile trail system linking cities and communities together from Travelers Rest through Greenville. The cities and towns of Mauldin, Simpsonville, and Fountain Inn and eventually Laurens County together.

“The Loop Trail is also the start line of linking the communities of Laurens and Clinton together,” Jamie Adair, LCTA Board of Directors and Executive Committee member said.

“The Trails Association plans to push forward four to five miles in each direction offering our county a unique outdoor experience and an economic development driver that can benefit our communities.”

Mark your calendar and join this historical beginning of The Loop Trail this Friday, June 3, at 11:30 AM.

Contact:
For more information, please contact Jamie Adair, Laurens County Trails Association (864-684-3026) or[email protected].

About Laurens County Trails Association:

LCTA, created in 2013, is grassroots, independent, volunteer, and citizen-led non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) corporation. The organization’s mission is to provide leadership, organization, and collaboration to plan and implement trails that:

  1. Promote healthy lifestyles
  2. Encourage land and nature conservation and
  3. Stimulate economic development.

The 12-member Board of Directors made the decision, following the completion of the LCTA’s Master Pan in 2018, to create a strategic plan with the focus on the development of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail through Laurens County.

Following that decision, the board held Countywide open public meetings with attendees providing input and suggestions on old trails, open spaces, waterways, rights of way, etc. In addition, paper and online surveys probed community interest in, and preferred use of, outdoor recreation.Gr

Combined survey results showed strong community support with 92% of respondents in favor of the development of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in Laurens County. Survey participants said:

  • Primary use would be walking, hiking, biking, running, enjoying quiet time, and observing nature.
  • The health attributes would be tremendous.
  • And the Trail could be a key driver for economic development as proved true in Greenville County. Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville County which has been credited with improving the health of county citizens and improving the economic viability of places like Travelers Rest, SC.

From this point in the past until the present, the unanimous decision by the Board made the development of trail in Laurens County the LCTA’s top priority.