The community is invited to attend the Ribbon cutting Ceremony for the new Loop Trail, the official beginning of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail (SRT) in Laurens County, on Thursday, June 8 at 4 PM.
Hosted by the Laurens County Trails Association (LCTA) and the Chamber of Commerce, the awaited ribbon cutting, and initial trail walk will take place at 281 Professional Park Road beside the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce under the white tent. Following a brief program and official cutting of the ribbon, attendees are invited for light refreshments and to take part in the initial and historic Trail Walk together.
The event is a family affair. Attendees are encouraged to dress in casual attire, comfortable shoes and walk the trail together. The larger the crowd, the better. Plan on walking a portion or all the trail led by members of the Trails Association’s Board of Directors.
The Laurens County Trails Association’s two-mile trail is one of 16 projects funded through the county’s Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) referendum approved by voters in the November 2020 election.
“Voters’ 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 ribbon cutting possible,” Bud Marchant, executive 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 cut the ribbon on June 8.”
This is a perfect example of what County residents can do, Andy Howard, director of Laurens County Parks and Recreation added.
“My department was committed to seeing this project 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, Prisma Health has also provided funding to keep the dream alive and naming rights for the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail.
The Loop Trail offers visitors, including biking, walking, and running enthusiasts, with a unique adventure through wooded and open land on an asphalted trail meeting standards set by the 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, Fountain Inn and eventually Laurens County will be joined together by the nationally recognized trail.
“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 and communities throughout the county plan to push forward four to five miles in each direction offering our citizens and visitors a unique outdoor experience and an economic development driver that will benefit Laurens County.”
Mark your calendar and join this historical opening of The Loop Trail on Thursday, June 8, at 4 PM.
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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:
The 12-member Board of Directors made the decision, following the completion of the LCTA’s Master Pan in 2019, to create a strategic plan with the focus on the development of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail through Laurens County.
