It’s been talked about for years, ever since the last train used the tracks in 2001. Now, planning is at last underway for the Saluda Grade Trail, one of many rail-to-trail projects that aim to turn abandoned railroad lines into walking and biking routes.
Part of the planning happened inside the cavernous Farmer’s Market in Landrum, South Carolina on a recent evening. Dozens of people turned out to learn more about the project. Some were examining poster boards showing the future path of the 31.5-mile trail. Others were peppering volunteers and consultants with questions.
Manning one of the tables were 12-year-old Luna Chappell and her nine-year-old sister. They were there to help their dad, who’s one of the lead consultants on the planning project. In front of them were five baskets with each labels like “nature and scenic value,” “downtown development” and “safe and accessible trails.”
Everyone who came to the table was given three dollars of play money to “invest” in one or several of the baskets.
“So, I think this is really creative, because it gives a lot of ownership and makes you really think about what you think that you would like most of the money to go to,” Luna Chappell said.
The community engagement event marked the latest step forward for the Saluda Grade Trail, which would run from Inman, South Carolina, to Zirconia, North Carolina. The project is being spearheaded by three nonprofits: Conserving Carolina on the North Carolina side, and PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well and Upstate Forever on the South Carolina side.
Last year, the groups presented the results of a year-long feasibility study of the trail. Then, in June, the nonprofits announced that they had purchased the rail corridor from Norfolk Southern for $28.5 million dollars. The purchase was funded mainly by the state legislatures of North and South Carolina and a grant from the South Carolina Conservation Bank.
‘A big, big milestone’
Kieran Roe, executive director of Conserving Carolina, told BPR the land purchase was a huge victory after years of negotiations with the rail company.
“That was a big, big milestone,” Roe said. “From that point forward, the corridor is in local community hands. We have the chance now to do the kind of planning we're doing in this room here, to say, ‘How do we use this asset to be of greatest benefit to our local communities?’”
Some of the decisions the project’s leaders will have to make include the surface for different parts of the trail, the types of activities it will support and how it can spur economic development in the towns it passes through.
The rail corridor traverses the Blue Ridge Escarpment and, when it was still in operation, it was famous for being the steepest standard-gauge railroad in the country.
Many parts are now overgrown, and Hurricane Helene caused significant damage in the stretch between Tryon and Saluda. A state highway in the area still hasn’t reopened more than a year after the storm.
“That whole area got hit really hard,” Roe said. “And there are some places where the land under the rail corridor washed away, culverts got blown out. It is a gigantic mess down there.”
The damage will increase the cost and timeline for construction in that area. Even so, Roe said he’s hopeful that federal grants will come through and that the nonprofits will have a design for the Tryon and Saluda portions of the trail completed in the next few years. He noted that Norfolk Southern reduced the sale price of the land as a result of the hurricane damage.
On the South Carolina side, the design phase is moving along more quickly because Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) was able to secure an additional $6 million in federal funding.
Preserving history while moving forward
The construction of the trail isn’t without concerns.
At recent listening sessions, some residents have raised questions about the impact the trail will have on their private property. Others, like Ellie Varn, are worried about preserving some sensitive archeological sites along the Saluda Grade.
“I've been researching the incarcerated laborers that built the railroad back in the 1880s,” Varn told BPR. “And so, I'm hoping that there will be some extra provisions made to, in the construction, be aware and sensitive to the potential archaeological sites that might get disturbed.”
At the Landrum event, Tryon residents Bill Crowell and April Sprinkle said they’re excited about the trail — even though it’s a topic that’s been around for decades.
“Tryon’s been talking about this since the day the railroad quit running,” Crowell said.
“We just hope that it’s up and running while we can still ride a bicycle,” Sprinkle added with a laugh. “We don’t need an e-bike to do the trail. So, that’s our hope.”
Now that the nonprofits own the land, they will still need to raise millions more to fund the construction of the trail in the hope that residents like Sprinkle and Crowell can enjoy the trail sooner rather than later.
The next listening session is scheduled for April 23, 2026 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Polk County High School in Columbus, N.C.
