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Running trails in Spartanburg, SC
Spartanburg has 16 trails in the directory — 5 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 6 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 14 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 7,490 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Cleveland Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,514 reviews
Lakeside park with fishing, an amphitheater & a promenade on the water, plus rental facilities.
Croft State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,901 reviews
This 7,000-acre park boasts 12 miles of hiking & horse trails, 2 lakes & an equestrian center.
Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,825 reviews
Serene public botanical gardens featuring mature trees & conifers, butterflies & a walking trail.
Cottonwood Trail in South Carolina
4.7 ★★★★★ 425 reviews
Riverfront trails for walking, hiking, biking and running; also dog-friendly.
Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 371 reviews
115-acre urban preserve featuring over 5 mi. of wooded trails, wetlands & a variety of wildlife.
River Birch Trail & Wildflower Way
4.7 ★★★★★ 111 reviews
Concrete, shaded and scenic trail for walking, hiking and biking near a river.
Southside Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 59 reviews
Mountain biking and hiking trails are offered at this state park.
Pacolet River Heritage Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 59 reviews
Peaceful park featuring a hiking trail and ruins.
The Rail Yard
4.7 ★★★★★ 42 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring picnic tables, a trail, and exercise equipment.
Glendale Nature Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 17 reviews
Cottonwood North Trail Head
4.6 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Butterfly Branch Greenway
3.2 ★★★☆☆ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Spartanburg
- Match the surface to your legs. Spartanburg gives you a choice: 5 paved, 2 natural surface, and 1 mixed. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Spartanburg is Southside Park at 8 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Spartanburg is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 14 of the 16 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 7 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Spartanburg. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 6 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 4 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 4 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Spartanburg trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Spartanburg
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.