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Alston Trailhead - Palmetto Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 349 Google reviews · Running trail in Little Mountain, South Carolina · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 20 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Alston Trailhead - Palmetto Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Scenic woodland walking & biking trail, featuring campsites along the way.
What runners say about Alston Trailhead - Palmetto Trail
“(You will see a gate on the right, which threw me off for a second) 😉 The trail starts off on a wooden bridge, which gives a beautiful view of the river.”
“Trail is flat but a little rough with small stones, mostly shaded.”
“My first time visiting and the trail is very serene and peaceful.”
This is one of the prettiest, flattest trails in the area. The trail is technically 10 miles long (which makes it a 20 mile, out and back trail). But you can walk to wherever your hearts desire and turn around. I tend to take my dogs out there. The trail is wide enough to have several people walking side by side.
Nice mix of surfaces (wood bridges, pine straw, gravel, sand, and a little pavement). Paths are wide enough for runners and bikers to share. Mostly shaded with some sunny areas and occasional wildlife. Longer runs do involve crossing paved roads, but the first one isn't until three and a half miles.
We had a blast on the hike. The views were incredible and it was so peaceful. We only walked a couple miles but we are already planning on coming back to hike the whole thing. Next time we will start early so we can take our time and enjoy all the scenery.
I went here about 8 years ago and loved the views from the old train track bridge. I was a little worried after reading the reviews that the bridge wasn’t going to be in the best shape, but to my surprise- it was everything I remembered it to be and more! 😁 There was some work being done to the area below the bridge.
Trail conditions & character
“We started at trailhead and walked over the river bridge to peak and then then to the creek which his a built up area but has stairs and back and it was over 2 miles.”
“(You will see a gate on the right, which threw me off for a second) 😉 The trail starts off on a wooden bridge, which gives a beautiful view of the river.”
“Trail is flat but a little rough with small stones, mostly shaded.”
“I'm hoping with the new construction project they put in some restroom facilities but I did not locate any on this part of the trail.”
“The trail is technically 10 miles long (which makes it a 20 mile, out and back trail).”
“Longer runs do involve crossing paved roads, but the first one isn't until three and a half miles.”
“Trail is flat but a little rough with small stones, mostly shaded.”
“My first time visiting and the trail is very serene and peaceful.”
Plan your run at Alston Trailhead - Palmetto Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance20 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitepalmettotrail.org
- Phone+1 803-904-6515
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
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