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Saluda Shoals Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,542 Google reviews · Running trail in Columbia, South Carolina · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Saluda Shoals Park'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.
400-acre park featuring a river observation deck, boat launches, picnic shelters & multi-use trails.
What runners say about Saluda Shoals Park
“People we're starting to destroy the area and for just one group of people we could not keep it clean.”
“Lower Scenic Saluda river is a special stretch of trout water right in the heart of the midlands.”
“The large inclusive playground was very busy and not enough shade so we moved along to the smaller one near the entrance.”
Great park, well-maintained, friendly staff. There's lot to do. We biked the paved trails and kayaked from the upper landing to the lower. If you take your time and explore the creek that goes into the park, it's about an hour and a half of paddling. The playground is amazing - large and spread out with ample parking.
Awesome park! Easy to get to, clean, and the playground was great for kids (we had ages 18 mo to 5 yrs). Plenty of shade too. One thing, when you go in, an inital sign for directions to the splash pad and park would be helpful. You'll go to the right and down that road over a mile...
We came for the holiday lights and I was highly impressed with the level of service, the efficiency of operations and the level of detail put into the experience. We brought the dog, walked the trail, had s'more and hot chocolate. It was busy bet never felt overcrowded. I look forward to next year.
Great place to spend the day. They have parks, trails, tubing, splash pad, picnic areas, and more. Love it there.
Trail conditions & character
“Lower Scenic Saluda river is a special stretch of trout water right in the heart of the midlands.”
“We came for the holiday lights and I was highly impressed with the level of service, the efficiency of operations and the level of detail put into the experience.”
“The large inclusive playground was very busy and not enough shade so we moved along to the smaller one near the entrance.”
“We biked the paved trails and kayaked from the upper landing to the lower.”
“We came for the holiday lights and I was highly impressed with the level of service, the efficiency of operations and the level of detail put into the experience.”
“Noticed an educational center, a dog park, and plenty of bike riders.”
“The playground is amazing - large and spread out with ample parking.”
Plan your run at Saluda Shoals Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websiteicrc.net
- Phone+1 803-772-1228
Hours
| Monday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Tuesday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Friday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Saturday | 7 am–8 pm |
| Sunday | 7 am–8 pm |
Running trails near Columbia
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