The Saluda Grade Rail Trail

Initial phase & Purchase

The trail purchase was spearheaded by a coalition of three nonprofits, which formed the Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy: Conserving Carolina; PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well; and Upstate Forever. Longtime UF Board member and co-founder of the Foothills Trail, Glenn Hilliard, led efforts to launch this mammoth project and served as the chair of the Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy.

Purchasing the corridor from Norfolk Southern cost $28.5 million dollars and was primarily funded by allocations from the states of North and South Carolina, as well as a grant from the South Carolina Conservation Bank. The Spartanburg County delegation with support from Representative Bruce Bannister and former Representative Max Hyde helped secure SC state funding for the purchase. The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy officially purchased the corridor in the summer of 2025.

The coalition also commissioned an in-depth, year-long engineering and economic impact study on the proposed Saluda Grade Trail to act as a roadmap for implementation before the design phase. Conducted by TPD, Inc., the study included site visits, economic analysis, and community outreach. Through public meetings, key stakeholder meetings and an online survey, residents had opportunities to share how they planed to use the multi-use trail, features they'd like to see along it, and any concerns. The coalition will continue to gather public input as the project moves forward.

Upstate Forever is proud to have played an important role in the coalition during the first phase of engaging elected officials, raising acquisition funds, and securing land for the trail. As the design and construction phase begins, we are no longer official members of the coalition, but remain tremendously excited about the trail, and supportive of our friends at PAL and Conserving Carolina. With decades of trail-building expertise and experience between the two organizations, they are the ideal powerhouse team to take this project through its next stages.