What does the future of northern Spartanburg County look like? Outdoor tourism.

A transformative outdoor recreation project planned for the northern part of Spartanburg County is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy, the coalition spearheading the 31-mile trail corridor project composed of nonprofits Play. Advocate. Live Well (PAL), Conserving Carolina, and Upstate Forever announced Monday that the property for the Saluda Grade Rail Trail is officially under contract with Norfolk Southern.

The announcement was made via press release and later in person during a mayoral forum in Campobello, hosted by OneSpartanburg Inc.

“So that means, for us, that the clock is ticking. We have 12 months to get this land purchased,” PAL Executive Director Laura Ringo said at the meeting, which brought together the mayors and councils of the three northernmost towns and cities in Spartanburg County, Inman, Campobello, and Landrum.

Additionally, the trail coalition recently received a $450,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“That's going to let us do some things that are really technical, but really important for us to meet this 12-month deadline. We're going to survey the property, so we’ll know exactly what we're buying. We're going to know where the property lines are,” Ringo said. “We’re going to do some title work. We’re going to look at doing an environmental assessment; we’re going to put together a regional marketing plan.”

The proposed trail corridor would pass through three towns in South Carolina and North Carolina, starting in Inman and traveling through Campobello, Landrum, Tryon, NC, and Saluda, NC before ending in Zirconia, NC. The trail was first announced in 2022 and is anticipated to be connected to Spartanburg’s city-wide trail system , The Dan, once both are complete.

Ringo said the public will have the chance to learn more about the project and hear the results of the coalition’s year-long engineering and economic feasibility study during a meeting at Gramling United Methodist Church (14941 Asheville Hwy) at 6 p.m. on Aug. 13.

While the project has been compared to that of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville County, OneSpartanburg Inc. President and CEO Allen Smith argues that the Saluda Grade Rail Trail could possibly have a greater and faster seen economic impact. He also noted the potential for it to connect with the Ecusta Trail , a 19.4 mile rail trail that will connect Hendersonville and Brevard when complete.

“I think it's an okay comparison, but the fact is, it's going to be longer (than the Swamp Rabbit Trail) when it ties into the Ecusta Trail,” Smith said. “It has a multi-state footprint, and I would say some of the municipalities that it's going to pass through are further along in their development than those municipalities were when they passed through in Greenville. I think some of the municipalities here are probably better suited to recognize and really take full advantage of the growth.”

Development looks different

For local economic leaders, the Saluda Grade Rail Trail is an important part of creating opportunities for a different kind of development in the northern part of the county.

Larger industrial projects tend to gravitate to the southern part of the county, where the land is flatter and it’s easier to build “white roof projects” like large manufacturing or distribution sites, but OneSpartanburg Inc.’s Vice President of Industrial Development Kyle Sox said the northern part of the county offers a chance for the county to diversify the types of businesses coming to Spartanburg.

For towns like Campobello, Inman, and Landrum, future economic development could involve bringing in smaller specialty companies that fit the culture of the area, like TIME Bicycles and Munich Composites SC, which together will manufacture carbon fiber bikes along the future trail , housing developments, and outdoor tourism.

“What we see up in this part of the county, we’re seeing new industries and technology-driven industries,” Sox said. “In my opinion, those are the kinds of companies where you’re going to have high-end, technology-driven employment, you’re going to have solid investment, and they’re a good cultural fit with the outdoor economy that certainly feels like it’s on its way here.”

Part of marketing that outdoor economy will likely include marking the towns along it, according to Ringo.

“We're starting on our team to study something called trail towns,” Ringo said. “Trail towns are destinations along long-distance trails. They're not standalone but are linked by the trail corridor. So a couple of strategies, as we think about marketing is enticing trail users to get off the trail, go into the town, spend money, [and] recruiting new businesses and expanding existing ones to fill gaps in services for trail users to promote the trail-friendly character of the town.”

The strategy and the trail could make the towns along the trail into tourist destinations. However, Campobello Mayor Jason Shamis, Inman Mayor Cornelius Huff, and Landrum Mayor Bob Briggs emphasized that the potential would lead to collaboration — not competition.

“It's going to be an outstanding opportunity for our communities to boost together,” Huff said. “That's why we are coming together. So that when it hits, we're prepared for everything that comes with it. It's gonna be a lot.”

Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: What does the future of northern Spartanburg County look like? Outdoor tourism.