Travelers Rest, SC

Set right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Travelers Rest sits about ten miles north of downtown Greenville. Known locally as TR, this town of roughly 8,000 residents gives you a laid-back, outdoorsy lifestyle within an easy drive of the city. It originated as a resting stop for travelers heading up into the mountains, and today it remains a convenient base for exploring both the Upstate and the nearby North Carolina border.

ATTRUpstateherd / CC BY-SA 4.0

The town's active lifestyle centers around the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a paved multi-use path running right through Main Street that connects cyclists and walkers all the way to Greenville. Downtown TR is packed with locally owned restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and Trailblazer Park, where neighbors gather for farmers markets and summer concerts. With Furman University right down the road and mountain parks nearby, it offers a welcoming, small-town atmosphere for anyone looking to put down roots.