Palmetto Trail: Peak To Prosperity Passage (Alston/Peak Trailheads), SC

The Palmetto Trail was established in 1994 by Palmetto Conservation. The non-profit organization’s goal is to provide 500 miles of trails for hiking or biking across the state of South Carolina from mountain to sea. At this writing 380 miles have been completed. The Peak To Prosperity section is a beautiful passage located in Fairfield County, SC. It is quite scenic especially around the Alston Trailhead as you cross over the Broad River on an 1,100 ft bridge with expansive views of the river. The trail follows an old railroad track for 10.7 miles to Pomaria and Prosperity, SC. I have hiked it a few times, it is easy with minimal elevation increase, many choose to bike it. The photos below are from a July, 2024 hike with friends from our Midlands Women Hikers group . On this particular hike, we parked in the parking area across from the US Post Office in the town of Peak, SC. We first headed East (to the right) toward the Alston trailhead in order to walk across the bridge. We then turned around and hiked west, a little over 2 miles before returning.

The Palmetto Conservation web site offers interactive maps for all their passages that can be downloaded and used without an internet connection. Make sure to check the web page of the passage of interest for the latest updates. The Palmetto Trail is estimated to need $20 million to finish. Visit their support page for ways to help connect the trail.

Reference Peak To Prosperity Passage, The Palmetto Trail Passages