Spartanburg, S.C. — (June 18, 2025) Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) and Spartanburg County Parks Department, along with local officials, state agencies, community leaders, and nature enthusiasts, today celebrated the grand opening of the Glendale Nature Park. Nestled in the heart of the historic Glendale community, just minutes from downtown Spartanburg, this beautiful 945-acre property is now the second largest publicly accessible greenspace in Spartanburg County. The park’s opening marks a significant milestone in the county’s commitment to conservation, environmental stewardship, outdoor recreation, and community well-being. 

The new park includes a trail system spanning over three miles of easy-to-moderate natural surface hiking trails with stunning views of Lawson’s Fork Creek, making it a perfect destination for families, students, and nature lovers of all ages. A new parking area and trailhead are accessible at 618 Lewis Chapel Road from dawn to dusk. The trail system is also accessible via the adjacent Glendale Shoals Nature Preserve at 135 Glendale Ave. Spartanburg County Parks will continue to build out their vision for the new park, make improvements, and add new amenities.

“As the Upstate continues to grow, protecting beautiful, undeveloped properties is critical to our community’s quality of life,” commented Sam Parrott, Executive Director, SPACE. “The Glendale Nature Park is the largest conservation acquisition in the history of Spartanburg County. SPACE’s staff and Board of Directors are endlessly thankful to all of our partners, extremely proud to have played a role in this monumental project, and excited for the public to experience and treasure this stunning property.”

The Spartanburg metro area remains among the fastest-growing in the US, ranking 10th in the nation for population growth between July 2023 and July 2024, according to data from the US Census Bureau. “As our county continues to experience unprecedented growth, we face a critical choice: expand without foresight or grow with purpose. I’m proud to have been a champion of this project and supporter of local conservation because it strikes that balance—protecting the natural landscapes that define our community while planning wisely for the future,” states Senator Shane Martin.

This project was made possible thanks to generous funding from the South Carolina Office of Resilience, South Carolina Conservation Bank, and Spartanburg County Council and with steadfast support from Senators Harvey Peeler and Shane Martin. The Park is now owned by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and, under a long-term lease agreement, Spartanburg County Parks Department will manage the property as a public greenspace. The park will be permanently protected from future development by a conservation easement held by SPACE. 

“We’re thrilled to see more trail access and greenspace coming to Spartanburg County with the opening of Glendale Nature Park,” states Duane Parris, Director, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. “This community asset will help connect locals and visitors to nature, improving the quality of life and adding to the long list of reasons to visit or relocate to the growing area.” 

Together with adjacent protected properties, the Glendale Nature Park is part of a contiguous 1,200-acre corridor of conserved land. “Protecting large connected landscapes, especially along rivers, is essential to ensuring ecological sustainability and climate resilience in South Carolina,” states Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer and agency head, SC Office of Resilience.

“The Glendale Nature Park checks all the boxes for a fantastic project - location, public recreation, habitat, and water quality,” remarks Raleigh West, director, South Carolina Conservation Bank. “We couldn’t be more excited to see this effort come together.” 

“The opening of Glendale Nature Park is a significant achievement for Spartanburg County in terms of both conservation and providing recreation amenities to residents” states Spartanburg County Council Chairman Manning Lynch. “I am excited about this new park, and I’m proud to play a small role in getting this across the finish line. This is a significant step in the right direction for Spartanburg County.”

"We are deeply grateful for our incredible community partners, dedicated staff, and board members whose unwavering support and collaboration have made this historic project at SPACE possible,” says Luke Allen, Board President, SPACE.  “It is an exciting time in Spartanburg. Together, we are shaping a future rooted in shared purpose, creativity, and lasting impact.”

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About Spartanburg Area Conservancy: The Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) is a 501(c)3 non-profit land trust in Spartanburg, SC whose mission is to preserve, protect, and promote natural resources and open spaces in Spartanburg County.  Established in 1989, SPACE has protected over 7,000 acres of natural lands in the Spartanburg area. Additionally, SPACE owns and manages publicly-accessible nature preserves, including Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve (home of the Cottonwood Trail), Glendale Shoals Nature Preserve, and Upper Chinquapin Greenway. Visit www.spartanburgconservation.org or email info@spartanburgconservation.org for more information.  

About SCOR: The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) is committed to enhancing the state's ability to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental changes and natural hazards by planning and coordinating statewide resilience, long-term disaster recovery, and hazard mitigation. In addition to serving 3,459 homes in our Disaster Recovery Program, SCOR has 81 active flood mitigation projects, including voluntary buyouts, stormwater infrastructure, and plans and studies, across the State. SCOR continues to implement and maintain the Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan, which provides a framework to guide investment in projects, programs, and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events.