Paris Mountain State Park another step closer to 270 acre expansion
On Tuesday, Greenville County Council approved a second reading for funding to approximately 146-acres, what’s officially called the Shiloh Ridge at Paris Mountain Project. Another approximately 124-acres of land to be transferred to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is owned by the Naturaland Trust.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Paris Mountain State Park is a 1,700 acre park that generates a lot of revenue for the county. It’s also doubled in visitors over the last few years which has resulted in a united front by conservationists, landowners and officials to expand it by 17-percent.
Gary Fain comes to park for mountain biking every other day.
“I do it quite often,” Fain said. “For my health and mentality.”
Just like a lot of other people who live and visit this part of the Upstate.
“It comes in waves. A busy weekend is pretty normal,” said Dan Neary, Paris Mountain State Park ranger. “The job of a ranger is a hard one to answer. We wear many hats.”
And behind the scenes are landowners, conservationists, government officials and others working to make an expansion happen. On Tuesday, Greenville County Council approved a second reading for funding to approximately 146-acres, what’s officially called the Shiloh Ridge at Paris Mountain Project.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to protect Shiloh Ridge to add approximately 146-acres to essentially the center of urban Greenville County to the state park,” said Carlton Owen, Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust chair.
Created in 2020, the trust is an arm of the Greenville County Government tasked to look for opportunities to preserve land. By budget ordnance, the trust also needs special authority from Greenville County Council to exceed a $200,000 amount on an individual project.
“It’s a matter of human health,” Owen said.
Another approximately 124-acres of land to be transferred to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is owned by the Naturaland Trust.
“The good Lord isn’t making any more mountains in the Upstate of South Carolina,” said Frank Holleman, Naturaland Trust president. “We have to put together the legal transaction, we have to do the survey, we have to do the appraisal, we have to do the environmental inspection, we have to do all the grant applications, and then we have to pay fair market value or reduced fair market value to the landowner.”
Visitors like Gary Fain would like to see the expansion, he also wants to see improvements.
“More trails and trail restoration,” Fain said.
In two weeks, county council will hold a third reading on the Shiloh Ridge at Paris Mountain Project, and a vote will be held. According to the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust if the vote is successful the transaction could close as early as Nov. 15th.
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