Leonard Swanson Memorial Pathway

The Leonard Swanson Memorial Pathway is named for Rapid City's longtime public works director, who led efforts after the devastating 1972 flood to keep the Rapid Creek floodway as open green space rather than rebuild in it — creating a five-block-wide, 6-mile recreational greenway in the process. Known locally as the Swanny Pathway, the trail is an 8-mile paved bikeway that follows Rapid Creek across the heart of the city, connecting Canyon Lake Park, Sioux Park, Founders Park, Memorial Park, Roosevelt Park, and the Black Hills Farmers Market site. The path begins near Cleghorn Canyon Road on the west edge of the city and runs east, passing baseball diamonds, the local fairgrounds, and the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines before ending at St. Charles Street. The Leonard Swanson Memorial Pathway serves as a key connector to the Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park trail network.The path is free, open year-round, and welcome to walkers, runners, cyclists, and leashed dogs.