The Great Outdoors

Whether you're here for the weekend or for the duration... a list of places to go and things to do to enjoy the mountains and rivers of the Upstate South Carolina/Western North Carolina area. If you know of a swimming hole or a trail we've missed, send a note to info@greenville.com.

 

Featured Destination

Day-tripping at Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Caesars Head, Jones Gap State Park, and other wildernesspreserves make up the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Located in Upper Greenville County, the Area offers 50+ miles of hiking (easy - strenuous) and trailside camping spots. Take Hwy. 276 W. for about 30 mi. Park is located at the top of the mountain right off the Hwy. The North Carolina border is 3 mi. away.

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Featured Destination

Day-tripping at the Carl Sandburg Home and farm in Historic Flat Rock. Just south of Hendersonville off of N. C. Highway 25. A visit that will stay with you for years to come. For details...

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Featured Destination

Day-tripping at Chimney Rock Park . Just south of Hendersonville off of N. C. Highway 74. If you're looking for a nice, "outdoors-y" spot to spend the better part of a day away from your own particular hustle and bustle, Chimney Rock Park might just be the place. For details...

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Keeping it simple. If you're seeking an outdoor adventure, look no further. The Upstate/WNC area is surrounded by natural beauty and numerous opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. Go Blue Ridge Card
Go Blue Ridge Card is the Parkway’s ultimate attraction pass, featuring pre-paid admission to over 25 of the best attractions and activities in Western North Carolina! Visit as many of the included attractions as you like for one low price and save money over buying tickets directly at the ticket gate. Plus, receive a full-color guidebook to the area. Attractions include Biltmore, Chimney Rock Park, Grandfather Mountain, White Water Rafting, Tweetsie Railroad, Linville Caverns, and MORE! Visit www.goblueridgecard.com. 800-887-9103

Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains... more details at hikinginthesmokys.com, the most comprehensive site on the web for information on Great Smoky Mountains Trails.

Here are some safe places to start your outdoor adventures. 

Chattooga National Wild and Scenic River
Born high in the Carolina mountains and dropping an average of 49.3 feet per mile in its race past the stately woods of Sumter National Forest, for 40 miles this tumultuous (and sometimes disarmingly placid) mountain river separates South Carolina and Georgia. The Chattooga became a sort of national quest after its starring role in the movie "Deliverance." For guided raft tours, contact Wildwater Ltd. at 800-451-9972 or 864-647-9587.

Jones Gap State Park
Picnicking and trailside camping in one of South Carolina's most pristine wilderness areas in the Upcountry can be enjoyed at this 3,346-acre park in Greenville County. Located in the 10,000-acre Mountain Bridge Wilderness and Recreation Area, this park encompasses the Middle Saluda River, designated the state's first scenic river. In addition, the park is an access point to the Foothills Hiking Trail.

Palmetto Trail
Not yet completed, this trail will eventually link the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Several passages are currently open in Santee Cooper Country. For more information, contact the Palmetto Conservation Foundation at 803-771-0870.

Sumter National Forest
This woodland covers over 118,000 acres and provides hiking and biking trails, recreation areas, and a peaceful environment to enjoy wildlife and green spaces. For more information about this area, call the National Forest Service at 803-561-4000.

• Blue Ridge Parkway
• Craggy Gardens
• Linville Gorge
• Mount Mitchell
• Mount Pisgah
• Nantahala River Gorge
• Pleasant Ridge County Park
• Shining Rock Wilderness

If none of these destinations is quite what you're looking for, try the South Carolina State Trails Program. They have a great directory of the green spaces throughout South Carolina. 

Bicycling: Road and Mountain

• Bent Creek Recreational Area
  If you're looking for a fun ride in the forest not too far from home, the Bent Creek area just south of Asheville, NC offers a number of rides on gravel roads and single tracks.
• Blue Wall Passage of the Palmetto Trail
  From either the Blue Wall Preserve or the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE), you will find this scenic section of the Palmetto Trail offers a lot of diversity. You will pass from old forest to the city streets of downtown Landrum in Spartanburg County. As you wander over rolling hills, you will be treated to some beautiful views of mountains, clear ponds, and some of South Carolina's finest horse farms. Although this trail is listed as hiking and mountain biking, it has sections that are not for the mountain bike enthusiast, because they are on streets or sidewalks.
• Croft State Natural Area
  Starting from the parking area, this somewhat challenging trail in Spartanburg County has something for just about everyone. There is enough climbing, fast down hills, and hard packed sections, which allow fairly high speeds to satisfy the intermediates and experts, but may be too much for beginners. Several connector trails provide variation and new challenges, especially the Idaho pass, which is more technical.
• Tsali Recreation Area by Asheville local Tom Livingston.
  World famous single-track trails along Lake Fontana's shores. (Advanced.)
• Upstate Mountain Bikers Association
  The mission of the UMBA is to provide an organization to work with local land managers to build and maintain a network of trails to improve the mountain biking experience of its membership. Maps, trail status reports, and event calendars are available on the website.

Lakes & Rivers

• Fish Tales Guide Service
  A guide service for striper and hybrid on Lake Hartwell. Group packages and lodging available.
• Lake Bowen
  Lake Bowen is located near the city of New Prospect in Spartanburg County and impounds the South Pacolet River. There is a boat ramp located on SC 9. Lake Bowen also has a public fishing pier. (Because Lake Bowen is a water system lake certain rules apply.)
• Lake Hartwell
  Located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Anderson County, SC, this lake covers 56,000 acres and offers fishing and water sports.
• Lake Lure
  Lake Lure, NC is located in Rutherford County and tucked among the Blue Ridge Mountains. A very short trip from Chimney Rock Park, the lake is on Highway 64/74A, approximately an hour's drive from Spartanburg. Directions are available on the website.
• Lake Lyman and Lake Cooley
  These two Spartanburg County lakes provide a variety of lodging and boating resources.
• Lawson's Fork Creek
  Spartanburg's Lawson's Fork is now accessible to paddlers who want to put in at Whitney and float to the Cottonwood Trail, a distance of 4.5 river miles. Work has been completed on the "put-in" just below the dam, along U.S. Highway 221.