Hidden at the end of a quiet Clemson road, Mountain View Park offers Lake Hartwell access, a 20-hole disc golf course, a boat launch and wooded trails where visitors can walk or run different routes before finding Clemson’s “Secret Beach.”
Pinnacle Mountain Trail at Table Rock State Park is a challenging 10-mile adventure filled with massive rock formations, incredible views of Table Rock and Pumpkintown, unexpected storms, wildlife, and an overgrown final stretch. The summit may be anticlimactic, but everything you encounter along the way makes this one of the Upstate’s most memorable hikes.
After a late-summer storm passes through the South Carolina Upstate, low clouds and rising mist can transform the mountains. Here’s why the clouds seem to hug the ridges and the forest appears to steam after the rain.
Explore Natural Bridge Trail at Keowee-Toxaway State Park, a short but rugged 1.3-mile hike featuring two small waterfalls, Poe Creek, rock formations, a rustic log bridge and two EV chargers near the trailhead.
Construction is underway near the Nature Center at Table Rock State Park, temporarily changing how hikers access the trails. Here’s what visitors need to know about the new deck project, Carrick Creek Falls improvements and temporary trail reroute.
Did you know many veterans qualify for a free Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass? Learn how this little-known benefit provides access to thousands of national parks, forests, recreation areas, and public lands—including many popular destinations in the Carolinas.
Planning a hike to Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park? This complete guide covers everything you need to know, including trail difficulty, elevation gain, trail markings, what to expect on the hike, the best photo spots, and tips for experiencing one of South Carolina’s tallest and most beautiful waterfalls.
Discover Jumping Off Rock in the Jocassee Gorges. Learn how to get there, road conditions, history, photography tips, and why this breathtaking overlook above Lake Jocassee belongs on your Upstate South Carolina bucket list.
For decades, the floating diving platform at Table Rock State Park was the highlight of summer for thousands of Upstate families. Today, only the concrete platform remains, quietly floating in the lake as a reminder of one of South Carolina’s most beloved summer traditions. Here’s the story behind the famous high and low diving boards that generations will never forget.
Planning a trip to an Upstate South Carolina state park? Learn which parks offer parking, camping, and cabin reservations, where to book them, and how to avoid arriving to a full parking lot.