For a side-by-side trail day from Pumpkintown, start with your machine. Gulches in Waterloo and Carolina Adventure World in Winnsboro expressly welcome side-by-sides. Sumter National Forest also allows riding on machines no wider than 50 inches. The nearby mountain roads require different planning: an open gate doesn’t give every vehicle permission to enter.
Road-law timing matters. Checked October 18, 2026: South Carolina’s new public-road UTV provisions take effect November 18, 2026. The Department of Public Safety says UTV road operation remains illegal until then. The upcoming change does not open hiking trails or override property-specific restrictions.
Choose a riding area that fits your UTV
These destinations are spread across the Upstate, the Midlands, and western North Carolina. Use the town or trailhead name to plan the towing route. A park’s total trail count does not mean every obstacle suits your vehicle, and a 50-inch trail limit applies to the machine as equipped, including changes to its wheels and tires.
| Destination | Where | UTV suitability | Planning detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulches ORV Park | Waterloo, SC | Side-by-sides explicitly allowed | Bring your own vehicle; normal public riding is on weekends. |
| Enoree OHV Trail | Clinton / Whitmire area, SC | 50 inches or less | 23 trail miles; seasonal opening and wet-weather closures. |
| Cedar Springs OHV Trail | Abbeville area, SC | 50 inches or less under the Forest Service pass rules | Year-round policy, weather permitting. |
| Parsons Mountain OHV Trail | Abbeville area, SC | 50 inches or less under the Forest Service pass rules | Year-round policy, weather permitting. |
| Carolina Adventure World | Winnsboro, SC | Side-by-sides explicitly allowed | Person passes and a separate vehicle pass. |
| Wayehutta OHV Trail System | Sylva / Cullowhee area, NC | Forest Service brochure specifies less than 60 inches | Confirm current operating status with Nantahala Ranger District. |
Gulches: a dedicated trail park in Waterloo
Gulches welcomes side-by-sides alongside Jeeps, dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and other off-road vehicles. The operator advertises more than 50 trails on nearly 80 acres, ranging from easy routes to demanding obstacles. Choose a trail by its rating and your vehicle’s capabilities, rather than assuming every route is a scenic cruise.
The entrance is at 6850 Indian Mound Road, Waterloo, SC 29384. Its visit-planning page lists a $25 day pass for one vehicle and driver, with $5 passenger admission for ages 12 and older. Children 11 and younger are free. Typical hours are Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; weather and seasonal changes can alter them. Call or text 864-714-9099 for current conditions.
Gulches does not rent riding vehicles. Bring your own, complete the waiver, and use its trail map. Different vehicle types share the trails, and uphill traffic has the right of way. For a group also bringing a Jeep, our Jeep trails near Pickens guide helps distinguish a park outing from a public forest-road drive.
Enoree: a clear public-land option for 50-inch machines
The Forest Service’s Enoree page explicitly prohibits side-by-sides wider than 50 inches. It describes 23 miles of interconnected trails through rolling Piedmont terrain, with a gravel staging area and loading ramps. Orange marks one-way sections; white marks two-way sections. This is a width-restricted trail network, not a place for a wider machine to squeeze through the entrance.
Enoree’s published season runs from the last Friday in March to the first Monday after January 1. Wet-weather closures can interrupt that season. Call 803-561-4025, the Forest Service’s Call Before You Haul hotline, before towing there. There is no drinking water at the site.
Buy the required pass through Recreation.gov and save or print it before departure. Enoree no longer accepts cash for tube fees. The pass instructions require each operator’s name and the tow vehicle’s license plate; review the daily or annual display instructions for the pass you purchase. The trailhead is on Garlington School Road, reached from Stomp Springs Road.
Cedar Springs and Parsons Mountain: two more narrow-machine options
The same Recreation.gov pass description expressly includes UTVs up to 50 inches and lists Cedar Springs and Parsons Mountain among the covered systems. That matters because their individual Forest Service descriptions use broader ATV and dirt-bike language. Neither permits a full-width sport side-by-side, Jeep, or truck.
Cedar Springs has two one-way loops and a two-way connector through hardwood bottoms and pine plantations. Its entrance is on Curltail Road, FS 505. Parsons Mountain has a one-way trail with a two-way cut-through, letting riders choose a large loop or smaller loops; its trailhead is on Tower Road, FS 515. Both are in the Long Cane Ranger District near Abbeville.
Both currently operate year-round, weather permitting, and both list $5 per OHV per day. Their wet-weather closure policy still applies: use the same 803-561-4025 hotline. A year-round season does not guarantee the gate will be open after rain. Follow each site’s payment instructions; Enoree’s online-only system should not be assumed to describe every other trailhead’s facilities.
Carolina Adventure World: a larger regional riding trip
Carolina Adventure World is at 1515 Arrowhead Road, Winnsboro, SC 29180, off the I-77 corridor. The operator lists more than 120 miles of ATV, UTV, and dirt-bike trails across 2,600 acres, plus side-by-side rentals and overnight accommodations. It is a separate regional destination from the Pumpkintown mountain roads, with enough facilities to support an overnight riding trip.
Its one-day pass prices are $30 per person age 16 and older, $15 per child age 4–15, and $25 per vehicle. Two adults bringing one UTV therefore start at $85 in listed admission charges, before any applicable booking charges, rentals, or lodging. That pricing structure differs from Gulches’ vehicle-and-driver day pass.
Read the park rules before booking: everyone needs a waiver, and minors need a parent or legal guardian present throughout the visit. The park requires riders to follow manufacturer guidance on helmets and safety equipment, limits occupancy to the manufacturer’s rating, and prohibits full-sized Jeeps and trucks on ordinary trail days. Side-by-side rentals are available; confirm the driver, passenger, and deposit requirements for the particular rental. The office number is 803-482-3534.
Wayehutta: check the actual width requirement
Wayehutta lies in the Nantahala National Forest near Sylva and Cullowhee, North Carolina. The Forest Service brochure describes a 24-mile system for OHVs under 60 inches wide, requiring a recreation permit. That wording does not say 60 inches or less. Do not substitute the wider measurements found in some third-party listings.
For this destination, contact the Nantahala Ranger District at 828-524-6441 to establish the current opening status, restrictions, and permit arrangements before towing. The brochure supplies the vehicle-width rule; it is not a live trail-status report. Keep your machine on designated trails: the brochure prohibits cross-country riding and OHV use on forest roads.
What about Horsepasture Road and Jocassee Gorges?
Jocassee Gorges restricts road access rather than banning all off-road vehicles. Regulation 123-204(N) allows motorized travel only on open maintained roads and parking areas unless otherwise authorized. It prohibits travel behind closed gates. ATV recreation is limited to Monday–Friday, from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, with separate hunting provisions.
The regulation bars ATVs and off-road vehicles from Horsepasture and Camp Adger roads January 16–March 19 and May 11–September 14. Posted restrictions can be tighter, and the department can close roads at any time. The Sassafras Overlook Site specifically prohibits ATVs, UTVs, and similar vehicles.
A road’s year-round availability to licensed vehicles does not establish year-round UTV access. Before a UTV trip, obtain SCDNR confirmation for your vehicle, route, and date through its Jocassee Gorges property page. The regulation’s general ATV terminology does not provide a clear, universal answer for every modern side-by-side. Our Jumping Off Rock guide describes the destination; it does not authorize UTV use.
What changes on November 18, 2026?
The SCDMV’s terrain-vehicle guidance sets eligibility for road registration: four-wheel drive, at least 450cc, a top speed over 55 mph, a width of no more than 80 inches, and a gross vehicle weight rating of no more than 4,000 pounds. Required equipment includes approved seat belts and working headlights, brake lights, taillights, and turn signals. Qualifying vehicles must be titled, registered, plated, and insured for public-road operation.
DPS limits the new road use to secondary highways or streets posted at 55 mph or less, within 10 miles of the registration address, with a specified gated-community provision. Interstates are excluded. Drivers must be at least 17 and hold a valid Class D license; passengers must be at least 8. Occupants under 21 need helmets and face shields or goggles. Local governments can impose additional restrictions. Read the full South Carolina UTV road-law guide alongside the current state instructions.
Road registration and trail eligibility remain separate questions. A plate doesn’t make a 64-inch UTV fit Enoree’s 50-inch limit, and it doesn’t reopen a closed forest road. Plan the riding destination first and transport the machine there by a lawful route.
Make the riding day work for your group
- Measure the UTV as equipped, then match its width and vehicle class to the destination’s rules.
- Check the operator’s opening notice or the Forest Service hotline before loading. Download the map and pass where required.
- Wear a helmet and eye protection, buckle every occupant into a designated seat, and follow the vehicle’s age and occupancy limits.
- Secure the UTV and loose equipment for transport. Carry water, food, first aid supplies, and recovery equipment suited to your machine.
- Save the staging-area location and tell someone your route and return time. Call 911 for an emergency; give the park or trail name and your map location.
If part of the group would rather explore without riding, choose that activity as a separate outing. Our Pumpkintown visitor guide and nearby waterfall guide offer options back in the foothills. A waterfall path is a walking destination, not an extra motorized trail to add to the ride.
