City of Spartanburg, SC has a 13-acre botanical garden with paved, stroller-friendly trails just a couple miles off I-26 and 5 minutes from downtown! Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve is one of Spartanburg’s top nature spots for its gorgeous flowers and waterfalls, and you can enjoy free things to do like going on a nature walk, taking some family photos, or exploring the growing Children’s Garden.
Quick Look at Hatcher Garden
🌸 Gardens: 13 acres of native plants, conifers, azaleas, and more
🌊 Water Features: Abundant ponds, streams, and small waterfalls
📸 Scenic Spots: Stone and wooden bridges, gazebos, and overlooks
👟 Trails: 1-mile interconnected loop of paved, gently sloping trails
♿️ Accessibility: Fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs
🎟️ Admission: FREE but donations are appreciated
⏰ Hours: Dawn – dusk, 365 days of the year
📍 Address: 820 John B. White Sr. Blvd, Spartanburg, SC 29306
🚻 Amenities: Restrooms, water fountains, covered picnic shelter, gift shop
Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve is one of my family’s absolute favorite places to get outdoors in Spartanburg, SC. It’s completely free, centrally located, and family-friendly. This beautiful space is full of ponds, waterfalls, wildlife, mature trees, and a wide variety of leafy and flowering plants. Whether you’re local to the Upstate or just visiting the area, this is one of the best places to visit at any time of year.
Your Guide to Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve
Get to Know Hatcher Garden in Spartanburg, SC
In 1969, Harold and Josephine Hatcher made the decision to retire in Spartanburg, South Carolina to be closer to family. They immediately set to work reviving the land around their home, converting eroded cotton fields slowly but surely into thriving gardens.
Over time, the couple started opening their gardens to the public, allowing volunteers from community organizations, and expanding the property. In the 1980s, the Hatchers donated the property to Spartanburg County Foundation, ensuring its preservation for public enjoyment for years to come.
Josephine and Harold passed away near the turn of the 21st century, but their legacy lives on through every seasonal bloom, smiling visitor, and committed volunteer at the gardens.
Nature Trails at Hatcher Garden
Hatcher Garden is truly a fully immersive nature experience, and we are so thankful that they have built up the garden with both beauty and accessibility in mind. Wide, paved paths wind through the entire garden with gentle slopes, perfect for wheelchairs and parents pushing strollers.
Visitors can wander over 1 mile of interconnected trail loops, and you can easily spend anywhere from just 15 minutes to several hours here. The trails are almost entirely shaded, meaning they’re perfect for any time of year and make one of Spartanburg’s best summer hikes to avoid the heat.
If you’re planning to hike, park in the main parking lot and just enter through the main garden entrance. You’ll find no-barrier entry to the trails and a smooth descent into the rest of the gardens there!
Flowers in Bloom at Hatcher Garden
As you explore, you’ll discover a stunning range of themed gardens with different plants in bloom throughout the year. My children are particularly fond of the Butterfly Garden with larger-than-life bug statues, while I personally love the Water Wise Demonstration Garden, which shows off drought-resistant varieties that are pretty all year round.
Before your visit, you can check out Hatcher Garden’s Bloom Guide for details on which flowers may be in bloom at any time of year and where to find them on the property.
Please remind children not to pick any flowers at Hatcher Garden, as they are carefully maintained for everyone to be able to enjoy. If you want to bring the gardens home with you, then keep an eye out for their annual Spring Plant Sale!
Scenic Bridges and Structures at Hatcher Garden
There are multiple scenic bridges, including the large Children’s Garden Bridge, also known as Stone Bridge, connecting the main parking area to the Children’s Garden. This one is the perfect photo spot when the flowers overhead are blooming! There are a few large wooden bridges, too, like the one crossing between Cypress Pond and Duck Pond.
A well loved local favorite is known as Corrie’s Bridge. Named for former Board Member Corrie Miller Whitlock, this short, covered bridge overlooks Hatcher Garden’s largest waterfall, a lovely 10-foot cascade. You can also view the waterfall from the Stone Patio at Corrie’s Garden Room near the waterfall’s base.
Another popular spot to stop is the Garden of Hope and Healing, where you can find covered benches around a sand garden and small pavilion. As a homeschool family, we also appreciate the John A. Nevison Amphitheater, where my kids can work on their schoolwork, make presentations, and balance and leap across the stone levels.
Preview even more spaces you’ll have the chance to see and explore with Hatcher Garden’s online list of Event Spaces. And yes, these places are all available to rent for private events!
The Children’s Garden at Hatcher Garden
Every parent in Spartanburg County needs to know about the incredible growing Children’s Garden at Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve. While the entire gardens are family-friendly, the Children’s Garden has rapidly expanded into an attraction all its own.
The large open sand garden in front of the maintenance shed is one of the main draws to the Children’ Garden. This large open area is complete with a sand toy library, covered picnic tables, and even a changing table. A short paved path connects the sand garden to the restrooms and water fountains, ensuring maximum convenience for visiting families.
Just past the sand garden, you’ll discover a Little Free Library, fully accessible gazebo, and a small fish pond. This water feature is for fish, not splashing, and parents should keep a very close watch on children around the water. The Sensory Loop connects these spaces, inviting children to use their senses to look, listen, smell, and feel their way through play.
My kids adore the trail of leapfrog rocks, complete with a rock sculpture of a frog, which kicks off the Altrusa Adventure Trail. This trail was made possible by Altrusa International of Spartanburg, SC, a non-profit focused on community improvement which has a long history of supporting Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve.
The Adventure Trail is designed to engage balance, movement, and spatial awareness: “Learning through Fun and a Little Risk!” It now includes a crawl-through tunnel, rope ladder, and hanging rope swings in a fantastic shaded naturescape right by the water.
Homeschooling at Hatcher Garden
While Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve is steadily growing in popularity, it remains a generally uncrowded and quiet place for families to enjoy during the week. This has made it one of our favorite spots to homeschool outdoors in the Spartanburg area.
With accessible trails, abundant seating options where you can read or do workbooks, and plenty of nature to explore, you can easily fill a homeschool day in the gardens.
Need ideas? We’ve got some for you!
- Observation: Use your senses to explore the gardens. Describe what you see, hear, and smell. What colors do you see? What do the birds sound like? How does the smell of the flowers make you feel?
- Identification: Bring a field guide on birds, bugs, or plants to see what you can find! One great option for early readers is The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugsby Judy Burris and Wayne Richards.
- Navigation: Grab a map at the picnic shelter near the main parking area and let your children practice reading it to guide you through the gardens. Practice using the legend, finding your way to places of interest, and following directions.
Community Stewardship of Hatcher Garden
Every visitor to Hatcher Garden—whether you come to learn, to work, or just to enjoy—is a steward of its continued beauty. Visiting as a family is one of the greatest opportunities we have had to teach our children how to appreciate and engage with nature with a strong sense of responsibility for it.
The Children’s Garden is the best place for kids to really set their imaginations loose and play on all the structures provided, but they are welcome to explore other areas of the larger gardens as well. We’ve seen some fantastic forts built with sticks and stones in the woodland areas, but just help kids remember not to pick the flowers or disturb wildlife.
Outside food and drink are allowed in the gardens, so packing a picnic can be a great way to stretch your visit and enjoy some extra time in the great outdoors. Be sure to clean up after yourselves and take any trash to the provided cans near the garden entrances.
Interested in volunteering? Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve is one of the greatest places in all of Spartanburg County for kids and adults to volunteer. You can be a Horticulture Helper, Garden Guide, Office Assistant, Special Events Helper, and more! Individuals and groups are welcome, including church groups and scouting troops, with regular volunteer opportunities every Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm.
You can also make a financial gift or visit the gift shop in person or online to buy a souvenir. Many of the items in the gift shop are created by local artists, such as watercolors, walking sticks, jewelry, and more. This is also a great place to shop for unique and meaningful gifts for your local friends and family.
Note: A dog named Major, lovingly considered the mascot of the gardens, can often be found in the gift shop. He is generally friendly, but those with pet allergies or small children may want to be aware of his potential presence before visiting the store.
Looking for more local businesses where you can buy unique gifts? Don’t miss our Local Shopping Guide to Spartanburg, SC!
Plan Your Visit to Hatcher Garden
What are you waiting for? With free admission, free parking, year-round operations, and new nature finds on every visit, Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve is one of City of Spartanburg’s greatest local treasures.
Admission: FREE but donations welcome
Open Hours: Dawn till dusk, 365 days a year
Location Address: 820 John B. White Sr. Blvd, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Hatcher Garden Website
Hatcher Garden on Facebook
Hatcher Garden on Instagram
Phone Number: 864.574.7724
Email: info@hatchergarden.org
At Your Own Risk: Visitors to Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve enter and participate in any and all activities at your own risk. This is a nature space with all the risks inherent to spending time in nature, such as encounters with wildlife, falling limbs, and water-related risks. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety and behavior at all times.
