Where are the best places to visit in the south?Where are the south’s coolest family travel spots? You need some new southern travel ideas, and this is the list with all the answers. You’ll get the travel bug after reading about these awesome places to put on your vacation bucket list!
At Kidding Around we love to travel with the kids, and these are some of our absolute favorite family places to visit in the Southeastern United States.
I’m a master at making lists and do it for everything – the grocery store, articles I have to write, packing lists for trips, lists on what to cook for holidays, and my ultimate bucket list. I keep a running list of bucket list items that are specifically within the Southeast part of the United States since it’s where I live and can easily drive to, which saves a ton of money on plane tickets.
So I’m here to share that list with you. It’s not a comprehensive list but it does contain things I’ve done because they were on my bucket list already, some I’ve done because they were so cool and now I’m telling you about them because they deserve to be on the list, and a few others because our readers said they are on their own bucket lists. My definition of a bucket list place is somewhere that my kids and I will be talking about long after we go and is a unique and interesting experience.
Get ready to make some amazing memories with your families with any of these Southeast Bucket List places!
Kids Play and Cafe in Easley, SC is the answer to what many parents of small kids have been asking for in the Upstate, SC – a large, safe, and fun place for their kids to play indoors that also includes wifi, coffee, and snacks for parents and their kids. We visited and have all the details on Kids Play & Cafe!
A brand new indoor play place, cafe included, is now open in Easley, SC and we know our readers are absolutely going to love this place. Kids Play & Cafe was designed by parents and their kids for parents and their kids. It has all kinds of fun and interactive play structures and is perfect for indoor fun plus great coffee – what a great combination!
We’ve got all you need to know about Kids Play and Cafe in Easley and how to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun!
About Kids Play & Cafe
Kids Play & Cafe started out of a dream a decade ago that Jennifer and her husband, Keith, thought about doing far in the future. Keith was in the military and settling in one place and creating an awesome indoor play place would have to wait. After their two daughters were born and started growing up, the girls got in on the dream and the family started to take steps to make it happen.
And here they are. It’s obvious a lot of thought went into this place. The play structures were designed completely by the family themselves to maximize imagination as were the little tiny town structures. The setup was designed so parents can sit comfortably and pretty much see their kids all of the time yet chat with their friends if they want to.
And coffee – good, local coffee – is available. High-five to Jennifer and Keith.
The couple also asked for a lot of input on what parents would want to purchase for food and drinks at the cafe, which they took into consideration when figuring out what to offer.
The Play Structures
There are two play structures connected by a bridge in the 5400 square foot space. They are soft play, climbing structures that allow not only kids to play on them but also their parents if they want. I tested it out myself and indeed, there is enough space for an adult to get up in there and play!
There is a set of three slides plus a twisted barrel slide. There are tunnels, a little zip line, swing, ball pit, and climbing structures within each play area. And there is only one entrance which makes it a bit easier to keep track of the kids.
The Imaginative Play Areas
These little tiny town-inspired play areas are my favorite things in the entire place. Jennifer and Keith’s daughters’ fingerprints of imagination are all over these, which I think makes them extra fun.
The barber shop is adorable. There are a lot of dress-up clothes, play hair care and makeup items, a barber chair (very comfortable, I may add), hats, a mirror, and lots of other thoughtful and fun touches.
The kitchen has all kinds of play pots and pans plus a little breakfast table with a menu. There are play fruits and vegetables in a pantry setup and an apron.
Next door is the doctor’s office, which has all kinds of play items you’d find in a medical office plus charts and first aid kit supplies. It’s adorable.
And lastly, there’s a supermarket complete with tiny shopping carts, reusable bags, grocery items, and a scanner for checkout.
The Cafe + WiFi
Besides excellent coffee sourced locally from a vet-owned coffee roaster, the cafe has smoothies, lunchables, snacks, drinks, and some healthier items available.
There are plenty of seating options available around Kids Play & Cafe where parents can even bring their laptop to work, get caffeinated, and let their kids run around and get out energy.
Birthday Parties
Of course Kids Play & Cafe in Easley is offering birthday party packages because, really, this is a great place to hold a party.
All parties include at least 75 minutes of play and 45 minutes of festivities in their private party room. Packages start at $309 and include a certain number of kids and add-ons like food and decorations as you need. Weekday parties are a little cheaper and all packages can be found on their website.
Tips to Enjoy Kids Play & Cafe in Easley
Here are a few tips so you can enjoy your time at Kids Play & Cafe.
All kids will need to wear gripper socks, which you can purchase there. Bring them back every time so you don’t need to purchase new ones!
The play structures are designed for kids from crawling up to age 10.
Admission is an all-day pass so you can come and go as you like. There are some great local restaurants like Tropical Burger to enjoy if you want to get lunch and then come back or do nap time and come back for some afternoon play.
Keep an eye on their social media as they will have times for special needs kids to come and enjoy the play area plus tot times and events for tweens.
Save time when you get there and sign your waiver before you go.
Everything is sanitized multiple times a day and safety and health are of utmost importance to Kids Play & Cafe.
There are gates around the play areas so kids cannot escape outdoors.
Visit Kids Play & Cafe
Admission for kids a year old and younger is free. Admission for kids ages 2-3 years old is $10.95/weekdays and $12.95/weekends. Admission for kids ages 4-12 is $12.95/weekdays and $14.95/weekends. Admission is good all day.
If Kids Play & Cafe announces membership options, we will post them here.
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 am – 7 pm Tuesday – Closed Friday and Saturday from 10 am – 8 pm Sunday from Noon – 6 pm
The Cradle of Forestry is a hidden gem in Pisgah Forest up near Brevard, NC. It’s a fascinating place and has lots of special events and both indoor and outdoor fun.
Sometimes there are cool places hidden in plain sight that you may drive by so many times and just never notice. We try to find these kinds of neat places and tell you about them so you can experience all the coolness we did! One such place is about 90 minutes from Greenville nestled in Pisgah Forest near Brevard, NC called the Cradle of Forestry. It’s amazing and totally worth the trip up there (plus, I’ll tell you some other neat things to do in the area).
Interested in horseback riding in SC? Trail rides at Eden Farms, just outside Greenville, SC, are available on their sprawling 160-acre farm overlooking the mountains. Kristina took her kids and has all the details.
Thanks to Eden Farms for letting us do a trail ride so we could write the review!
I’ll take any chance to get close to the beautiful mountains surrounding Greenville and if it involves horseback riding, even better. This is exactly what Eden Farms in Marietta, SC offers to anyone who wants to enjoy their gentle horses, the sprawling farm, and the shaded trails.
About Eden Farms: SC Equestrian Center
Eden Farms, founded in 2001, is family-owned and operated. They have several pastures, three arenas (one of them is covered), and 160 acres of land with views of Table Rock, Caesars Head, and Paris Mountain. You can even catch a view of downtown Greenville on one of the trails.
They are perhaps most well-known for their horse therapy program, Happy Hooves, a nonprofit Therapeutic Equestrian Center that serves people with special needs of all ages and abilities. Since the nonprofit began in 2003, Eden Farms has served thousands of individuals. Happy Hooves Therapeutic Equestrian Center is the only one of its kind in the Upstate and one of five in the state that is a PATH International (formerly NARHA) Premier Accredited Centers. This basically means they have high standards of training and safety.
I’ve ridden horses before but all in all, I’m still pretty clueless about horses. My kids have only ridden them at events around in a circle. We are all beginners to say the least, which didn’t matter at all when it came time for our trail ride at Eden Farms.
As soon as we got there, Becky, the owner, and her team made us all feel welcome and encouraged. Once I signed all the release forms (which you can do online beforehand to save time), we were off to meet our horses in the spacious barn. By the way, the barn is gorgeous. It is just so pretty and clean! And all the horses we met were very calm and gentle. You could tell they were happy.
When we booked the trail ride, Becky asked our weight and height so she could prepare the correct horses for us. My seven-year-old had a beautiful small horse named Twiggy. My daughter fit on her perfectly. And my oldest daughter at 11-years-old rode Hannah Eve, a gorgeous quarter horse. My horse, Rebekah, was a Belgian. She was huge but very gentle. I immediately could relate to this horse as she loved to eat while we were riding.
Once we got our helmets on and were introduced to our horses, we were taken out to one of the arenas to mount our horses from a wooden stand, which made it really easy. And then we rode around the arena for a few minutes while Becky and our guide instructed us on how to turn, stop, and go on our horses. It was really easy. And then we were off to the trail.
Meandering Through the Forest
My two kids each had their own guide walking alongside them as is the standard at Eden Farms. Kids ages 7-12 can ride but do have a guide with them for safety. I had never seen this before on previous trail rides when I was much younger but it made me feel very safe and secure to have them with my kids even though they were right in front of me. I was pulling up the rear with Rebekah and got to see the joy my kids felt while riding the horses. It was awesome.
The trail we were on was about a mile long and runs through the back of the farm on a dirt path and then up into the nicely shaded woods. But on our way up there, we were treated to beautiful views of Table Rock, Caesars Head, and Paris Mountain. It was just so peaceful. Like I mentioned in the beginning, mountains make me so happy. Seeing them is very calming for me and being able to ride such a sweet and gentle horse while watching my kids enjoy something so thoroughly was very special.
To give the best experience to their guests, Eden Farms only takes out four people at a time on trail rides. Based on my previous trail riding experiences, I had expectations of what it would be like at Eden Farms but it was so much better than what I had imagined. Becky and her team were so attentive and patient and answered all our questions while encouraging us in our handling of the horses. The horses were so well-behaved and gentle. I never felt unsafe or unsteady and really loved the experience. My youngest wanted to know how to trot by the time we were done and now she’s begging me to send her to summer camp there while my other daughter is already planning her birthday party at Eden Farms. It’s definitely a fun and welcoming place.
Booking Your Own Trail Ride
Eden Farms runs trail rides Monday – Saturday by appointment. Over the summer, trail rides go out at 8 am because of the heat. Make it a day trip and head to Table Rock State Park to jump in some waterfalls or hit up a nearby sandy mountain beach. During other seasons, rides are in the morning and early afternoon.
Give Eden Farms a call to schedule a trail ride at 864.898.0043. Kids are welcome and those ages 7-12 will have a guide walking with them on the trail but they will be the ones to control the reins. Kids need to be at least seven years old and riders must be under 225 pounds.
This would make an awesome date activity with your significant other or your kid(s). It’s a fun special occasion activity or just something enjoyable to do with your friends or family visiting as well.
Trail rides are about an hour long and include a safety lesson and helmet. They are $80/person.
Eden Farms 4700 Dacusville Highway, Marietta 864.898.0043
If you love adventure or want to try something new for the whole family, Upstate Zipline near Greenville, SC offers that thrilling ride you’re looking for! We checked it out ourselves and have all the details on how to enjoy this new attraction in the Upstate, SC.
Thank you to Upstate Zipline for hosting us so we could write this review.
Have you ever wanted to zipline over water or speed through the trees for a half-mile while suspended a couple hundred feet in the air? I have! The brand new Upstate Zipline has you covered. In fact, it has the whole family covered as kids as young as three-years-old can zipline here.
I did the entire course with my daughters, ages 12 and 8, and we all absolutely loved it. From registration to communication beforehand to check-in to the actual zipline tour, Upstate Zipline was a memorable and exciting experience, one I’m sure families will enjoy.
About Upstate Zipline
The Upstate’s newest zipline course is at Keowee-Toxaway State Park in the Upstate, about an hour from Greenville. It consists of 10 ziplines, including two where you zip over Lake Keowee. It’s even cooler than it sounds.
Upstate Zipline is owned and run by Robert and Joanna Nickell, who have been constructing, inspecting, and imagining the adventures of ziplines for 27 years. They’ve moved all over the country as they have opened new zipline places but fell in love with the Greenville area and decided to relocate here and build a zipline course in 2021.
Robert and Joanna were able to work with South Carolina State Parks to construct the current zipline course at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. If you’re familiar with the park, the location is across the street from where you would go to hike the Natural Bridge/Raven Rock Trail.
There are picnic tables and bathroom facilities where Upstate Zipline is located.
When the course was designed and constructed, it was done to preserve as much of the natural world as possible and not include clunky steel towers or anything that looks like it really doesn’t belong there. What you’ll notice most is how the course is built around the trees and natural topography – which is exactly the way it was designed.
The Course
The course for Upstate Zipline is so cool. They have 10 lines, including one that is more than 250 feet off the ground and one that is a half-mile long. You don’t zip across any of the lines twice so all the scenery is new.
There are two guides on your tour (special shoutout to Preston and Hayle, who were amazing), one that receives you on the other end of the line and another guide who sends you off.
The first four lines are right near the building where you check in and aren’t too high off the ground or long, which is perfect for giving guests a feel for how ziplining works, how to brake properly, and how to watch for the cues from the guides on when to slow down or let your hand off the brake. This will be important later on in the course.
Then comes the really fun part. You’ll zip to a platform, cross a suspension bridge and head right to the half-mile-long zip line. I couldn’t see the other side of it and felt just a tad nervous. But once I got up there and started zipping through the air, it was the coolest feeling. You’re so high and going so fast and it’s just a really neat, freeing feeling.
After that zipline, you get to go on the fastest line in the course so pay attention to your guide and when he/she tells you to brake. It’s easy, don’t worry.
The last two lines are right over Lake Keowee. I’ve ziplined in several places but never over water and it was so incredible. The area where you zipline over is a private cove so you don’t need to worry about boats below and you won’t go anywhere near touching the water (although that would be fun!).
Once you zip through the last line, you’ll be brought back to the headquarters of Upstate Zipline in a little bus, about a three-minute drive.
All in all, it took us just over two hours to complete the course. We had about eight people in our group so it may be shorter if you have fewer since the guides need to clip and unclip everyone about a hundred times throughout the course (it may be less but it seemed like a hundred times – safety is of utmost importance).
Safety at Upstate Zipline
Speaking of safety, that is of utmost importance to Upstate Zipline, high above everything else, pun intended. Guides are extensively trained by Universal Zipline Technology, the leader in the zipline industry, on how to use the zipline ropes and clips and what to do in cases of emergency.
The entire zipline course is inspected daily and Robert and Joanna have 27 years of experience in this industry. They also travel and inspect other zipline courses throughout the country, including some we’ve written about at Kidding Around.
Our guides were laser-focused on safety our entire trip. They must have rechecked our gear a dozen times and gave us instructions multiple times as well on how to best enjoy the course safely. They were both really fun to be around with great personalities but it was more than obvious they were paying close attention to us the entire time.
Requirements for Guests
Upstate Zipline is the only zipline place I’ve been to that allows kids as young as three-years-old to participate. They make it safe for these kids because they pair them with a guide for the longer zip lines. The reason most zipline places don’t allow kids this young to go is because they would never make it across the zipline because they don’t weigh enough. By pairing them with a guide, the kids can enjoy the course, making it a true family adventure!
My youngest child is eight-years-old and hardly weighs anything so for half of the course, Preston went with her on those ziplines. She had a blast and I was comforted knowing that my daughter was in good hands.
The other important rule is that for participants that are 5′ 6″ and shorter, they must be 250 pounds or under. Participants that are 5′ 7″ and taller must be 275 lbs or under.
When you check in, you will be weighed (this is absolutely common practice on all zipline and ropes courses).
When you book your zipline adventure, please make note of all of these requirements before purchasing your slot.
Full Moon Tours
We did a daytime tour but Upstate Zipline does offer Full Moon zipline tours for the truly adventurous among us. You’ll do the course by moonlight with headlamps and then you get s’mores and a campfire afterward. This would be such a fun adventure, especially if you’re camping nearby.
Guests who do the Full Moon tour must be 8 years old and advanced reservations are recommended.
Tips on Enjoying Your Zipline Tour
After doing the entire zipline course, we have a few tips:
Bring water. It gets warm out there and having water is key.
You have to wear shoes that won’t fall off so basically no flip-flops.
Wear sunscreen. When the leaves are off the trees especially, you’ll be waiting in the sun on the platforms.
Go to the bathroom before you go on our tour. You can’t get out of your harness to make a bathroom stop during the tour. There are bathrooms where you check-in.
Follow the rules and get there a half hour before your tour so you have the time you need to get geared up and go through all the safety instructions.
Book now for the fall. I can’t even imagine how incredible this course will be come October when the leaves change. It’s going to be awesome.
Booking Your Adventure
You can book directly online with Upstate Zipline through their Upstate Zipline website. They do offer group discounts and be sure to sign up for their newsletter and follow them on social media to keep updated on the latest news and discounts.
The zipline tour is $89/person and the Full Moon Tour is $99/person.
Thinking about attending Monster Jam? You’ll get to see Linsey Read compete in the Scooby-Doo Monster Truck at the Arena Championship Series East. Find out all about this driver, her family, and what she loves about driving the Scooby-Doo truck!
“Linsey Read driving Scooby-Doooooo,” announces Linsey’s adorable four-year-old daughter when she walks into the kitchen. Or anywhere in the house.
This is a common scene at Linsey’s house. After all, she’s one of Monster Truck’s most loved and entertaining female drivers and someone who loves putting on a show.
Linsey Read: Becoming a Monster Truck Driver for Monster Jam
Getting paid to drive an enormous truck, racing them around an arena and doing tricks sounds like a really cool job. Linsey Read from El Paso, Texas thought the same. She was working in retail after high school and loved going to the Monster Jam shows. She watched the female drivers speed around in the huge trucks and knew what her calling in life was at that moment.
She skipped college and went straight into pursuing her dream of driving a Monster Truck. Linsey started by doing a Tough Truck Competition in El Paso, placing fifth of 25 drivers – with zero experience. The next year she was only milliseconds away from first place. That got her noticed by a few Monster Truck drivers, who asked if she had ever thought of driving a Monster Truck.
Bingo.
Linsey went to Monster Jam University where she was trained on how to drive a truck and then started her career in 2016. Monster Jam asked her to drive Scooby-Doo, a hugely popular truck originally driven by Nicole Johnson. It was off to the competitions from there.
Mom and Monster Trucks
Linsey Read became pregnant with her daughter about a year into her Monster Jam truck career and took some time off to have her baby. Her daughter is now older and isn’t afraid to give her mom advice.
“My daughter was four months old when she went to her first show,” said Linsey. “Now she tells me I should have taken a turn differently or did a different trick. She loves watching me drive.”
And of course, her little girl loves to practice announcing mom at home.
“I think she’s going to grow up to be a Monster Jam announcer,” said Linsey.
Linsey’s husband and daughter would often travel with her to shows. They are still her biggest supporters and for fans, she loves meeting kids who want to grow up to become Monster Truck drivers.
“I remember how I felt when I was watching them and I want to be that person for them. I want to show them that it is possible – you don’t need to have motorsport experience to become a driver,” she said.
Monster Jam usually comes to Greenville every January, and drivers are constantly rotated and refreshed. Though Linsey Read will not be traveling to SC in 2023, you can check out the Monster Jam Arena Championship Series Central in several cities throughout South Carolina and North Carolina, with Monster Jam shows in Columbia, SC in April 2023.
Be sure to check out the Pit Party! This is where fans can get up close with the trucks and meet the drivers and take photos. Tickets can be purchased here.
An awesome arcade that has the best games from the 80s and 90s is located in Simpsonville, SC and we just had to try it out! Thanks to the Upstate Pinball and Arcade Museum for having us come by to do this review.
When I see an old-school Pac-Man machine, I immediately think of my mom and how much fun we used to have to play it (and constantly getting eaten by ghosts). Super Mario Brothers bring back memories I had of my friends and me playing it together in middle school. Yes, I’m dating myself but I don’t even care because there’s a place in Simpsonville where I can now go and play all these retro games and share my own great memories with my kids and make new ones as well.
Table Rock State Park is one of our area’s premier hiking destinations and not a far drive from Greenville, SC. Offering beautiful waterfalls, swimming holes, and trails from the leisure to the strenuous, all nestled in an incredible mountain forest setting. At just 30 miles from downtown Greenville, this park would make a great day trip for your next family adventure.
What to expect at Table Rock
There are many wonderful trails at Table Rock State Park in Pickens, SC. Located right off Highway 11, if you’re coming from Greenville, you’ll likely spot the giant rock looming as you approach the park that the park derives its name from. From trails to swimming holes, this park is rightly one of the most popular in the state.
Especially during peak seasons of late spring, summer, and early fall, you’ll need to plan to get to the park early in the morning to get a parking spot. If you’ve got a SC State Park All Park Passport, your entire carload gets in free but it doesn’t mean you’ll get into the park if it’s full so plan accordingly.
The trails at the park range from easy to strenuous. There are two lakes, a Visitors Center, a Nature Center, a playground, lakeside beach, camping, and cabins.
Of the many offerings, the park boasts, my favorite trail for hiking with little ones is the Carrick Creek Trail. This was the first trail I hiked when I first moved here to South Carolina and it’s been a favorite ever since. Beginning at the Nature Center, this trail starts out paved and immediately opens up to the beautiful Carrick Creek Falls where your kiddos can wade around in a cool, shallow lagoon fed by a cascading waterfall. There is a wooden platform where people can sit or leave their shoes before they wade into the water.
Beyond the waterfalls, the pavement ends and the trail becomes a bit more moderate as it follows the creek for a while and then loops around back to the falls for a grand total of two miles. It’s generally an easy trail but some parts are hilly. If the water is high, you may get your feet wet during the water crossings.
The lakeside trail is the easiest one at the park as is meanders around the lake for just under two miles. The Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) started this trail in the 1930s but it wasn’t finished till many years later in 2011. Table Rock is one of several Upstate parks created by the CCC.
There are a few other trails in the park you can venture off on but be sure to always carry enough water and food with you, especially during the hotter months. It gets very hot and humid there.
Table Rock Trail to the Summit
If easy or moderate trails aren’t enough of an adventure for your crew, there are plenty of other longer and more difficult trails to choose from with overlooks and waterfalls to seek. Namely, the Pinnacle Mountain Trail which leads to Mill Creek Falls and Bald Rock Overlook. I have not done those, although they are on my list. However, I have completed the Table Rock Trail to the summit of the large granite dome multiple times (and each time I wonder why I wanted to do it….joking, kind of).
The park does ask visitors to fill out a little card at the Nature Center or kiosk at the start of the trail with their name, how many people are in their party, an emergency contact, what trail(s) they are doing, and what their car looks like. I always do this for safety reasons and I advise not skipping it.
The Table Rock Trail is one of the most strenuous trails in the Upstate. It’s a little over seven miles round trip and involves a lot of stairs and steep treks up rock hewn steps. Think going on a stair stepper for a few hours. The trail splits from Carrick Creek about a mile in and you start really ascending the mountain. You’ll climb through boulders and up steep inclines and then more steep inclines. About halfway up, you will reach a little shelter where you can grab some water before really getting into the toughest part of the trail. When you reach Governor’s Rock, you can rest again and enjoy the sweeping views.
Then you’ll need to huff and puff up to the summit. The parts of the trail right before Governor’s Rock and then right before the summit are the toughest spots. Once you reach the summit, you’ll see a sign that literally says “Table Rock Mountain Summit” but don’t stop there (sorry). Keep going for another quarter mile to reach the truly awesome views you just worked so hard for. You’ll be looking out over the Table Rock reservoir and directly at Caesars Head State Park. Wave to them since they’ve got binoculars over there.
The park says to allow at least 5-6 hours to do this trail. I’ve completed it anywhere between 4-5 hours with some time spent at the top to enjoy the view and eat lunch.
Taking Kids up to the Summit
First of all, the Table Rock Trail is not a beginner trail. It is very, very difficult. I make it a point to hike hard trails and this is easily one of the hardest I’ve ever done. One big thing is that you absolutely need to do is to carry enough water and make sure you have enough time to complete it before the park closes.
That said, if you have kids that hike often, they will likely be fine. Just carry enough snacks and water and stop when you need to. I’ve hiked this with my kids, ages 11 and 8, and they did great. I know families who have hiked this with their kids who were much, much younger, and they also did really well. This really depends on your kids but if you all are up for a challenge, this is it.
As with any trails and time spent outdoors, leave no trace and pack out what you pack in.
The Beach and Playground
Table Rock SP also has a small beach with plenty of sand. You can also rent boats to paddle around the lake for a fee. Entrance to the lake is included in your entrance fee and no dogs are allowed on the beach.
There is an admission charge to enter the park, which you can find updated on the park’s website. If you have an All Park Passport, there is no admission charge.
There are bathrooms and changing rooms near the beach and picnic area but don’t expect a five star resort experience. Especially during the summer, there are bugs and spiders but you’re outdoors so it’s expected.
The playground is across from the beach and consists of monkey bars, swings, and slides. You can also camp at the park and there are cabins to rent for those of you who need something softer than a blowup pad on the ground.
Beach at Table Rock State Park
Things to do Near Table Rock
Table Rock is located in one of the prettiest areas of South Carolina with lots of lakes and hiking trails nearby.
Caesars Head State Park
Right across the valley from Table Rock is Caesars Head State Park, where you can enjoy miles and miles of hiking trails and waterfalls. You can also check out the view from the summit at Caesars Head without any hiking at all and look directly at Table Rock. During the fall, falcons are often seen from here as they migrate.
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Just minutes from Caesars Head is Bald Rock Heritage Preserve, a huge outcrop where you can hang out and enjoy the views. On a clear day, you can see the Greenville skyline. My kids and I love to take our hammocks up here on a nice day, string them up, and read and relax.
Wildcat Wayside
Located right on Highway 11 about 15 minutes from Table Rock is Wildcat Wayside, a mile long loop trail that also has a roadside waterfall. This spot is hugely popular in the summer as parents bring their kids to wade in the shallow pool at the bottom of the falls.
Table Rock Tea
The Upstate’s only tea farm is quite literally in the shadow of Table Rock. It’s a really neat place where you can tour the farm (by appointment) and learn all about how tea is grown and made and, of course, purchase your own tea right from the farm.
Pretty Place
This famous open air chapel is located on the property of YMCA Camp Greenville and is just stunning. If you go, be sure you check the schedule beforehand since it may be closed for private events.
Where to Eat Nearby
There are not a lot of restaurants in the area but here are a few places to grab a bite near Table Rock.
Pumpkintown Mountain Opry
The Pumpkintown Mountain Opry serves a deli style lunch Thursday – Monday from 11 am – 5 pm. They also have coffee and a market on Saturday mornings. They are a seasonal business and not open in the winter.
3414 Hwy 11, Pickens, SC
Mountain House
Mountain House is only open Saturdays and Sundays (definitely check their social media pages before going) and serve fudge, ice cream, and some breakfast and lunch fare. They are only a minute down the road from Caesars Head State Park.
8101 Geer Highway , Cleveland, SC
Tropical Burger
Tropical Burger is about 25 minutes from Table Rock and if you hiked the summit trail, this will be your reward, I promise. They have some of the very best burgers I’ve ever had and the owner is the kindest guy. I love, love, love eating here.
207 NE Main Street, Easley, SC
See our guide to Pickens County for more fun things to do!
Have kids who love to make art? There are lots of places in Greenville where kids can create art. Children can benefit from local art teachers while parents keep all that paint, clay and glue off their tables, walls and carpets. Everybody wins! Here’s a list of places in Greenville where kids can make art.
Looking for a marriage counselor in Greenville, SC? Searching for a good marriage counselor can be stressful but it can also be a game-changer in your relationship. We asked our readers for the best marriage counselors here in the Greenville area and here’s what they said, listed in no particular order.
