Ready to get outside and play? Spring has been taking its time making its debut in the upstate, but the warmer weather is finally creeping its way in. You’ve read about the wonderful playgrounds that Spartanburg and the surrounding area has, but after a long winter of planning indoor activities, here is a reminder of some of the best playgrounds in Spartanburg you can revisit, or check out for the first time.
Spartanburg Parks your kids will love
Looking for more great parks in Spartanburg? Don’t miss our Upstate, SC Park Guide.
Cleveland Park
Holy playground, Batman! The largest park in Spartanburg County, Cleveland Park, is one you won’t want to miss. Located at 141 N. Cleveland Park Drive in Spartanburg, this park holds a massive playground that the grown-ups might even want to check out. Due to its large size, Cleveland Park is perfect for an impromptu game of hide in seek with young kids or tag with your older ones.
An inviting entrance leads you into the playground area. Cleveland Park’s playground isn’t your typical metal pipe, monkey bar, and slide type playground, though. Endless ramps wind through, bringing you to what seems like various levels of this castle-like structure. A soft ground takes the place of mulch under your feet, however, it can get pretty hot-to-the-touch when the sun is shining. A smaller-sized rock wall will challenge your climbers, and several swings are provided to help create a breeze on your face to cool down.
Park shelters are available to rent, which makes this a great spot to throw a birthday party. (Take a look at the rental information.) You can also check out their website for park hours, which is suggested because once the gate closes, it might be tough to get your car out.
Happy Hollow Park
Nestled smack in the middle of the beautiful, historic Converse Heights neighborhood, Happy Hollow Park can simply be described as cute and quaint. Located in a sectioned-off fork of Glendalyn Ave, this park provides a fenced-in grassy area, complete with winding sidewalks, water fountains, and benches for you to relax while your little ones run around.
As you walk toward the playground, covered picnic tables provide an area for snack time or for your family to enjoy the lunch you packed as a picnic. Beyond the picnic shelter and through a gate, you’ll find two playgrounds that are surrounded by mature trees. The natural shade will help keep you cool once the days get warm. Several benches surround a cemented area, which is a perfect spot for hopscotch, so don’t forget the sidewalk chalk. The baby and big-kid swings are separated from each other, but there aren’t many available, so make sure your child hops on when they see the opportunity.
There currently are no bathrooms available at this park, so using the potty before heading over is a must! There is no designated parking lot, but on-street parking is available on both sides of Glendalyn Ave, which is only a small price to pay for spending some time at this scenic park.
Tyger River Park
Located at 195 Dillard Rd in Duncan, Tyger River Park is another large park in terms of space. Once you drive into the park area, be sure to follow the signs to guide you to where you want to go, because this park doesn’t have just your typical rectangular parking lot. Thirteen baseball/softball feels fill up a large portion of this park, as well as an 18-hole disc golf course.
Right behind the clubhouse are two exciting playgrounds, one for the big-kids and one for the little kids. The big-kid playground is filled with plenty of slides and different ways to climb up onto the playground, which makes for a great obstacle course. There is also a ramp to make getting up to the slides a little easier. As you head on over to the little-kid playground, you’ll pass a rope climbing structure that looks a little intimidating, but can be loads of fun! The little-kid playground includes swings, including swings for the younger children, a sandbox, and a play structure with several low bridges for running around.
There is also a splash-pad, so be sure to bring along a swimsuit, because your children are bound to want to run through the water on hot days (and there are bathrooms to change into dry clothes before loading everyone back in the car before you head home).
Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park
Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park Review
When you think of Boiling Springs, Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park might be one of the first things that come to mind. Located at 591 McMillin Boulevard, this is a park you can easily spend half of the day at without getting bored. Bring along a picnic lunch, your discs for disc golf, a soccer ball, and your walking shoes.
This park has shaded picnic areas and clean bathrooms so you can stick around for a while longer and let the kids burn off some energy. Walking trails, with doggy bags receptacles- because pets are allowed in certain areas of the park- wrap around this beautiful park so you can tire yourself out too (as if the kids don’t do that for you already)!
Two playgrounds are in a fenced area, keeping your babies safe from the parking area, and with plenty of swings, it’s not likely your child will have to wait their turn for one. These playgrounds don’t fall short on slides, bridges, or climbing structures, so there are plenty of fun ways to enjoy it. A stand-up see-saw adds a different type of fun that you won’t see at most playgrounds.
Find 2 more parks in Boiling Springs on this list of 3 Great Parks in Boiling Springs.
Stoneledge
Located at 119 S. Spencer Street in Duncan, this park is situated right outside of another fun spot in the upstate- Shipwreck Cove. Stoneledge Park is even pretty to look at as you make your approach, as it has the appearance of being fenced in by trees/bushes.
A big- and little-kid playground will give your child an age appropriate play structure to have some fun. While these playgrounds may not provide anything out of the ordinary to climb and play on, they present a fun appearance with dimension added to the sides of the crawl through tunnels, and the tunnels on the big-kid playground even have a slight incline to make things more interesting.
A scenic walking trail paves its way through this park, so don’t forget to bring the stroller along if you feel like getting in some of your daily steps. Conveniently, restrooms are available, so potty breaks won’t be an issue when you decide to hang out here. This is a great park to check out if you are trying to plan a busy “make-my-kids-so-tired-they-nap-on-their-own” type of day, because you can start your morning off here, then head over to the waterpark to cool off and add more fun to the day!
So as the warmer weather approaches, remind yourself that you don’t have to venture far from the upstate to enjoy a day outdoors with your children. With these playgrounds offering such a different atmosphere, each one will create a brand-new adventure.
What’s your favorite park in our area?