Creek Stomping in the Upstate, SC

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Are you looking for a place to take the kids for some fun and to cool off near Greenville, SC? Have you tried creek stomping?

What is creek stomping you ask? Well, it’s really simple. You find a creek and then, you guessed it, you stomp around in it. Or if you prefer, you can splash.

If you are looking for places to dive in and go swimming, we’ve got a list of Upstate swimming holes you can check out.

A Note About the Reedy River

While places like the Reedy River at Falls Park and Cedar Falls Park might look like a fun place to do some creek stomping, we recommend you follow all posted warnings. The Reedy River has a high content of E-Coli bacteria and we assured readers we’d include this info, to keep families safe. The Falls downtown are pretty to look at, but that should be the closest you, your kids, or pets should get.

Places to Creek Stomp in the Upstate

Campbell’s Covered Bridge – Landrum

The park at Campbell’s covered bridge is a perfect place to splash around in the creek. There’s plenty of shade and space to lay out a picnic blanket. The water is shallow so, this is a good place for younger kids.

*Croft State Park – Spartanburg

At Croft State park, hidden just a short walk down the Southside loop trail, you’ll find a perfect spot next to the stream to splash on the shore. There’s plenty of shade trees, space to spread out and even a few park benches. If you own a hammock, this would be a great place to bring it.

Glendale Shoals – Spartanburg

This former mill site is a popular place to swim with locals. It’s also a great place to splash around on the shore. We highly recommend the use of water shoes or some footwear while in the water. Recent storms have washed a lot of rubbish towards the beach area.

Pleasant Ridge County Park – Marietta

Pleasant Ridge County Park is better known for its bike trails, but Leroy Smith Nature Trail offers easy access to Pleasant Ridge Falls – a great spot for splashing around.

*Jones Gap State Park – Marietta

The Jones Gap Trail leading to a waterfall, provides lots of opportunity to splash around in the river that runs along side the trail.

*Paris Mountain State Park – Greenville

While visitors to the state park can swim during the warmer months, the creek that feeds into the lake is perfect for stomping around in.

River Place Park – Lyman

Tucked away to the left of the Middle Tyger library branch, this access point to the river is a great place to splash around.

Tyger-10 Nature Park – Roebuck

Popular with all sorts of water enthusiasts during the summer, Tyger-10 park and Nesbitt Shoals is a good place for older kids to splash around in the Tyger River.

Wildcat Wayside – Cleveland

This spot is a VERY popular spot with our readers. If you want to go and still adhere to social distancing guidelines, we suggest going early in the morning during the week.

Horseshoe Falls at Musgrove Mill Historic Site – Clinton

An easy, short and paved path leads to a small little sandy beach at the base of Horseshoe Falls at Musgrove Mill, which is perfect to splash around in.

Les Mullins Park at Harmon Field – Tryon, NC

This is a beautiful park with a playground, picnic areas, and lots of space to run around as well as a great little creek to cook off in.

*These state parks and historic sites have fees to enter.

Do you have a spot to safely creek stomp that we don’t know about? Let us know in the comments!

About the Author
Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer. Originally from New Jersey, she is in love with the Upstate and could not imagine raising her kids anywhere else. She enjoys hiking to waterfalls, kayaking, camping, cooking, and exploring all that Greenville has to offer. And she really loves baby goats. Follow her on Instagram at @scadventurer.

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Amy
3 years ago

Fantastic creek stomping at pleasant Ridge park, right at the entrance, and also Timmons Park right downtown. I discovered both on park hop years ago and have been back several times since! Nice big crayfish and salamanders—I found a five inch salamander at pleasant ridge last month!!