Are you looking for a fun day trip for teenagers? Need a way to spend a day with your teen near Upstate, SC? These are a great way to spend some quality time exploring together or just having fun. Here’s our list of the 15 best day trips for teens & tweens near Greenville!
Looking for more things to do for teenagers? Ways to get them involved in the community? We’ve got your Ultimate Guide for Teens in Greenville, SC!
If your teen is like the teens I know and love, then you know planning an outing that they will enjoy is not always easy. But, it is totally possible! Teenagers living in the Upstate are lucky to have so many wonderful places to explore in town or nearby. For example, you can travel to both Asheville and Charlotte in less than two hours. In addition, these day trips make excellent field trips for homeschooled teenagers.
15 great day trips with teens you and your teen will love
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Located in Charlotte, the U.S. National Whitewater Center is an awesome place to visit for families looking for outdoor activities. In addition to offering whitewater rafting, you can also kayak, paddleboard, and mountain bike. Guests also have the opportunity to do some rock climbing, take ropes courses, canopy courses, and more. Plus, there is live music during the summer months. You can purchase a day pass for $79 that includes all activities or a single activity pass.
Asheville Adventure Center
If you want to head towards the mountains for outdoor adventures with your teen, then check out Asheville Adventure Center. It includes Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures, KOLO Bike Park, KidZip, and Wildwater Rafting. Cost varies by activity.
Explore the Waterfalls Near Greenville
I don’t care how old you are – waterfalls never go out of style! Take your teen on a day trip to explore the nearby waterfalls and do some hiking. In particular, Chau Ram County Park is a great day trip idea because it takes a little more than an hour, but once you get there, you can hike and swim at Ramsey Creek for just $3.
PS. Be prepared to take plenty of posed waterfall pictures for their Instagram and Snapchat feeds.
Discovery Place in Charlotte
We love Discovery Place in Charlotte! This science museum is tons of fun for kids of all ages. The interactive second floor includes several hands-on opportunities geared at this age group. Teens can lie across a bed of nails, try hydraulic arm wrestling, or compete to see who can build the largest tower. It is also home to an IMAX theatre. The cost is $24 for adults and kids age 2-13 get in for $19.
Visit the Biltmore Estate, Grove Park Inn, or Asheville Retrocade in Asheville
If your teenagers are history or literature fans, a trip to the Biltmore Estate and Grove Park Inn is an absolute must. Both locations are steeped in history and give teens a real-life glimpse into the past. They will enjoy learning about the Vanderbilt Family at the Biltmore and hearing about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time at the Grove Park Inn. The cost to visit the Biltmore Estate varies by season. And if you want to take kids to Biltmore, be sure to review 5 Reasons to Take Your Kids to Biltmore.
For a fun add-on to any trip to Asheville, take the teens to play some old school video games at Asheville Retrocade. It’s just $10/person for all day play.
Carowinds Amusement Park in Charlotte
Carowinds Amusement Park in Charlotte is always a hit with teenagers. Since it is located less than two hours from Greenville, you can make this a day trip. With roller coasters and thrill rides and a waterpark, Carowinds will keep your teen entertained all day long. Also, Scarowinds, Carowinds’s annual Halloween nighttime event, draws the teen crowd. Ticket prices start at $40.
Wilderness Cove Tubing
Located about 45 minutes from Greenville in Saluda is Wilderness Cove Tubing and Campground. Here you can relax and float down the Green River. Since you will be tubing in cool mountain water, this day trip option is only available during the summer season. We also have a huge list of places to go tubing in and near the Upstate over the summer.
Linville Caverns
Another unique day trip option for teens is a visit to Linville Caverns in Marion. Here you will be guided “inside the mountain” and experience the caverns, which stay a cool 52 degrees year-round. The caverns are also home to bats, so you may see some on your visit depending the time of year you go. Since you are allowed to take pictures inside the cave, this is another spot where your teen will ask you to take about a hundred.
Tryon International Equestrian Center
The Tryon International Equestrian Center is located a little less than an hour from Greenville and was home to the FEI World Equestrian Games in September 2018 – a major world equestrian event. For this reason, the arena
Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney Rock State Park is home to Chimney Rock – an amazing peak that tourists can climb to have stunning views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. The state park has miles of trails and stairs to climb. And, if your teen wants to try actual rock climbing and rappelling, they can do it at Chimney Rock. You can book a two-hour, half-day, or full-day climbing adventure.
Hike Table Rock
Table Rock is a short drive from Greenville and offers one of the best hikes around. You could easily spend a day at Table Rock with your teen. Choose one of the many trails to hike, spend some time on the beach, and rent paddle boats.
BMW Factory Tour
We’re lucky to have BMW so close to us, and if you have a teen who loves cars, attending one of the factory tours at BMW would make for a great day trip. They offer a couple of tour options, anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Be sure to make your appointment because we’ve heard the tours fill up rather quickly.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is roughly 2 hours from the Upstate and would make a great day trip with teens. With thousands of animals and a large number of exhibits, you could spend half a day at the aquarium. The dolphin viewing area will give your teen their photo opp. You could even swim with whales, sharks, and manna rays during your visit. Read our full review of the Georgia Aquarium.
Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville, NC is located about an hour away from Greenville and offers plenty of things to do on your day trip with your teen. If it’s fall, you could visit an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. There’s an aquarium, too. Or if you have a teen who loves views, a visit to Jump Off Rock would be fun. Play all day at the Appalachian Pinball Museum. Or, just walk around downtown Hendersonville, grab lunch somewhere, and then have a fun afternoon activity before heading home. Take a look at all the things you can do in Hendersonville.
Day Trip to Athens, GA
Athens, GA is only a couple of hours from the Upstate. Home to the Georgia Bulldogs, it has a great downtown area full of retail stores and restaurants. Spend a day in Athens with your teen walking around the University of Georgia campus and wandering around downtown. We have an entire guide to your day trip to Athens.
Do you have a day trip for teens idea to add to our list?
