Greenville's Shaded Playgrounds
Looking for playgrounds in Greenville with some shade? When the dog-days of summer hit, you are going to want to find playgrounds that don’t burn your hands when you touch them or make your children miserable within 10 minutes.
Our list of shaded playgrounds includes parks with covers or mature trees to give your children shade as they play. Keep in mind that the sun’s rays can go through fabric and tree limbs and reflect off of surfaces to damage your skin, so you still need that sunscreen!
Looking for more information about Parks in Greenville? Visit our Ultimate Guide to Parks in Greenville. You’ll find parks by location and amenities like basketball courts, swings and more.
Everyone can take an easy walk to Cedar Falls. There’s also a fun playground and even sand volleyball.
- Sand volleyball, picnic shelter, waterfall, paved trail, green space
- Big playground in the shade
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of Cedar Falls Park.
The city just built three new bridges, a new playground, and a new mini-golf course at the oldest park in Greenville!
- Bridges, creek, paved walking trail, mini-golf
- New playground in the woods, older playground in the sun
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of McPherson Park.
Neighborhood park in Travelers Rest
This park includes:
- Playground
- Shade trees
- Swings
- Benches
This quiet, neighborhood park has a sand pit with a digger, basketball court, swings and a shady playground.
- Basketball, sand pit
- Shady playground, swings
- No restrooms
- Parking area for two cars
The perfect park for a hot day, bring a basketball, ball and glove, or even just a picnic to enjoy by the small playground in this shady, neighborhood park right off Main Street in Greenville.
- Walking trail, picnic shelter, basketball court, baseball diamond
- Shady playground
- No restrooms (unless community center is open)
- Free parking lot
Read our review of North Main Rotary Park.
2023 KABOOM Family Favorites First Place: Best Park 2023 KABOOM Family Favorites Finalist: Outdoor Fun
The newly-renovated Century Park features the fairytale-themed Benson Automotive Kids Planet. Kids Planet is located in the shade and sun and includes:
- Two fence-enclosed age-appropriate play areas
- Misting play area
- Musical activity space
- Ziplines
- Hillside slides
- A ground-level trampoline
- Special needs child/parent swing
- Sno Hut Shaved Ice concession stand
Century Park also offers:
- Paved walking trail, picnic shelters, baseball diamonds, frisbee golf
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Gower Park will be closed for major renovations until 2024.
Don’t miss the cool military tank by the tennis courts at this large, neighborhood park. There’s also a new playground, restroom and even a zip line!
- Zip line, military tank, paved trail for wheels, picnic shelters, enclosed basketball and tennis courts
- New playground and older playground in the shade
- New restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of Gower Estates.
This shaded park is located in Landrum’s business district.
This park includes:
- Green Space
- Grill
- Outdoor Fitness Equipment
- Parking
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Swings
- Trails
Beside the pristine Greer City Stadium, you will find a small playground, green space and small picnic shelter.
- Greer City Stadium, picnic shelter, green space
- Playground
- No restrooms
- Free parking lot at the stadium
Emmanuel Sullivan Sports Complex is also known as Woodside Park. You’ll find an imaginative playground in the middle of this Fountain Inn sports complex. Complete with awnings for shade, restrooms and multiple ball fields, this is a great place to spend an afternoon.
This park includes:
- Shaded playground
- Ground level trampoline
- Imaginative playhouse theme on the playground
- Multiple ball fields, including a special needs field with rubber ground.
This updated park is close to downtown Spartanburg.
This park includes:
- Green Space
- Grill
- Outdoor Basketball Court
- Parking
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
- Swings
- Trails
With a fully-enclosed preschool playground in the shade and a big playground in the sun for the bigger kids, your children will love coming to this park. Bring your wheels and tennis rackets!
- Paved trail for wheels, picnic shelter, tennis courts, baseball diamonds
- Big kid playground in the sun and enclosed, preschool playground in the shade
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of Butler Springs.
Right off the Swamp Rabbit Trail in TR, enjoy dirt-bike trails or playing ball at this shady park.
- Dirt-bike trails, football field, basketball court, baseball diamond
- Playground in the shade
- No restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of Gateway Park.
Bring your bikes for the Swamp Rabbit Trail, visit Major Rudolph Anderson’s Memorial, walk the Fernwood Nature Trail, relax in the Rock Quarry Garden, and play sports at this large park in the city of Greenville. The tennis courts were just resurfaced and a new pickleball court was installed.
- Swamp Rabbit Trail, Rock Quarry Garden, Fernwood Nature Trail, Ramona Graham Fitness Trail, sports, memorials, picnic shelters, pickleball court
- Covered big kid and preschool playgrounds, swings, and climbing structures in the sun
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
2023 KABOOM Family Favorites Finalist: Best Parks
Perfect for a hot day, head to this park for an enclosed playground, bench swings, a paved walking trail or even a train ride.
- Train, paved walking trail
- Shady, enclosed playground
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Read our review of Heritage Park.
This shady playground with lots of swings is surrounded by soccer fields and a paved walking trail.
- Soccer fields, paved trail
- Shady playground, swings
- Restrooms
- Free parking lot
Located in the middle of the Converse Heights neighborhood, this shaded park is enclosed but does not have much parking or any restrooms.
This park includes:
- Green Space
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
- Swings
This shady park is located in Greer and managed by the City of Greer Parks and Recreation Department.
This park includes:
- Outdoor Basketball Court
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
Perfect for a sunny day, Anchor Park at Lake Bowen offers tons of shade and beautiful views with an enclosed playground.
This park includes:
- Boat Ramp
- Fishing
- Grill
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Swings
There’s playground equipment at this small playground that you won’t find many other places.
- Picnic shelter, basketball, baseball
- Small, older playground mainly in the shade
- Restrooms
- Large parking lot
Brookside Forest has a small park set along the trickling stream and under the canopy of large trees.
- Shady picnic spot by a creek
- Shady playground
- No restrooms
- Street-side parking
Set in a quiet, mature neighborhood right inside the City of Greenville, children will love the new playground, swingset and sidewalk for their wheels.
- Swings, sidewalk
- New playground in partial shade, swings in the shade
- No restrooms
- Street-side parking
Read our review of University Park.
With an incredible water park to cool off in during the summer, and a big, sunny playground to warm up in during the winter, this is your year-round destination.
- Otter Creek Waterpark, basketball, tennis, soccer, sand volleyball, picnic shelter
- Sunny playground for preschool and big kids
- No restrooms (outside of the water park)
- Free parking lot
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