Hiking Around Greenville, SC with Toddlers and Young Children

Want to hike with toddlers and young children near Greenville, SC? Here’s a great list of the best hikes in and around Greenville for toddlers. Explore the list to find trails that are perfect for little ones in the Upstate. Hiking with young children is possible!

Looking for more places to hike with the family? Don’t miss our HUGE Greenville Area Hiking Guide.

Greenville and the Upstate have some great hiking spots with beautiful trails, scenic views, mountains, creeks, and waterfalls. And there are even several trails that are perfect hikes for toddlers and young kids.

Until I became involved with Hike it Baby Greenville, it never occurred to me that I could hike with toddlers, let alone babies. While I can wear my little one, my three-year-old doesn’t like to ride in backpacks. He prefers to walk, though he’s little and can’t walk far. And he can’t hike anything too rugged. Luckily, there are still plenty of trails we can hike together.

The list below includes wonderful unpaved trails that are short and easy and perfect introductory hikes for toddlers, early walkers, and young kids new to hiking! For important tips on recreating responsibly, please see this story on the seven Leave No Trace principles.

See our full list of hikes near Greenville, SC

Hiking With Toddlers Near Greenville: Quick Facts

• Where: Greenville and the South Carolina Upstate, plus day-trip trails in western North Carolina.
• Best ages: Toddlers, early walkers, and young kids new to hiking — the trails below run from 0.25 to about 4 miles, so you can match the hike to the kid.
• Best first hike for ages 2–4: Lake Placid Trail at Paris Mountain State Park — a 0.75-mile loop around the lake with bridges, docks, and benches to rest on.
• Shortest options: Hooker Falls (0.25 mile), Campbell’s Covered Bridge (0.5 mile), Lake Placid Trail and the Hagood Mill nature trail (0.75 mile), Wildcat Wayside (0.8 mile round trip).
• Free to visit: Conestee Nature Preserve (free, $3 per person suggested donation), Keowee-Toxaway State Park, the grounds and trails at Hagood Mill (free except during Third Saturday events), and the trails at the Carl Sandburg Home.
• What it costs elsewhere: Paris Mountain and Table Rock state parks $6 adults / $3.50 ages 6–15 / free ages 5 and under; Musgrove Mill $3 adults / $1 ages 6–15; Chau Ram Park $5 parking; Pearson’s Falls $10 per person with ages 12 and under free.
• Season: Year-round, though sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway close in winter for snow and ice.
• Closed or limited right now (September 2026): Crabtree Falls is still closed from Hurricane Helene damage; Rough Ridge (Parkway milepost 302.8) is closed for a construction project; Table Rock’s Nature Center and trailhead restrooms are closed for construction, with temporary trail access from the Concessions Area; Pearson’s Falls has reopened but is reservation-only, Thursday through Saturday.
• Find a hiking buddy: Hike it Baby Greenville on Facebook.

17+ Great Hikes for Toddlers Near Greenville and the Upstate

Lake Placid Trail at Paris Mountain State Park

This is a simple trail through the wooded park that passes the lake, dam, and waterfall and ends at the docks. When you drive into the park, the lake is just to your right and the parking lot is the first lot on your left.

The Lake Placid trail is a 0.75-mile loop around the lake. There are bridges, docks, and benches to rest if necessary. There is an entrance fee to enter Paris Mountain if you don’t have a South Carolina Park Passport. Admission is $6 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 6–15, and free for kids 5 and under.

Learn more about Paris Mountain in our review.

Paris Mountain State Park
2401 State Park Road
Greenville, SC
864-244-5565

Wildcat Wayside

This is one of my favorite places to hike and explore with my little guys. The waterfall, swimming hole, and trail are right off SC 11 in Cleveland. There are stone steps leading up to the trails, and the Wildcat Wayside loop is an easy 0.8-mile round trip.

Heading north on US 276, the trail and pull-off parking are on the right side of the road. There is a brown wooden sign that says Wildcat Wayside, but it is easy to miss. It’s about five miles north of the 276/11 intersection.

While many readers love this particular trail, others have noted that there are steep drops along the trail that could be worrisome while hiking with smaller children. Always use caution and make your own determination about safety when hiking any trail.

Wildcat Wayside
US 276/SC 11
Cleveland, SC

Conestee Nature Preserve (formerly Lake Conestee Nature Park)

Conestee Nature Preserve — formerly Lake Conestee Nature Park — on Mauldin Road in Greenville is a great introduction to hikes for toddlers. With a combination of paved trails, unpaved trails, and wooden walkways, plus a wildlife habitat, this is a wonderful place.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $3 per person, and the Preserve is open sunrise to sunset daily. It has two Learning Loop trails as well as numerous benches and observation areas. The trails are beautifully maintained and well-marked. With forest and wetlands, there is a diverse wildlife population including beavers, river otters, deer, snakes, and more than 150 types of birds.

There is also a playground near the entrance to the trails — it belongs to Conestee Park, the Greenville County park you park in to reach the Preserve. Inside the Preserve, the Nature Playscape is open Tuesday through Sunday and is full of interactive features built for little kids.

Conestee Nature Preserve
840 Mauldin Rd
Greenville, SC
864-277-2004

Yellow Branch Falls

This is a moderate three-mile round trip hike near Walhalla with a beautiful waterfall payoff. Parking is trailside on the road. This one is fairly popular so try to get there early in the day to get a parking spot.

To find the trail, start at the Yellow Branch Picnic Ground in Sumter National Forest, just south of Stumphouse Tunnel Rd on Hwy 28. Use the short Nature Trail to make your way to the Yellow Branch Falls Trail.

Riverbend Equestrian Park

The sweet horses and nature trail that weaves through the woods are big reasons why this place is so awesome. When you enter the park, go left and park near the stables. The entrance to the nature trail is to the right of the parking area. Andrea Beam has some great photos and tips about this cool park.

Riverbend Equestrian Park is on 75 acres and across from Furman Golf Course. The trail loops around and might be too long for some little hikers. But a shortened hike paired with visiting some horses makes for a perfect outing.

Riverbend Equestrian Park
175 Riverbend Rd
Greenville, SC

Hagood Mill

Hagood Mill in Pickens has a beautiful 0.75 mile nature trail as well as lots of interesting historical buildings such as a blacksmith shop, gristmill, and moonshine distillery to check out. The grounds, outdoor exhibits, and hiking trails are open to the public every day. The mill interior, gift shop, and Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site keep set operating hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free except during Third Saturday events. The nature trail is beautiful and short enough for little walkers to manage. When we went the trail was very shady.

Hagood Mill Historic Site
138 Hagood Mill Rd
Pickens, SC
864-898-2936

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site

Located in Clinton, SC, there are two trails at Musgrove Mill. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6–15, and free for kids 5 and under. You can see both trails on the park’s official trail page.

British Camp Trail

The British Camp Trail is a 1-mile, easy loop. The trailhead is off the parking lot near the Visitor Center, and the walk takes you through a lovely meadow as well as scenic views of the Enoree River.

Battlefield Trail

The Battlefield Trail is 1.5 miles and rated moderate — a bit more than the British Camp Trail, so plan accordingly with little legs. It begins at the parking lot on Horseshoe Falls Road, with the first 0.1 mile on a paved accessible walkway, and is mostly wooded, winding along the site of a Revolutionary War battlefield. The falls are a nice spot to cool off after a hike on a hot day.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site
398 State Park Rd
Clinton, SC
864-938-0100

Table Rock State Park

Two options at Table Rock State Park are the Lakeside Trail and the Carrick Creek Loop.

Lakeside Trail

The Lakeside Trail begins at the main parking lot and is a 1.9-mile loop around Pinnacle Lake with stunning views of Table Rock. It might be too long for young toddlers, but it’s great for confident walkers.

Carrick Creek Trail

The Carrick Creek Trail is a 2-mile loop that starts near the Nature Center, across the street from the parking lot. You’ll hike along multiple cascading waterfalls and through the forest. This hike includes some altitude, so young toddlers may need to be carried or in a hiking pack for parts of it.

You’ll have to pay an entrance fee to the park if you don’t have a Park Passport. Admission is $6 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 6–15, and free for kids 5 and under.

Heads up for fall 2026: Table Rock started construction on a new Nature Center deck and a Carrick Creek Falls access improvement project on July 27, 2026. The Nature Center and the trailhead restrooms are closed to the public until that work wraps up. Follow the arrows through the parking lots to the Concessions Area to register for hiking, use the restrooms, and reach the temporary trail access point.

Table Rock State Park
158 E Ellison Ln
Pickens, SC
864-878-9813

Kings Mountain National Military Park

The Battlefield Trail at Kings Mountain National Military Park on the SC/NC border is paved and is an easy 1.5-mile loop. It’s great for kids, plus a fascinating history lesson about the battle that took place there during the American Revolution on October 7, 1780.

Kings Mountain National Military Park
2625 Park Rd
Blacksburg, SC
864-936-7921

Campbell’s Covered Bridge

Campbell’s Covered Bridge is in Landrum and includes an easy and scenic 0.5-mile trail at the only covered bridge left in South Carolina. This hike is great for hot days as there is a perfect spot for wading near the bridge.

Campbell’s Covered Bridge
171 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd
Landrum, SC

Roper Mountain Science Center

Don’t forget about this Greenville gem, the Roper Mountain Science Center. There are paved nature trails through the grounds.

Roper Mountain Science Center
402 Roper Mountain Road
Greenville, SC
864-355-8900

Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve

The Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve is a beautiful 1.25-mile trail in Travelers Rest, SC. This heritage preserve was created to help protect the federally endangered bunched arrowhead plant. This trail is mostly level and shaded with some fun little wooden boardwalks.

See the SCDNR public lands map for a map and directions.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park

The Natural Bridge-Raven Rock Trail is a really fun trail for kids. There are waterfalls and the hike overlooks Lake Keowee, which is beautiful. It’s about a four-mile hike in total and the park rates it moderate to strenuous, so it’s a big outing for little ones. Admission to the park is free.

Toddlers will likely need to be carried for most of this hike, especially the Raven Rock Trail section. Take care at the overlook as the rock is smooth and has an abrupt drop-off.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park
108 Residence Dr
Sunset, SC
864-868-2605

Station Cove Falls

The Station Cove Falls Trail is 1.5 miles and leads to a stepped 60-foot waterfall. It’s at the Oconee Station State Historic Site and is an easy trail that’s perfect for little kids.

Oconee Station State Historic Site
State Rd S-37-95
Walhalla, SC

Blue Wall Preserve

The preserve is close to Greenville, less than an hour away, and is a great trail for kids. There is hardly any elevation, and if you take the Twin Ponds lollipop loop trail, you’ll see two ponds and a waterfall. The leaves here in the fall are also stunning. The trail is around 3.5 miles.

Twin Ponds Trail at Blue Wall Preserve
Landrum, SC

Cedar Falls Park

Cedar Falls is a Greenville County Park in Fountain Inn with both paved and nature trails. The longest is only 1.5 miles and includes a beautiful waterfall with a little sandy area for kids to play in (watch for trash and glass though). Don’t let kids play in the water, though — Greenville County Rec has a standing swimming advisory for the Reedy River here because bacteria and pollution levels exceed state safety standards, and contact with the water can make you sick.

Cedar Falls Park
201 Cedar Falls Rd
Fountain Inn, SC

Chau Ram Park

There are several easy trails that are great hikes for toddlers across the bridge at Chau Ram Park in Oconee County. It’s also a fun place to cool off in the summer since there’s a little sandy beach. There’s also a $5 parking fee.

Chau Ram Park
1220 Chau Ram Park Rd
Westminster, SC
864-647-9286

Great Hikes for Toddlers and Young Kids in Western North Carolina

Catawba Falls Trail

Catawba Falls Trail is east of Asheville and is a fantastic trail for families because it’s not long and ends at a stunning waterfall, like spectacularly stunning. The total mileage is around three miles, and it’s a moderate trail.

Catawba Falls Trailhead
3074 Catawba River Rd
Old Fort, NC

Glassy Mountain Trail at the Carl Sandburg Home

Located on the grounds of the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, NC, the Glassy Mountain Trail is rated easy to moderate and climbs about a mile to the top of the mountain. The view is beautiful. You can also hike along the other trails on the vast property and even pet and play with goats at the barn, all for free. One tip straight from the park: it is a 0.7-mile walk from the main lot to the Main House and barn area, and families with babies and toddlers can instead park at the hikers lot at 1928 Little River Rd and walk up Carl Sandburg Lane, a gravel lane that is easier to manage with a stroller.

Carl Sandburg Home
1800 Little River Rd
Flat Rock, NC
828-693-4178

Moore Cove Falls

Take US 276 out of Brevard, NC, and enjoy two waterfalls with easy access. You can see Looking Glass Falls from the road, but you can also walk down the steps to get a closer look.

Drive a bit farther and you will find a small parking area by a stone bridge. Take the easy, 1.5-mile round trip trail to Moore Cove Falls where you can walk behind the waterfall!

Crabtree Falls [STILL CLOSED DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE DAMAGE]

This waterfall right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in McDowell County is stunning. It’s totally worth the drive up there and is about 2.5 miles round trip. Please note: as of September 2026 the National Park Service still lists the Crabtree Falls trail (milepost 339.5) as closed because of damage and safety hazards from Hurricane Helene, so save this one for a future trip and check the Parkway trail status page before going.

Hooker Falls

Located in Dupont State Forest in Cedar Mountain, NC, a 0.25 mile hike will take you to Hooker Falls, which is also a great spot to wade in the water. Dupont is very popular, so it gets very crowded. Get there early if you plan to go.

Dupont State Forest
1300 Staton Road
Cedar Mountain, NC

Pearson’s Falls [REOPENED JULY 2026 – RESERVATIONS REQUIRED]

Good news: after nearly 20 months of restoration following Hurricane Helene, Pearson’s Falls & Glen reopened on July 24, 2026. Located in Saluda, NC, the trail through this privately owned botanical preserve runs about a quarter mile from the entrance to the falls and is rated easy to moderate, with several inclines, a few steps, and bridges along the way.

A few things have changed since the reopening, so read this before you load up the car. The preserve is open for reserved general admission on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only, and reservations are required! Tickets are sold in advance through the preserve’s website, and there are no walk-ups.

Admission is $10 per person, and children 12 and under are free, with a limit of three children age 12 and under per adult. You must enter within 30 minutes of your reservation time. All guests need to be off the property by 5 p.m., no pets are allowed, and it’s pack-in/pack-out with no trash cans on site. Road work in the area can still cause detours and delays, so check the website and your map app before you head out.

Pearson’s Falls and Glen
2748 Pearson Falls Rd
Saluda, NC
828-749-3031

Blue Ridge Parkway

There are lots of great, easy hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway, like Graveyard Fields, but during the winter, many parts close because of snow or ice. Some of our favorite places to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway are Black Balsam Knob (incredible 360-degree views), Rough Ridge near Grandfather Mountain, and Frying Pan Fire Tower.

Please note that Helene recovery and construction are still affecting big stretches of the Parkway. Rough Ridge at milepost 302.8 is currently closed for a Great American Outdoors Act project, and the section from US 276 north of Graveyard Fields to Forest Service Road 816 (the Black Balsam access) is affected by road closures. Frying Pan Mountain near milepost 408.5 is open for hiking. Because this changes often, check the Parkway road status page the morning you go.

Tips for hiking with toddlers and young children

Go at their pace and let them wander, explore, and stop.

Lower your expectations because unexpected things can happen on the trails. They get tired, they get cranky, you get cranky, the trail is closed, etc.

Be prepared to turn back if your kids get tired.

Be sure to bring snacks, water, and sunscreen.

Keep your kids within sight at all times. Letting them explore is great, but keep them close enough so if there’s a bear or loose dog or snake, you can be there to intervene.

Hike with others! Hike it Baby Greenville is a great way to find hikes or urban strolls, as well as meet other families who enjoy exploring the outdoors. For more information, check out Hike it Baby Greenville on Facebook.

Hiking With Toddlers Near Greenville: FAQ

How far can a toddler actually hike?

Start short and let the trail be the fun part rather than the goal. The shortest hikes on this list are a good place to begin: Hooker Falls is about a quarter mile, Campbell’s Covered Bridge is a half mile, and the Lake Placid loop at Paris Mountain and the nature trail at Hagood Mill are each about 0.75 mile. Go at your child’s pace, plan to stop often, and be ready to turn back.

What is the best first hike for a two- or three-year-old near Greenville?

The Lake Placid Trail at Paris Mountain State Park is our pick. It’s a 0.75-mile loop around the lake that passes the dam and waterfall and ends at the docks, with bridges and benches along the way for rest stops. Park admission is $6 for adults, $3.50 for ages 6–15, and free for kids five and under.

Which of these hikes are free?

Conestee Nature Preserve is free with a suggested $3 per person donation, Keowee-Toxaway State Park has free admission, the grounds and hiking trails at Hagood Mill are free except during Third Saturday events, and the trails at the Carl Sandburg Home are free. Greenville County parks like Cedar Falls Park, Campbell’s Covered Bridge, and Riverbend Equestrian Park are also free to visit.

Do I need a reservation for any of these hikes?

Yes, for one. Pearson’s Falls & Glen reopened in July 2026 with a reservation-only system: it’s open Thursday through Saturday, tickets must be bought in advance online, there are no walk-ups, admission is $10 per person with ages 12 and under free, and each adult may bring up to three children age 12 and under.

Which trails on this list are closed right now?

As of September 2026, Crabtree Falls remains closed from Hurricane Helene damage, and Rough Ridge at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 302.8 is closed for a construction project. At Table Rock State Park the Carrick Creek and Lakeside trails are open, but the Nature Center and trailhead restrooms are closed for construction and hikers register at the Concessions Area instead. Trail status in the mountains changes often, so check the official park or forest page before you drive.

What should I bring when hiking with a toddler?

Snacks, water, and sunscreen are the essentials, plus a carrier or hiking pack for the stretches where little legs give out. Keep kids within sight the whole time, and read up on the seven Leave No Trace principles before you go.