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Five-Star Trails: South Carolina Upstate
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25 April 2023

Discover 27 five-star hiking trails in northwestern South Carolina, including popular routes and hidden gems.
From its mountains and lakes to its waterfalls and trails, the Upstate is an outdoors lover’s paradise. The trail system is quite extensive, and opportunities range from day hikes to backpacking trips along the Foothills and Appalachian Trails. This diverse geographical wonderland offers a variety of easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes. You can hike through history along Cowpens Battlefield Trail or enjoy the fall colors at Nine Times Preserve. Take the kids to the Croft State Park Nature Trail, or walk your dog on the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in downtown Greenville.
Explore the region’s best, five-star trails with this easy-to-carry and easy-to-use guidebook. In the updated edition, local author and hiking expert Sherry Jackson shares everything you need to know about spectacular outings that lead to mountain panoramas, majestic waterfalls, remote wilderness, and more.
Inside you’ll find:
- Descriptions of 27 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests
- GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads
- Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of each route
- Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children
Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!
Sherry Jackson has a love of travel and exploration that began in childhood, when her family would load up the car on the weekend, pick a destination, and set off. Sherry has hiked through jungles, snorkeled the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, and wandered the streets of Paris, always searching for her next adventure. Growing up in Arizona, she joined her family on hikes into the Superstition Mountains and the Grand Canyon.
Sherry began writing for school newspapers and her own travel journals that portrayed her family’s vacations. As an adult, she settled on a career in information technology—for a while. Today, she’s vice president of content and digital for a local media company in Greenville, South Carolina. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and local publications on topics such as business, travel, technology, and more.
South Carolina Upstate Overview Map
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface
Recommended Hikes
Introduction
Map Legend
Anderson and Oconee Counties
- Bad Creek: Lower Whitewater Falls Trail
- Chau Ram County Park
- Oconee State Park: Old Waterwheel Trail
- Oconee Station: Interpretive Nature Trail and Station Cove Trail
- Winding Stairs Trail
- Yellow Branch Falls
Pickens County
- Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve Trail
- Keowee-Toxaway State Park: Raven Rock Trail
- Nalley Brown Nature Park: Nalley Trail
- Nine Times Preserve
- Table Rock State Park: Carrick Creek Trail
- Table Rock State Park: Table Rock Trail
Greenville County
- Blue Wall Passage of the Palmetto Trail and Waterfall Loop
- Caesars Head State Park: Raven Cliff Falls
- Cedar Falls Park Trail
- Jones Gap State Park: Falls Trail
- Jones Gap State Park: Rainbow Falls Trail
- Lake Conestee Nature Preserve
- Paris Mountain State Park: Brissy Ridge Trail
- Swamp Rabbit Trail: Cleveland Park to Linky Stone Park
Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties
- Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site: British Camp and Battlefield Trails
- Cowpens Battlefield Trail
- Croft State Park Nature Trail
- Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve
- Kings Mountain
- Pacolet River Heritage Trust Preserve: Lawson’s Fork Trail
Appendix A: Outdoor Retailers
Appendix B: Hiking Clubs
Index
About the Author