The State Parks located in the Upstate region of South Carolina are ideal for viewing fall foliage, especially those located on Scenic Highway 11. However, there are other great parks throughout the state that also lend themselves to some exceptional leaf peeping. We thought we’d compile a list of best places to view, some traditional and some you might not think of, to help you plan your fall state park vacation most anywhere in the state.
The overlook at Caesars Head State Park has long been known as one of the best locations for viewing fall color in South Carolina. The view is stunning as you stand atop the outcropping and gaze at the Blue Ridge escarpment and Piedmont draped in a canopy of red, gold and yellow, with the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia as a backdrop. Other popular landmarks, resplendent in fall color, are Table Rock, the Table Rock Reservoir, Matthews Creek Valley, and to the southeast, the city of Greenville.
For a really spectacular scene, take a moderately difficult hike through the forests of Caesars Head State Park to the observation platform at Raven Cliff Falls. This beautiful 400-foot cascade set against the backdrop of a forest blanketed in fall color appears as a painting, eternally suspended in time. The more adventurous can cross a suspension bridge and view the falls from above. Whichever you choose, the views from both vantage points are well worth the hike.
A different yet awesome perspective for viewing nature’s unrobing is Jones Gap State Park north of Greenville. Located in a valley with the Middle Saluda River running through it, the Blue Ridge appears as a wall of color stretching up to the sky. Numerous hiking trails and trailside camping allow you to immerse yourself in nature’s beauty.
Near Blacksburg, SC, Kings Mountain State Park offers a number of venues for viewing fall color. Trails of all types - from hiking and nature to equestrian – traverse the parks rolling hills where hardwoods offers autumn’s colorful showcase close up. The park’s Living History Farm also is a visual masterpiece when draped in fall color. Visit the park for a day or reserve one of the many campsites for an overnight stay.
Located in the South Carolina Piedmont, Chester State Park has long been a haven for hiking, picnicking and fishing, and there’s no more beautiful season at Chester than fall. Admire the blanket of color from a boat on the park lake, hike a trail, or just sit back and relax at your campsite. Centrally located between Columbia and Charlotte, NC, a weekend camping getaway to Chester may be just what you’re looking for this autumn.
A trip to Poinsett State Park, located just outside of Sumter in the South Carolina Midlands, will make one think they’ve escaped to the South Carolina Mountains. After traveling through a pine forest to enter the park, you will be pleasantly surprised by a habitat of mountain laurel, rhododendron and mixed hardwoods, all ablaze in fall color. The overlook shelter provides a beautiful vista of the surrounding forest. If a more active approach to viewing fall color is your style, try one of the many trails at Poinsett that offer hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities. Of course there are many, many more vantage points and parks in South Carolina that provide awesome vistas of fall color. We hope you find yourself in a state park this autumn.