Free Places to Explore Near Greenville

Traveling anywhere can get expensive, especially when you are traveling with family. My family and I spent Christmas near Greenville, South Carolina and were amazed by what we saw! We had no idea there were so many beautiful places around the area! So we decided to spend out days exploring the natural beauty of the area rather than getting sucked into the hustle of the holidays. So if you are looking for a similar getaway, here are 5 Free Places to Explore Near Greenville, SC:

The Pretty Place

Officially the Fred W. Symmes Chapel, this hidden gem has earned itself a more commonly used name on the map. It is legendary for its sunrise landscape, but we found it to be quite amazing on a foggy morning too. It is a tucked a away location on top of a hill with pews to rest and take it all in. It was pretty chilly considering we went in December, so I hope to return in a warmer month soon.

Twin Falls

This trail made me feel like I was in a fairytale! It is only 0.7 miles when you take the lower trail. The stroll there was moderately easy and completely gorgeous! The is a lookout stand when you arrive to get the best view. It was also fascinating to see how parts of the fall/river were frozen due to the time of year, it provided tons of fascinating ice patterns and textures.

Bald Rock Heritage Preserve

This location was a spontaneous detour we took on the way back down the hill from The Pretty Place. Although it is hard to see it’s appeal from the road, once you cross the little bridge over the brook, it is utterly majestic. The mountain was made completely of rock and had tons of cool graffiti on it. From the rock you can look over tons of other mountains and trees, plus the fog made us feel like we were above the clouds. It’s a super fun and secluded spot to explore and take pictures!

Lake Keowee

The place we stayed was right along Lake Keowee so we decided to walk around and take an excursion to the marina. The water was so blue I was in shock and I could not get over how perfect the sun sparkled off the water! It was a peaceful place to sit and reflect. With the locals, there is a famous large rock in the middle of the lake that people like to boat over to and jump off in the summer time… SO FUN!

Lake Jocassee

This was similar to Lake Keowee in the sense that it was so insanely blue! We drove over to Devil’s Fork State Park to get a good view and were not disappointed. There was a playground, picnic tables, and tons of waterfalls you can explore by boat! It was pretty cold that day so the picture depicts how close I was willing to get to the water.

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More photos from this destination can be found in the “Travel gallery” tab