There’s many things that make Greenville so great, and one of them is its proximity to so many other cool spots. The options for a fun day trip could be endless, so we put together a few more unique ideas for you for when you’re ready to start venturing out again.
Disclaimer: Note that many of these places may not currently be open. Be sure to check websites before considering a visit.
Only an afternoon free? Explore these close-to-home spots off the beaten path.
Pretty Place aka Symmes Chapel, 100 YMCA Camp Rd., Cleveland, SC 29635
○ Travel Time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
○ Ages: All ages
○ Cost: Free
#ProTip: Get some friends together and watch the sunrise.
Lake Conestee Nature Preserve, 601 Fork Shoals Rd., Greenville, SC 29605
○ Travel Time: 20 minutes
○ Roads: Back roads
○ Ages: All ages
○ Cost: Free
Hang by the river and look out for river otters, beavers, foxes, and more. Trails and walking paths are available as well.
Not afraid of a long drive? Strap the kids in and put on a movie, you’re going on a road trip.
Stumphouse Tunnel Park, Stumphouse Tunnel Rd., Walhalla, SC 29691
○ Travel Time: 1 hour + 15 minutes
○ Roads: Highway
○ Ages: All ages
Built in the 1800s, construction was halted because of the Civil War.
The Button Museum, 55 Joe Dority Rd., Bishopville, SC, 29010
○ Travel Time: 2 hours + 10 minutes
○ Roads: Highways
○ Ages: All ages
A car covered with buttons, a banjo covered with buttons, the doors covered with buttons… you get the picture.
Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden, 145 Broad Acres Rd., Bishopville, SC 29010
○ Travel Time: 2 hours + 12 minutes
○ Roads: Highway
○ Ages: All ages
The fantastical topiary garden contains over 300 plants, mostly rescued from compost piles and meticulously cared for by Pearl himself. You can read a recent article from the Post & Courier about Pearl here.
UFO Welcome Center, 4004 Homestead Rd., Bowman, SC 29018
○ Travel Time: 2 hours + 23 minutes
○ Roads: Interstates to back roads
○ Ages: All ages
Builder Jody Pendarvis lives inside his homemade UFO, which he built to welcome the coming aliens to make them feel at home.
*If you don’t feel like making the trip, check out the video Vice made.
Going on vacation? Ditch the tourist hot spots and explore these places.
The Angel Oak Tree, 3688 Angel Oak Rd., Johns Island, SC 29455
○ Travel Time: 3 hours + 33 minutes
○ Roads: Interstates and back roads
○ Ages: All ages
At almost 500 years old, the sprawling oak tree is South Carolina’s oldest living organism. Its longest branch is 187 feet long.
Morgan Island, Morgan Island, Beaufort County, SC, 29920
○ Travel Time: 4 hours + 11 minutes
○ Roads: Interstates to roads to a ferry
○ Ages: All ages
The no-humans-allowed island (but you can grab a boat ride around the island) is home to thousands of medical research monkeys. Interested in reading up on the history behind this monkey island? Click the link here.
Dafuskie Island, Depart from 18 Simmons Rd., Hilton Head, SC 29926
○ Travel Time: 4 hours + 20 minutes
○ Roads: Interstates to roads to a ferry (golf carts are available to rent on the island to explore)
○ Ages: All ages
Only accessible by boat, the island is home to descendants of freed slaves and inspired Pat Conroy’s iconic novel The Water is Wide.
Edisto Serpentarium, 1374 Highway 174 Edisto Island, SC 29438
○ Travel Time: 3 hours + 39 minutes
○ Roads: Interstates and roads
○ Ages: All ages
Alligators, African tortoises, and venomous snakes are just a few of the species housed at Edisto’s serpentarium.
