40+ Ways to Get Outside in GVL

August 14, 2019
Life in Greenville

Greenville is a great place to train to be a resident.  The clinical experience is excellent, the city is charming, and the food is immaculate.  However, the upstate is also a veritable playground for the outdoor enthusiast.  Within a two hour drive of downtown there are hundreds of outdoor opportunities.  The upstate is a destination outdoor stop in its own right, but nestled in the corner of the state, Greenville also offers easy access to all of western North Carolina and the upstate of Georgia.  Several of the Southeast’s best beaches are just a short drive away. 

Whether your outdoor interests include hiking, camping, climbing, or paddling, the upstate has you covered.  South Carolina’s famous Blue Wall escarpment rises 2000 feet, and is within eyesight of downtown.  The network of upstate lakes provides diving to 300 feet, swimming beaches, and some of the best fishing in the South.  There are national forests, lakes, rivers, mountain scenery, and even snowy slopes that await the outdoor adventurer.  The region is full of both standout and hidden gems, all that is required is an adventuring spirit.

STATE PARKS

Ceasars head

Table rock

Paris Mountain

Jones Gap

Croft State Park

Devils Fork

Oconee State Park

NATIONAL PARKS

Great Smoky Mountain

Congaree National Park

Cowpens National Battlefield

Kings Mountain National Military Park

Ninety Six National Historic Site

Blue Ridge Parkway







TRAILS

Appalachian Trail

Palmetto Trail

Foothills Trail


OTHER OUTDOOR SPACES

Naturaland Trust

Lake Conestee Nature Park

Wildcat Wayside

LAKES

Lake Hartwell

Lake Keowee

Lake Jocassee







RIVERS

Chattooga

Saluda

Reedy

Enoree


PAVED TRAILS

Doodle Trail

Swamp Rabbit Trail

WATERFALLS

South Carolina

North Carolina

Georgia


INDOOR CLIMBING

Climb at Blue Ridge

The Rockoon

Trailhead Climbing

Clemson Fike Recreation Center


OUTDOOR CLIMBING

Big Rock

Jocassee Gorges

Table Rock

Rumbling Bald

Crowders Mountain

Looking Glass Rock



MOUNTAIN BIKING

Pisgah National Forest

Dupont State Forest 

Issaqueena Trails/Clemson Experimental Forest

Pleasant Ridge Park


SNOWSPORTS

Sapphire Valley

Cataloochee

Wolf Ridge

Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing


Nat Mann, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor

USC School of Medicine Greenville

Director of Wilderness Medicine

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