The city of Greenville grew up around Paris Mountain State Park, about 10 miles west of Greer. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, Paris Mountain draws anglers to its 8-acre lake and to a 15-acre reservoir reached by a 2-mile hike. The park rents kayaks, canoes and pedal boats during the spring and fall, and 15 miles of hiking and biking trails wind through the woods. A group lodge surrounded by primitive cabins sleeps up to 40. The developed campground has paved sites for RVs, with water and electric hookups, as well as tent sites.
Named for the huge rock outcropping in the Blue Ridge Mountains that rises 3,208 feet above the surrounding forest, Caesars Head State Park, 35 northwest of Greer, is part an 11,000-acre mountain wilderness. Trails lead into the woods, to a suspension bridge over 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls and to the top of the peak, where visitors can watch for hawks in the fall. Black bears roam the woods, and Peregrine falcons swoop through the sky in search of prey. The park has no developed campground, but tent camping is allowed in designated backcountry sites. A long-distance hiking trail leads to the adjacent Jones Gap State Park.
The Middle Saluda River, South Carolina’s first designated scenic river, flows through Jones Gap and Caesars Head state parks, providing anglers the opportunity to cast a lure in hopes of catching a trophy trout. Midway between the two parks, a roadside overlook has views of Upper and Lower Wildcat Falls, and Jones Gap State Park is home to five cascades, including Falls Creek Falls, Rainbow Falls and Silver Steps Falls. Like Caesars Head, all of the campsites at Jones Gap are trailside or in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area backcountry. The Foothills Trail, a 77-mile-long hike along the Blue Ridge, passes through Jones Gap and Table Rock State Park.
Bass and catfish teem in Table Rock State Park’s two lakes. Lake Oolenoy has an accessible fishing pier, and boat rentals are available at Pinnacle Lake. The park, a few miles west of Caesars Head, has a sandy swimming beach, play areas and hiking trails leading to the summits of Table Rock and Pinnacle Mountain. Table Rock Lodge, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is the site of “Music on the Mountain,” monthly bluegrass music jam sessions featuring local musicians performing on acoustic instruments. The park has rustic cabins and two campgrounds that have sites with water and electrical hookups suitable for tents or RVs.
