The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway winds 115 miles from the Georgia state line along the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the North Carolina state line. The views are some of the most scenic of the state's rolling hills.
There are plenty of apple orchards, lakes, rivers and streams, but the road is chock-full of historic sites.
Here are some you shouldn't miss.
Cowpens National Battlefield is the location of a key 1781 victory for the revolutionaries, in which Gen. Daniel Morgan handed the dreaded Banastre Tarleton his worst defeat. The park has a walking trail, road tour, picnic area and visitors center.
Cowpens National Battlefield is at 4001 Chesnee Highway, Gaffney, 864.461.2828. Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; free.The Bob Campbell Geology Museum is a self-guided museum with rocks, fossils and Smilodon, a skeletal replica of the saber-toothed lions that once roamed the area. A favorite with kids is the fluorescent room with glowing minerals, a light show and a scavenger hunt.
Bob Campbell Geology Museum is at 150 Discovery Lane, Clemson, 864.656.3311. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday (closed on Clemson football game Saturdays) and 1-5 p.m. Sunday; $3 adults, $2 children; free for children younger than 2.Fort Hill was the home of US Vice President John C. Calhoun before it was passed to his daughter and son-in-law, Thomas G. Clemson. Upon their deaths, the home and surrounding plantation were given to the state of South Carolina for an agricultural college named for the Clemsons. The home is decorated with period furniture and family mementos.
Fort Hill is at 101 Fort Hill St., Clemson, 864.656.2475. Open Monday through Saturday 10-noon and 1-4:30 p.m.; Sunday 2-4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for ages 6-12.
