If your vacation plans include hiking and biking in South Carolina's Upcountry, you'll want to visit two websites offering information on virtually every dirt footpath and paved pathway from Gaffney to Mountain Rest.
BikeUpcountrySC.com and SCtrails.net feature a comprehensive list of trails traversing urban centers, small towns, state parks and some of South Carolina's most remote wilderness areas. Both offer options for outdoor adventurers of every skill level from beginner to adrenaline junkie.
The user-friendly Upcountry biking site makes it easy to choose just the right ride to suit your interests and abilities. To start, click on one of three categories: road, leisure or mountain.
Under road, you'll find scenic routes, group rides, multiday trips and biking events, including the famed Assault on Mt. Mitchell, a one-day, 102-mile challenge ride from Spartanburg to the highest peak in the east. The listing also includes two popular paved pathways - the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail, running between Greenville and Travelers Rest, and the Doodle Trail, connecting the towns of Easley and Pickens.
Those looking for a leisure ride can choose from paved rail-to-trail pathways to park trails to a Revolutionary War battlefield site. In addition, this category provides information on local bike shops, rental outfitters and BCycle rental stations in downtown Spartanburg and Greenville.
For mountain bikers, the website includes 18 different venues ranging from an easy two-mile, single-track nature path in downtown Greenville's Cleveland Park to a 40-mile trail system in the Clemson Experimental Forest. Also included are two popular off-road bike parks - Town Creek in Pickens and Gateway Park in Travelers Rest, each boasting their own set of exciting features.
The newly updated SCtrails.net website is another great resource for biking trails, as well as trails for hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and off-roading. It includes trails all across the state from the Upcountry to the Lowcountry and allows users to filter their search by activity, level of difficulty and location.
A search of hiking trails in Oconee County, for instance, will pop up 74 different options, including a couple dozen trails that will take you to beautiful waterfalls. Among the falls are Falls Creek, Yellow Branch, Issaqueena, Riley Moore, Blue Hole, Station Cove, Reedy Branch, Spoonauger, Licklog and Pigpen.
Each entry incudes the length and difficulty of the trail, special features, photos, a map of the trail, GPS coordinates, directions to the trailhead and camping options.
