- Table Rock State Park – granite dome, Foothills Trail western terminus, cabins, campground
- Caesars Head State Park – Blue Ridge escarpment vistas, Raven Cliff Falls overlook
- Jones Gap State Park – Middle Saluda back-country, Rainbow Falls, trout fishing
- Devils Fork State Park – Lake Jocassee access, paddle-in campsites, SCUBA diving
- Paris Mountain State Park – Greenville’s urban retreat; lake, biking, CCC history
- Croft State Park – former WWII training camp; equestrian & MTB trails, Lake Craig
- Kings Mountain State Park / Kings Mountain National Military Park – battlefield, living-history farm, ridgeline camping
- Musgrove Mill State Historic Site – Revolutionary War battle trails and visitor center
¶ National & Federal Lands
- Sumter National Forest – Andrew Pickens District – Chattooga corridor, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, hunting & fishing
- Chattooga River (National Wild & Scenic) – class IV white-water rafting, back-country campsites
- Sassafras Mountain – highest point in South Carolina; ADA observation tower
- Lake Jocassee
- Lake Keowee
- Lake Hartwell
- Lake Greenwood
- Lake Russell
- Chattooga River
- Saluda River
- Reedy River
- Tyger River
- Broad River
- Pacolet River
- Whitewater Falls – highest waterfall in the eastern United States
- Raven Cliff Falls – 400-foot drop in Caesars Head
- Issaqueena Falls
- Yellow Branch Falls
- Twin Falls
- Lee Falls
- Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area
- Foothills Trail
- Swamp Rabbit Trail
- Table Rock Summit Trail
- Rainbow Falls (Jones Gap)
- Pinnacle Pass Trail
- Paris Mountain State Park
- Pleasant Ridge County Park
- Croft State Park
- Stumphouse Mountain Bike Park
- Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway
- Annual Assault on Mount Mitchell ride
- Cleveland Park – two lighted full courts beneath Camperdown Bridge
- Unity Park – riverside courts beside Swamp Rabbit Trail
- Gower Estates Park – double court shaded by oaks
- Duncan Park – renovated lake-view court
- DG 43 Park (Northside Initiative) – community full courts
¶ Anderson & Oconee Counties
- Kid Venture Park (Anderson) – half-court near playgrounds
- Shaver Recreation Complex (Seneca) – twin lighted courts
- Hagood Park (Easley) – fenced full court; summer 3-on-3 league
- Lake Conestee Nature Preserve – 220+ bird species, boardwalks
- Nine Times Preserve, Ashmore Heritage Preserve, Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
- Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area – winter waterfowl, bald-eagle nests
- Burrells Ford Campground
- dispersed camping in Ellicott Rock Wilderness
- Table Rock State Park
- Keowee-Toxaway State Park
- Croft State Park
- Upstate Forever
- Foothills Trail Conservancy
- South Carolina Native Plant Society
- Clemson Outdoor Recreation & Education|CORE
- Furman Outdoor Club
- Spring (Mar–May): peak wildflowers, high waterfall flow
- Summer (Jun–Sep): heat & humidity, afternoon thunderstorms
- Fall (Oct–Nov): vibrant foliage, active hunting seasons (wear blaze orange)
- Winter (Dec–Feb): mild in the Piedmont, snow/ice possible above 2,500 ft