If you’re an explorer, then you love a nice afternoon drive on a beautiful country road. Fortunately, South Carolina is an explorer’s paradise! From the winding mountain roads in the Upstate to the oak tree lined roads in the Lowcountry, the Palmetto State is truly a beautiful place to take a drive off the beaten path. If you’ve been searching for scenic roads in SC, these breathtaking scenic drives in South Carolina meander through all sorts of picture-perfect country backroads and oodles of diverse scenery – and they’re the perfect way to start exploring everything SC has to offer!

1. Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway
jlantern3/TripAdvisor
Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, 3671 Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy, Pickens, SC 29671, USA
Flickr/Martin LaBar
The Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway (a.k.a. South Carolina 11) is a great alternative to Interstate 85. It's 118 miles long and is a stunning drive through Cherokee, Spartanburg, Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties.
2. Bohicket Road Scenic Highway - Charleston to Kiawah Island
Flickr/rocor
Bohicket Road, Bohicket Rd, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA
Bohicket Road Scenic Highway
Curtis Wegfahrt/GoogleReviews
Bohicket Marina is on Bohicket Road near the entrance to Kiawah Island. Stop and have lunch at one of the restaurants at the marina.
3. State Road 37-413 near Whitewater Falls Road at the SC/NC border.
Flickr/Brenda Wiley
State Road, State Rd, South Carolina, USA
digidreamgrafix/Getty
SC 37-413 connects SC 107 to Whitewater Falls Road. There's an overlook on this road where you can see Lake Jocassee in the distance. The road is only a few miles long but it's beautiful. Combine this trek with #6 on this list, Falling Waters Scenic Byway from Wahalla to the NC state line.
4. Western York Scenic Byway
Margie Barnett/GoogleReviews
Western York Scenic Byway
Megan Hicks/GoogleReviews
This 66 mile journey through western York County takes you through downtown York and on to historic Brattonsville on a scenic rolling highway. The other end of Western York Scenic Byway is near Smyrna, South Carolina.

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5. Old Sheldon Church Road
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Old Sheldon Church Ruins, Old Sheldon Church Rd, Yemassee, SC 29945, USA
mstgpony68/TripAdvisor
Turn onto Old Sheldon Church Road from Highway 17 in Gardens Corner and a couple of miles ahead on the right you'll find this historic spot: Old Sheldon Church Ruins.
6. Falling Waters Scenic Byway
andrew cofield/GoogleReviews
Walhalla, SC, USA
Bryan Powell/500px/Getty
Falling Waters Scenic Byway is 13 miles long, and begins just north of the Town of Walhalla in Oconee County on SC 107 and goes northward to the North Carolina state line. You'll pass by Issaqueena Falls, Oconee State Park, and many other fantastic stops! Just imagine these beauties in fall...
7. U.S. 76
Sean Pavone/Getty
U.S. 76, US-76, Florence, SC, USA
Mark Mefferd/GoogleReviews
U.S. Route 76 crosses much of the state and has many, MANY scenic segments.
8. Edisto Island National Scenic Byway
Daniela Duncan/Getty
Edisto Island, SC 29438, USA
NorthHatley/Getty
The fantastic Edisto Island National Scenic Byway is an absolute treasure. Tree tunnels, salt marshes, wildlife preserves, pastel colored beach houses... what's not to love?

Have you traveled any of these byways before? These may be some of the best drives in South Carolina, but I know there are plenty more beautiful byways and country roads to enjoy! What scenic roads in South Carolina would you add to the list? Before you head out, make sure you’ve grabbed everything on our road trip packing list.

If you’d like to admire the Palmetto State from a completely different perspective, check out this fantastic helicopter tour!

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Scenic Drives in South Carolina & Related Info

Jennifer | August 16, 2023

Does South Carolina have any scenic byways?

To be fair, the Palmetto State has so much natural beauty that ANY of our roads could be considered scenic! However, South Carolina does have 21 official scenic byways (both national and state), totaling more than 450 miles of coastal, rural, and picture-perfect geologic views in every corner of the state.

  • Ashley River Road
  • Bohicket Road Scenic Byway
  • Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway
  • Cowpens Battlefield Scenic Byway
  • Edisto Beach Scenic Byway
  • Falling Waters Scenic Byway
  • Fort Johnson Road Scenic Byway
  • Hilton Head Island Scenic Byway
  • Long Point Road Scenic Byway
  • Mathis Ferry Road Scenic Byway
  • May River Scenic Byway
  • McTeer Bridge Scenic Byway
  • Old Sheldon Church Scenic Byway
  • Oscar Wigington Scenic Byway
  • Plantersville Scenic Byway
  • Riverland Drive Scenic Byway
  • Savannah River Scenic Byway
  • SC 170 Scenic Byway
  • US 21 Scenic Byway
  • Western York Scenic Byway

 

What are some of the most beautiful places in South Carolina?

Besides all of it? We might be a little bit biased! Some of our favorite beautiful places in South Carolina include:

  • Angel Oak of St. John's Island
  • The Battery in Charleston
  • Caesar's Head State Park
  • Forty Acre Rock, Kershaw
  • Kiawah Island
  • Hunting Island
  • Magnolia Plantation, Charleston

 

...and so many more!

 

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