South Carolina Road Trip Ideas: 11 Best Road Trips + Itinerary
Jackie Ann
Author
Road trips are the best way to see the sights in South Carolina. The Palmetto State’s dreamy scenic roads make for the best road trips, and since you’ve got your own wheels, you’re not tied to a specific schedule…you can make as many stops as you want! If you want to fill your calendar with epic road trips, but you’re not sure where to go, then the best road trips in South Carolina are just what you’re looking for. The following are just 11 of our favorite South Carolina road trip ideas.
Table of Contents
1-Day Road Trip In South Carolina
- Route: Dawhoo River Bridge > King’s Farm Market > Edisto Island Museum > Presbyterian Church > Botany Bay > Edisto Beach State Park
- Distance: 17 miles
- Trip Time: One Day
This quick and easy road trip in South Carolina takes you through Edisto Island, stopping off at some of the most popular attractions along the way. From gift shops to ghosts, this one-day road trip includes a little bit of everything, including a beach stroll along Botany Bay Beach.
3-Day Weekend Road Trip In South Carolina
- Route: Long Shoals Road > Keowee Toxaway State Park > Riley Moore Falls > Westminister > Chau Ram County Park
- Distance: 41 miles
- Trip Time: 1.5 hours
This three-day road trip in South Carolina takes you to some of our favorite swimming holes where you can splash the day away. With just 41 miles between locations, this is one of the best road trips in South Carolina where you won’t be spending too much time in the car driving to all the sights.
Sunrise to Sunset Road Trip
- Route: Huntington State Park > Brookgreen Gardens > Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk > The Claw House > Garden City Pier
- Distance: 12 miles
- Trip Time: 35 minutes
This road trip may clock in at a mere 12 miles, but it’s chock full of some of the best places to see the sunrise and sunset in South Carolina. This is one road trip you’ll want to get an early start for, but once you see the sun coming up over the horizon at Huntington Beach Start Park, you’ll be pumped up and ready to tackle the rest of the amazing stops along the way.
Haunted South Carolina Road Trip
- Route: Gist Bridge > Crybaby Bridge > Graniteville Cemetery > Julia Legare’s tomb > Jacksonboro Light > Battery Carriage House > Alice Flagg’s Grave
- Distance: 403 miles
- Trip Time: 8.5 hours
Are you a believer in the paranormal? Well, you might be after taking this legendary haunted road trip to some of South Carolina’s most notoriously haunted sites. Since the road trip is a bit long for one day, be sure to book a room at the Battery Carriage House, also known as 20 South Battery, one of the most haunted places to stay in Charleston.
Best South Carolina Road Trip For Spring
- Route: Wildcat Wayside Falls > Carrick Creek Falls > Twin Falls > Issaqueena Falls > Chau Ram County Park > Cedar Falls > Reedy Falls
- Distance: 189 miles
- Trip Time: 4.5 hours
Spring is the perfect time of year to hit the road, and this lovely road trip in South Carolina takes you to some of our favorite waterfalls in the state. From the tiny and mighty to the towering, 200-foot cascades, seeing these beautiful waterfalls during spring should be on everyone’s bucket list.
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Best Summer Road Trip In South Carolina
- Route: stop 1 > stop 2 > etc
- Distance: 112 miles
- Trip Time: Gaffney > Cowpens National Battlefield > Campbells Covered Bridge > Poinsett Bridge > Long Shoals Wayside Park > Keowee-Toxaway State Park > Chau Ram County Park
Take those lazy summer days and turn them into an epic summer road trip in South Carolina that covers some of the most scenic byways and state parks in the state. This road trip even includes some of our favorite sweet shops along the way, because everyone knows the best road trips always include the best snacks.
Best South Carolina Road Trip For Fall
- Route: South Cove County Park > Stumphouse Tunnel > Oconee Station State Historic Site > Mountain Rest Cafe > Falling Waters Scenic Byway > Moody Spring > Oscar Wigington Overlook >
- Distance: 53 miles
- Trip Time: 1.5 hours
Best Winter Road Trip In South Carolina
- Route: Landsford Canal > Springs Recreation Park > South Carolina State Hospital > Saluda Mill > Building M17, Charleston Navy Base > Fort Freemont >
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What better way to embrace the wintry landscape than embarking on a South Carolina road trip to some of the state’s most iconic abandoned places? From historic sites that were abandoned by the railroad industry to abandoned military bases and hospitals, this road trip takes you to the abandoned side of South Carolina, where Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming her territory.
Family Friendly South Carolina Road Trip
- Route: Winnsboro > Pomaria > Travelers Rest > Walhalla > Central
- Distance: 191 miles
- Trip Time: 4 hours
All aboard! This train-themed road trip is a perfect, family-friendly road trip that’s great for families with kids of all ages. Don’t be fooled, even though this road trip is centered around trains, you’ll be doing the driving here. Of course, you’ll have options to step aboard historic trains like the Rockton, Rion, & Western, South Carolina’s only historic train, but this unique road trip highlights the railroad industry in South Carolina, stopping off at quirky train-themed restaurants, abandoned train tunnels, and a few museums.
Road Trip to South Carolina Landmarks & Natural Wonders
- Route: Edisto Island > Johns Island > Congaree National Park > Forty Acre Rock > Table Rock State Park > Twin Falls
- Distance: 389 miles
- Trip Time: 8 hours
Road Trip to Best Small Towns in South Carolina
- Route: Clemson > Pendleton > York > Cheraw > Newberry > Edgefield > Walterboro > McClellanville
- Distance: 574 miles
- Trip Time: 11 hours
Small towns are the heartbeat of The Palmetto State, and this epic road trip showcases some of our favorite small towns in South Carolina. Starting off in Clemson, which is beautiful year-round, this road trip covers a lot of ground, zig-zagging all over to charming small towns like Cheraw, Newberry, and Walterboro before ending in McClellanville, a tiny but mighty town with a wonderful historic district.
Which South Carolina road trips are you adding to your calendar this year? What do you believe are the best road trips in South Carolina? Let us know in the comments below!
For road trip planning and travel guides, check out OnlyInYourState’s Ultimate Road Trip Packing List. Whether you’re leaving for a single day or a week-long road trip, you can’t forget the snacks: here are 50 on-the-go snack ideas perfect for traveling.
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More to Explore
popular landmarks to visit in South Carolina
What are the most popular landmarks to visit in South Carolina?
South Carolina is peppered with iconic landmarks, no matter what part of the state you’re in. Some of the most popular landmarks in South Carolina include:
Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, Charleston.
Liberty Bridge, Greenville.
Table Rock, Pickens.
Angel Oak, Charleston.
And some of South Carolina’s most popular cities and towns include Hilton Head Island, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach.
You can even take a road trip to some of the most popular landmarks in South Carolina.
What are the most popular state parks to visit in South Carolina?
There are 47 state parks in South Carolina, so it’s natural that some have earned more popularity than others (though all are worth a day trip). Some of the most popular state parks in South Carolina are:
Table Rock State Park, Pickens County, SC.
Caesars Head State Park, Greenville County, SC.
Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort County, SC.
Jones Gap State Park, Greenville County, SC.
Pointsett State Park, Sumter County, SC.
If you want to escape the crowds, check out some of the least-visited state parks in South Carolina. These beautiful parks are a hidden gem worth exploring.
What are the major highways in South Carolina?
Some of the major highways in South Carolina are I-26, I-77, I-85, and I-95, with I-26 being the longest of South Carolina’s interstate highways. Stretching for over 250 miles, South Carolina Highway 9 is the longest state highway, and it runs from Cherry Grove Beach to the North Carolina state line in upstate South Carolina. There are also plenty of scenic byways in South Carolina that’ll still take you from point A to point B, just with a few more hidden gems and small towns along the way.