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Pleasant Ridge County Park
November 16 @ 10:30 am - 4:30 pm
Pleasant Ridge County Park
Greenville County, SC
4232 HWY-11, Slater-Marietta, SC
GPS COORDINATES: 35.0913, -82.4811
November 16, 2024 – 10:30am to 4:00pm
Welcome to Northern SC! This November, we will SCAN Pleasant Ridge County Park within the Blue Ridge Foothills in northern Greenville County. This 272-acre preserve was first developed by the SC Forestry Commission and SC Parks, Recreation, & Tourism in the 1950’s to promote tourism in the Upstate and to provide recreation opportunities for the region’s African American community. In 1985 the State decided that other nearby State Parks, like Jones Gap, were capturing most of the tourism traffic in the region and so offered Pleasant Ridge to Greenville County Rec. The property has since transitioned to a County Park.
Pleasant Ridge County Park has plenty to explore. There are several trails to hike of varying difficulties. These trails are popular for birding, hiking, and mountain biking. There is a 4-acre lake with a wetland and Mill Creek to scout, trees are still displaying some fall leaf color, a few late autumn flowers are showing off, and you can learn about the Cherokee people in SC from the park’s interpretation. There is also a female white squirrel roaming the woods, just waiting for a photo op with you!
Restrooms are available on site. The park took a substantial hit from Hurricane Helene in September and is still cleaning up storm damage. This limits some of the trails we can access but the park is still open with plenty of hiking opportunities. More information about the park can be found on the County’s website.
The park is located right off Highway 11, about halfway between Route 276 and Route 25 and just 12 miles north of Traveler’s Rest, SC. We will meet at the Shelter #2 parking area, located on the far, east side of the lake. Meeting Location: 35.0913, -82.4811
If you’re spending an extra day or two in the piedmont and have some extra time, I also recommend exploring Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve or MacGregor Orchard. Both are just a few miles away.
Rita Zollinger, Northern Regional Director
http://www.scnaturalists.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SCAN-2024-November-Newsletter-PUBLIC.pdf