The Comeback: Happy Trails

Furman University’s campus has often won praise for its signature style, like the Italianate Bell Tower, and its 940 acres of landscaped and natural campus. Architectural Digest put Furman at No. 18 on its list of the most beautiful colleges in America.

The mountain city is her home, and beyond are miles of wild, wooded wonder that await adventurous travelers. Whether you’re a student looking to take in the sights alone or with family and friends, a graduate returning to campus and soaking up the sun or a part of the Furman community relishing the region, there are vistas out there waiting for you.

The Furman University Outdoors Club (FUOC), a student-led campus organization, takes members on outdoor adventures each semester. For anyone wanting to plan a trip of their own, the trail, waterfall, park and campsites recommended below include a few of FUOC’s favorite spots.

HIKING TRAIL

Brissy Ridge Trail, Paris Mountain State Park

10 miles from campus via
U.S. Highway 276 E.

Paris Mountain State Park. Photo courtesy of Discover South Carolina.

This 2.9-mile loop courses through the hills of Paris Mountain State Park. Circling Buckhorn Lake and the creek that feeds it, the trail takes hikers through oak and pine woods lined with mountain laurel and rhododendron that bloom from late spring into early summer.

“But fall is definitely the best time to see it,” says Beppy Badgett ’25, a former FUOC officer. “It’s part of the reason I came to Furman in the first place. The mountains are just awesome in the fall.”

About halfway through the loop, Badgett said hikers will crest a half-ridge that serves as a window over the tree line to a view of woods stretched out to the horizon. In the fall, this sea of green turns a must-see mottled gold.

southcarolinaparks.com/paris-mountain/trails

WATERFALL

Raven Cliff Falls at Caesers Head State Park. Photo courtesy of Discover South Carolina.

Raven Cliff Falls, Caesars Head State Park

28 miles from campus via
U.S. Highway 276 W.

About 50 minutes northwest of campus, near the North Carolina border, a cascade of cool water rushes down the rocky mountainside of Raven Cliff Falls. At about 420 feet, Raven Cliff is South Carolina’s highest waterfall, and a four-mile round-trip hike will take you from the falls’ parking lot up to an overlook with a pristine view of the water wonder below.

Whether you’re bird-watching from the cliffs, taking in the rock outcropping that gives Caesars Head its name or squeezing through the shoulder-wide “Devil’s Kitchen” passageway on your way to the overlook, the park has much to offer any day trippers. Check out the suspension bridge crossing the creek above Raven Cliff Falls while you’re there.

southcarolinaparks.com/caesars-head

PARK

Conestee Nature Preserve

15 miles from campus via
U.S. Highway 276 E.

Conestee Nature Preserve. Courtesy photo.

Conestee Nature Preserve is just a few miles from downtown Greenville, and boasts more than 600 acres of woods, meadows and wetlands to explore.

Conestee pairs its more than 13 miles of hiking and biking trails with pavilions and picnic tables, so guests can get active or sit back and soak in the scenery. Bird-watchers can keep an eye out for more than 200 species of feathered friends, and an online interactive map helps park goers find new adventures and fun activities every trip.

For families, the Nature Playscape is designed to give children a space to plot their own adventures exploring a simulated stream or playing in an area designed to spark their imagination.

conesteepreserve.org

Table Rock State Park. Photo courtesy of Discover South Carolina.

CAMPING

Table Rock State Park

23 miles from campus via
U.S. Highway 276 W.

An iconic landmark and essential stop for anyone interested in one of South Carolina’s most breathtaking vistas, Table Rock State Park spans more than 3,000 acres surrounding one of the state’s tallest peaks – Pinnacle Mountain, at about 3,400 feet.

The park, including its 94 campsites, reopened in April following wildfires in the area. Table Rock features two camping areas with water and electrical hookups, and sites for primitive camping, so you can bring a tent and sleep beneath the stars. For groups looking to enjoy a better-furnished lodging experience, the park also has 14 air-conditioned and heated cabins available for reservation.

southcarolinaparks.com/table-rock