SC-Upstate-Info.org | Your Source For Upstate Information

Welcome to the Upstate of South Carolina

Welcome to the information gateway for the six counties of Upstate South Carolina as defined by the Appalachian Council of Governments region. The site was created to share information about things to do and see in Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg Counties.

The upstate of South Carolina has a rich an diverse history and is well known for its southern hospitality. In these pages you will find up to date information on recreational activities that abound upstate.

The region known as the Upstate sits at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers an endless supply of recreational opportunities.

Come on in and explore everything that the Upstate has to offer.

Best Coffee Shops in the Upstate

We have focused mainly on outdoors activities in the upstate, but what is better than a good cup of coffee before you go fishing or hiking. Maybe even fill your thermos before you go hunting.

Below you will find our favorite coffee shops in the Upstate!

If we missed your coffee shop just go to our contact page and drop us a line!

Greenville Coffee Shops

Our choice for the best coffee shop in Greenville is:

Coyote Coffee Cafe – 3509 Highway 153, Greenville, SC 29611 – 864-509-0334

Here are some of our other favorites:

Coffee Underground – E Coffee St, Greenville, SC 29601-2704 – 864-298-0494

Spill The Beans – 531 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601-2500 – 864-242-6355

The Chocolate Moose Bakery & Cafe – 130 S Main St, #200, Greenville, SC 29601-2721 – 864-232-2121

Port City Java – 11 South Main St, Greenville, SC 29601-2708 – 864-250-9040

Methodical Coffee – 01 N Main St, Suite D, Greenville, SC 29601-4841 – 864-735-8407

The Village Grind – 1263 Pendleton St, Greenville, SC 29611-4851 – 864-915-8600

West End Coffee Shoppe – 1021 S Main St, D, Greenville, SC 29601-3351 – 864-626-3385

101 Espresso Bar – Our choice for the best matcha – 101 Wade Hampton Blvd, Greenville, SC 29609 – 864-775-5888

Spartanburg Coffee Shops

Our choice for the best coffee shops in Spartanburg are:

Little River Coffee Bar – They have 2 locations in Spartanburg – 188A W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306-2333 – 864-582-1227

The Coffee Bar East – 624 E Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29307-2233 – 864-582-7900

The Pharmacy Coffee | Little River Roasting Co. – 187 N Church St suite a, Spartanburg, SC 29306 – 864-913-1010

Spill the Beans – 174 E Main St #5127, Spartanburg, SC 29306 – 864-310-4895

Papa’s Breakfast Nook – 191 E St John St, Spartanburg, SC 29306 – 864-582-6655

Bella Latte – 1802 Drayton Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29307

Bella Latte – Reidville Rd – 1637 John B White Sr Blvd, Spartanburg, SC 29301 – 864-595-2888

Bru – 205 W Blackstock Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29301 – 864-345-2631

There are many great coffee shops in the Upstate. These coffee shops in Greenville and Spartanburg will get you started on some of the best coffee in the area.

Remember the next time that you are out in the Upstate to shop local and give one of the coffee shops a try!

Fishing Upstate

Welcome to our fishing Upstate South Carolina page!

Few things are as pleasurable as wetting a line with special friends or family. We would like to help make your Upstate fishing excursion a success so that you go home with a memory that will last forever.

There are many different fishing opportunities available in the Upstate ranging from Bream on cane poles to huge 60 pound catfish and everything in between. We are going to guide you through each of these opportunities so that you can catch the fish of a lifetime in the Upstate.

Fish You Can Catch in the Upstate

Here is a list of the different species of fish that you can target in the South Carolina Upstate.

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Bluegill

Sunfish

Black Crappie

Brown Trout

Brook Trout

Rainbow Trout

Carp

BullHead

Blue Catfish

Flathead Catfish

Channel Catfish

Chain Pickerel

Walleye

White Perch

Yellow Perch

Trout Fishing in the Upstate

South Carolina is not the first state that comes to mind when you think of quality trout fishing.

Shhhh…

Don’t tell anyone, but there is some wonderful trout fishing opportunities in the South Carolina Upstate. It doesn’t matter if you are a fly fisherman or a bait fisherman, opportunities exist regardless of your preferred method.

The South Carolina DNR stocks approximately 500,000 trout every year in the waters of the Upstate. These trout are stocked in crystal clear mountain streams that often see very little fishing pressure, creating the opportunity to catch feisty trout without another fisherman around.

In addition to the stocked trout, the South Carolina Upstate has a tremendous wild trout fishery.

Upstate Trout Fishing Streams

CHATTOOGA RIVER – Oconee County
EAST FORK OF THE CHATTOOGA – Oconee County
CHAUGA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES Oconee County
WHITEWATER RIVER – Oconee County
EASTATOEE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES – Pickens County
SALUDA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES – Greenville County
Thompson River Gorge – Oconee County
Devils Fork Creek – Oconee County
Howard Creek – Oconee County
Limberpole Creek – Oconee County
Corbin Creek – Oconee County
Wright Creek – Oconee County
Coley Creek – Oconee County
Cheohee Creek – Oconee County
Moody Creek – Oconee County
Cantrell Creek – Oconee County
Tamassee Creek – Oconee County
Brasstown Creek – Oconee County
Laurel Fork – Pickens County
Cane Creek – Pickens County
Emory Creek – Pickens County
Willis Creek – Pickens County
Matthews Creek – Greenville County
Headforemost Creek – Greenville County
Gap Creek – Greenville County
South Pacolet River – Greenville County

Upstate Trout Fishing Lakes

In addition to the great Upstate trout fishing opportunities in the streams, there is also some great trout fishing to be had in the Upstate lakes.

LAKE JOCASSEE – Lake Jocasse offers some great trout fishing in a lake environment. The conditions in Lake Jocassee are optimum for keeping and growing large trout as evidenced by the catch of a 17 pound 9 ounce brown trout and a 11 pound 5 ounce rainbow trout. Those are huge trout anywhere you go and to have these kinds of opportunities available in the Upstate is phenomenal.

Methods Used for Upstate Trout Fishing

Upstate trout fisherman can be found using spinning gear as well as fly fishing gear.

The best baits for Upstate trout are worms, mealworms, Powerbait, whole kernal corn, salmon eggs, crickets, crayfish and other live baits.

Best lures for Upstate trout include spoons like the Pheobe and spinners like Mepps and Rooster Tail. Also don’t overlook the use of crankbaits and jerkbaits like a Rapala.

Fly fisherman should keep an assortment of dry flies, streamers and nymphs. One of the best ways to find what the trout are eating in the upstate streams is to turn rocks over and try to match the aquatic insects that you find underneath them.

If Upstate trout fishing isn’t your thing, don’t worry, there are many other kinds of fishing available.

Upstate Bass Fishing

The Upstate has some real quality bass fishing for those that are willing to look for it.

The South Carolina state records for Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Redeye Bass were all caught in Lake Johassee.

Smallmouth Bass – 9 Pounds 7 Ounces

Spotted Bass – 8 Pounds 5 Ounces

Redeye Bass – 5 Pounds 2.5 Ounces

Those are impressive fish anywhere in the country!

The South Carolina DNR has put out a video about choosing bass lures.

Upstate Bass Fishing Lakes

Lake Cooley – Spartanburg County
Saluda Lake – Greenville County
Lake Placid – Greenville County
Lake Cunningham – Greenville County
Lake Craig – Spartanburg County
Lake Thicketty – Cherokee County
Lake Bowen – Spartanburg County
Lake Oak Grove – Greenville County
Lake Robinson – Greer SC
Lake Hartwell -Greenville County

In addition to these lakes, there are thousands of smaller ponds and bodies of water that provide some of the best bass fishing the the Upstate.

Bass fishing in the Upstate can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like. You can catch Upstate bass in a farm pond with a cane pole or you can catch Upstate bass on a big bass lake with a state of the art bass boat that will exceed 60 miles per hour.

Popular baits for Upstate bass fishing include worms, shiners, crickets, salamanders and other live baits.

The lures used for Upstate bass fishing run from crankbaits and jerkbaits to topwaters and plastics,

Upstate bass can be caught on just about anything that you can think of depending on the time of year.

Upstate Catfishing

Perhaps not as popular as in other parts of the state, Upstate catfishing an be just as good if you know where to look.

Upstate Catfishing Hotspots

Lake Jocassee

This is the Upstates premier fishing lake, so is it any wonder that it would be at the top of the list for upstate catfishing.

Lake Hartwell

Lake Hartwell is a great place to catch catfish in the Upstate, but don’t eat them! There is a consumption advisory here because of contamination.

Saluda Lake

Saluda is mostly private, but there is access at the marina. They sell bait there, so buy some bait and ask permission to fish.

Saluda River

There is good catfishing both above and below Saluda Lake.

Oak Grove

Oak Grove is stocked with channel catfish.

Best Baits for Upstate Catfishing

Catfishing in the Upstate is no different than anywhere else. Catfish feed largely by smell and will seek out smelly baits. That doesn’t mean you have to use smelly baits, but they work.

Worms
Chicken Livers
Live or cut bait

Remember that bigger baits mean bigger fish. I like to rig one rod with a big live bait on the bottom and another with smaller bait for smaller fish.

Conclusion

As you can see there is no shortage of great fishing opportunities in the Upstate. They range from wilderness fishing on pristine mountain streams for elusive wild trout to catching catfish on a cane pole at the local water supply pond.

It’s time to put down the electronics and get outside and enjoy the recreational opportunities that the Upstate has to offer.

And don’t forget…

Take a Kid Fishing Today!

Hiking in the Upstate

Nestled into the foothills of South Carolina, the Upstate offers some of the most picturesque hikes in the south. In this post we are going to show you some of the best places to take family and friends for a hike in the Upstate.

These hikes range from fairly flat nature trails all the way to rigorous hikes in the pristine mountains.

Favorite Places to Hike in the Upstate

Sassafras Mountain

If you are looking for a spectacular vista, then look no further than Sassafras Mountain in Pickens County.

The summit of Sassafras Mountain is the highest point in South Carolina and you can actually see four states from the 3,553 foot peak. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennesssee are all visible from the summit.

To get there take U.S. 178 to Rocky Bottom and turn right on F. Van Clayton Memorial Highway.The gravel parking lot is at the end of the highway.

Paris Mountain State Park

Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville has a number of trails from half a mile to about 4 miles, offering hikes for every skill level.

There is a lot to do at Paris Mountain and it is a great place to spend the day with the family.

Hike to the Waterfalls

One of our favorite hikes in the upstate is to hike to one of the awesome waterfalls located in Pickens County.

Carrick Creek Loop Trail

1.8 mile trail located in Table Rock State Park in Pickens, South Carolina. There are multiple waterfalls along the trail.

Eastatoe Falls and Twin Falls

These two waterfalls are probably the most picturesque waterfalls that we have found in the Upstate. The larger of the two falls approximately 75 feet cascading over slabs of granite. The trail is short from the parking lot but it can be slippery. Please use caution.

You can find the parking lot at Waterfalls Road unset, South Carolina.

The Foothills Trail

We all have that one friend that just can’t find a hike long enough to satisfy their outdoor addiction. Well the Foothills Trail is for them.

This is an 80 mile trail that goes from Table Rock State Park to Oconee Stae Park and takes the hiker through Jocassee Gorge. This is not a hike for the faint of heart.

This hike is recommended for experienced hikers and it is suggested that you are properly prepared.

These are just a few of the many hiking trails available to you in the Upstate.

Grab your backpack, put on your hiking boots and head out for a hike in the Upstate!

Golf in the Upstate

If there’s one thing that the Upstate offers to visitors and residents alike, it is an incredible supply of top quality golf courses to challenge golfers of all skill levels.

All of these Upstate golf courses are within a two hour drive of Atlanta or Charlotte and they all offer the gracious southern hospitality that the Upstate is known for.

Upstate Golf Courses

Anderson Country Club
Anderson, SC
864-226-1651

Bonnie Brae Golf Club
Greenville, SC
(864) 277-9838

Boscobel Country Club
Pendleton, SC
864-646-3991

Brookstone Meadows Golf Course
Anderson, SC
864-964-9966

Carolina Springs Golf Club
Fountain Inn, SC
(864) 862-3551

The Carolina Country Club
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 583-1246

Carolina Golf at Botany Woods
Greenville, SC
(864) 244-6702

Cobbs Glen Country Club
Anderson, SC
864-226-7688

Cherokee Valley Golf Club
Travelers Rest, SC
(864) 895-6758

The Creek Golf Club
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 583-0003

Cross Winds Golf Course
Greenville, SC
(864) 233-6336

Country Club of Spartanburg
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 583-3661

Fox Run Country Club
Simpsonville, SC
(864) 967-9505

Furman University Golf Club
Greenville, SC
(864) 294-2690

Green Valley Country Club
Greenville, SC
(864) 246-2141

Greenville Country Club
Greenville, SC
864) 232-6771

Heddles Hideaway Country Club
Spartanburg, SC
(800) 653-0835

Holly Tree Country Club
Simpsonville, SC
(864) 967-9510

Lakeview Golf Club
Piedmont, SC
(864) 277-2680

Legacy Pines Golf Club
Greenville, SC
(864) 277-4491

Musgrove Mill Golf Club
Clinton, SC
(864) 833-6921

Pebble Creek Golf Course
Taylors, SC
(864) 244-8937

Paris Mountain Country Club

Greenville, SC

(864) 834-4781

Pickens County Country Club
Pickens, SC
(864) 878-6083

Pine Lake Golf Club
Anderson, SC
864-296-9960

The Preserve at Verdae Golf Club
Greenville, SC
(864) 676-1500

The Reserve At Lake Keowee Golf Pro Shop
Sunset, SC
(864) 869-2106

River Falls Plantation
Duncan, SC
(864) 433-9172

Rolling Green Golf Course
Easley, SC
(864) 859-7716

Saluda Valley Country Club
Williamston, SC
864-847-7102

Southern Oaks Golf Course
Easley, SC
864-859-6698

Starrwood Golf Course
Starr, SC
864-352-6700

Stone Creek Cove Golf Course
Anderson, SC
864-224-4653

Sugarfoot Golf Club
Honea Path, SC
864-369-1751

Three Springs Golf Club
Anderson, SC
864-375-1023

Upstate Golf Club
(864) 877-2829

Village Greens Golf Club
Inman, SC
(864) 472-2411

Willow Creek Golf Club
Greer, SC
(864) 670-9329

Woodfin Ridge Golf Club
Inman, SC
(864) 578-0023

Woodhaven Golf Club
Pendleton, SC
864-646-9511

Those are just a few of the incredible golf courses available in the Upstate region. We have listed some that are private, some that are semi private and some that are public. Just make a phone call and get out for a round of golf in the upstate today.

Y’all come back now, here…

Hunting in The Upstate of South Carolina

Welcome to our Hunting in the Upstate Page!

The Upstate of South Carolina nestles into the foothills of the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains, so the terrain varies from rolling hills to downright mountainous.

Hunting in he Upstate is a tradition that goes back for hundreds of years and is passed down from generation to generation.

What Can You Hunt in the Upstate

Hunting in the Upstate is governed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Here are the species that you can legally hunt:

Small Game – Small game includes: squirrel, rabbit, opossum, raccoon, fox, bobcat, mink, beaver, muskrat, otter, skunk, quail, grouse and weasel.
Deer – There is quality deer hunting in the Upstate, however as in other parts of the country, most of the trophy bucks are taken on private land.
Bear – You can hunt bears in the Upstate in Game Zone 1, which encompasses the mountains of Pickens, Oconee and Greenville Counties. There is also a coastal bear season that is conducted via a lottery.
Coyotes – Coyotes are in overabundance in the Upstate of South Carolina and the DNR encourages the hunting of this invasive species by offering no closed season on private land and no hunting license required if you shoot a coyote within 100 yards of your home. The South Carolina deer population has dropped by 30% and the DNR largely blames the exploding coyote population.
Turkey – Spring turkey season is one that all turkey hunters look forward to all year. The turkey population in the Upstate is also on the decline largely due to the ever present predators.
Wild Hogs – Hogs were introduced to South Carolina by the Spanish in the 1500s and were traditionally confined to the low country, however the feral hogs have been consistently expanding their range and now inhabit all counties of South Carolina.
Migratory Birds – Migratory birds include: mourning dove, marsh hens, rails, woodcock, common snipe, common moorhens, purple gallinules, ducks, mergansers, sea ducks, coots, blue & snow geese, brant, Canada geese and crows.

Deer Hunting in the Upstate

There are many deer hunting opportunities in the Upstate. Most of the high quality deer are harvested on private land, however there are opportunities on public land for the deer hunter that is willing to do his/her homework.

One of the best public lands for trophy deer is located in the Jocassee Gorge area. Be forewarned that this area is rough terrain. It is all mountains and that rough terrain is what scares other hunters away and allows some bucks to grow past 3 years of age.

These are big woods and mountains and if you are going to hunt this area, you must be prepared.

Carry a large pack and be prepared to spend the night if it becomes necessary. At the very least, you should carry the following in your pack:

Rain Gear
Firestarter
Water
Food
Tarp
Compass
Best Deer Hunting Knife

You can add to the list as you see fit, but getting caught in the mountains without the basics is not recommended.

If the mountains aren’t your thing, there is plenty of public land in the foothills, but it does see a lot of hunting pressure.

Here are some of our favorites:

Fants Grove WMA – 7000 Acres Bowhunting Only
Keowee WMA – 4000 Acres Bowhunting Only

Keep in mind that these are public hunting areas and hunting pressure will be at a maximum. Look for places where other hunters are unwilling to go and you may find a honey hole.

Small Game Hunting in the Upstate

There is plenty of small game hunting opportunities in the Upstate if you know where to look. Once again, some of the best opportunities are on private land. The people of the Upstate are very friendly folks and if you are respectful and ask nicely, you will be able to gain access to private land.

Another option for hunting upland birds in the Upstate is to hunt on a preserve. This is some great hunting on land that is strictly managed for upland birds. Try River Bend in Spartanburg County. They offer hunts for upland birds and many other amenities.

Hunting is a tradition in this country that is passed down to the next generation and small game hunting is normally where kids get started. I remember my first .22 and spending hours in the woods alone chasing squirrels. They are some of my best memories to this day.

Remember to do your part and pass on this awesome tradition.

Take a kid hunting.