The Ultimate Fall Bucket List for Families in Upstate South Carolina

When the mornings turn crisp and the air smells like campfires and cinnamon, there’s no better time to explore Upstate South Carolina. Whether your family calls Boiling Springs home or you’re new to Greenville County, fall is the season that makes everyone slow down, grab a sweater, and enjoy the simple things.

Let’s dive into a bucket list of local adventures guaranteed to fill your weekends with color, connection, and community.

🎃 1. Pick Your Own Pumpkin (or Apple)

Key Locations:

• Parker’s Patch – Chesnee → Pumpkin picking, cider and photos

• Strawberry Hill USA – Chesnee → Their fall season brings a huge corn maze and pumpkin patch.

• Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill – York County (but worth the drive!) → Hot apple cider donuts = local legend.

Why it matters for your family:
Kids learn where their food comes from, you get fresh air and photos, and your memories become part of local tradition.

🍁 2. Take a Scenic Drive Through the Foothills

When the leaves begin to turn along Highway 11 (the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway), it’s pure magic. Start in Gaffney, follow the curve through Landrum and Traveler’s Rest, and stop for a picnic at Table Rock State Park.

Pro Tip: Time your drive for late October when color peaks and bring a thermos of hot apple cider.

🦙 3. Visit a Fall Festival or Farm Day

• Spartanburg International Festival (October) – food, music, and cultures from around the world.

• Chesnee Boo Bash  – food trucks, costumes, & a DJ.

Parents love it because: These events introduce kids to local history and support small business vendors at the same time.

🪵 4. Create a “Front-Porch Weekend”

Not every item on your bucket list has to require driving. Spend one Saturday decorating your porch with pumpkins from a local stand, light a bonfire, and invite neighbors for s’mores. Connection starts right at home.

🏞️ 5. Take a Hike with a View

For families with little ones:

• Croft State Park (Spartanburg) – flat trails and a playground.

For older kids:

• Glassy Mountain (near Pickens) or Paris Mountain State Park – moderate hikes with photo-worthy lookouts.

Bring a scavenger hunt list of fall leaves to keep younger ones engaged.

🕯️ 6. Host a “Cozy Night In”

After all those outings, schedule a quiet evening home. Make homemade chili, watch “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” and set family goals for the rest of the year. This kind of intentional family time builds a sense of home—something every buyer and seller values deeply.

🛍️ 7. Support Local Makers and Shops

Browse the Hub City Farmers Market in Spartanburg or the Greenville Saturday Market downtown. Fall is prime time for handmade candles, apple butter, and locally crafted gifts. Small purchases here keep our Upstate economy thriving.

🕰️ 8. Add a Touch of History

Explore Cowpens National Battlefield or Walnut Grove Plantation. Kids love living history days, and parents get a reminder of why Upstate SC is so rich in heritage and community spirit.

🌟 Wrap-Up: Your Upstate Fall Adventure Awaits

Whether you’re roaming Greenville’s tree-lined streets, exploring Cherokee County’s rural roads, or hosting friends in your Spartanburg backyard, fall is a season for reconnecting—with nature, neighbors, and your own sense of home.

And if a new home might be part of your family’s next chapter, I can help you find the perfect place to hang that front-door wreath.

🍂 Download: “The Fall Guide” PDF

👋 Or schedule a 15-minute chat to plan your next move before the holidays!