17+ Great Hikes for Toddlers & Small Kids

Looking for some great hikes for toddlers and young children near Greenville, SC? Hiking with young children is possible! We put together this great list of the best hikes in and around Greenville, SC for toddlers. Peruse the list to find trails that are perfect for little ones in the Upstate.

Looking for more places to hike with the family? Don’t miss our HUGE Greenville Area Hiking Guide.

Greenville and the Upstate have some great hiking spots. Beautiful trails, scenic views, mountains, creeks, waterfalls. And there are even several trails that are perfect hikes for toddlers and young kids.

Until I became involved with Hike it Baby Greenville, it never occurred to me I could hike with toddlers, let alone babies. While I can wear my little one, my three-year-old does not like to ride in backpacks–he likes to walk. But he’s little and can’t walk far. And he can’t hike anything that’s too rugged. Luckily there are still plenty of trails we can hike together.

There are lots of wonderful, short and easy, unpaved trails that are perfect introductory hikes for toddlers, early walkers, and young kids new to hiking! For important tips on recreating responsibly, please see this story on the seven Leave No Trace principles.

See our full list of hikes near Greenville SC

17+ Great Hikes for Toddlers Near Greenville & the Upstate

Lake Placid Trail at Paris Mountain State Park

This is a simple trail through the wooded park that passes the lake, dam, and waterfall and ends up at the docks. When you drive into the park the lake is just to your right and the parking lot is the first lot on your left.

The Lake Placid trail is a .75 mile loop around the lake. There are bridges, docks, and benches to rest if necessary. There is an entrance fee to enter Paris Mountain if you don’t have a State Park passport.

Read more about Paris Mountain in our review.

Paris Mountain State Park
2401 State Park Road
Greenville, SC
864.244.5565

Wildcat Wayside

This is one of my favorite places to hike and explore with my little guys. The waterfall, swimming hole, and trail are located right off SC 11 in Cleveland. There are stone steps leading up to the trails – the Wildcat Wayside loop is an easy mile.

Heading north on Route 11, the trail and pull-off parking are on the right side of the road. There is a brown wooden sign that says Wildcat Wayside, but it is easy to miss. It’s about 5 miles north of the 276/11 intersection.

While many readers love this particular trail, others have noted that there are steep drops along the mile-long trail that could be worrisome while hiking with smaller children. Always use caution and make your own determination about safety when hiking any trail.

Wildcat Wayside
US 276/SC 11
Cleveland, SC

Lake Conestee Nature Park

Lake Conestee Nature Park in Mauldin is a great introduction to hikes for toddlers. With a combination of paved trails, unpaved trails and wooden walkways, plus a wildlife habitat this is a wonderful place.

This free park has two Learning Loop trails as well as numerous benches, observation areas, and a playground. The trails are beautifully maintained and well-marked. With forest and wetlands, there is a diverse wildlife population including beavers, river otters, deer, snakes, and more than 150 types of birds.

There is also a playground near the entrance to the trails.

Lake Conestee Nature Park
840 Mauldin Rd
Greenville, SC
864.277.2004

Yellow Branch Falls

A moderate three-mile round trip hike near Walhalla with a beautiful waterfall payoff. Parking is trailside on the road. This one is fairly popular so try to get there early in the day to get a parking spot.

To find the trail, start at the Yellow Branch Picnic Ground in Sumter National Forest, just south of Stumphouse Tunnel Rd on Hwy 28. Use the short Nature Trail to make your way to the Yellow Branch Falls Trail.

Riverbend Equestrian Park

The sweet horses and nature trail that weaves through the woods are big reasons why this place is so awesome. When you enter the park go left and park back by the stables. The entrance to the nature trail is to the right of the parking area. Andrea Beam has some great photos and tips about this cool park.

Riverbend Equestrian Park is located across from Furman Golf Course on 75 acres. The trail loops around and might be too long for some little hikers. But a shortened hike paired with visiting some horses makes for a perfect outing.

Riverbend Equestrian Park
175 Riverbend Rd
Greenville, SC
864.288.6470

Hagood Mill

Hagood Mill in Pickens has a beautiful .75 mile nature trail as well as lots of interesting historical buildings such as a blacksmith shop, gristmill, and moonshine distillery to check out. You can hike or wander around the grounds every Wednesday through Saturday all year long. The nature trail is beautiful and short enough for little walkers to manage. When we went the trail was very shady.

Hagood Mill Historic Site
138 Hagood Mill Rd
Pickens, SC
864.898.2936

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site

Located in Clinton SC, there are two easy trails at Musgrove Mill, both about a mile long.

British Camp Trail

The British Camp trailhead is off the parking lot near the Visitor Center and includes a walk through a lovely meadow as well as scenic views of the Enoree River.

Battlefield Trail

The Battlefield Trail begins at Horseshoe Falls and is mostly wooded, winding along the site of a Revolutionary War battlefield. The falls are a nice spot to cool off after a hike on a hot day.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site
398 State Park Rd
Clinton, SC
864.938.0100

Table Rock State Park

Two options at Table Rock State Park are the Lakeside Trail and the Carrick Creek Loop.

Lakeside Trail

The Lakeside Trail begins at the main parking lot and is a 2-mile loop around Pinnacle Lake with stunning views of Table Rock. It might be too long for young toddlers, but it’s great for confident walkers.

Carrick Creek Trail

The Carrick Creek Trail is a 2.2 mile loop that begins at the Visitor Center across the street from the parking lot. You’ll hike along multiple cascading waterfalls and through the forest. This hike includes some altitude so young toddlers may need to be carried or in a hiking pack for parts of it.

You’ll have to pay an entrance fee to the park if you don’t have a state park passport.

Table Rock State Park
158 E Ellison Ln
Pickens, SC
864.878.9813

Kings Mountain National Park

The Battleground Trail at Kings Mountain National Park right on the SC/NC border is paved with rubber material and is an easy 1.8 mile loop. It’s great for kids plus a fascinating history lesson about the battle that took place there during the American Revolution on October 7, 1780.

Kings Mountain National Park
2625 Park Rd
Blacksburg, SC
864.936.7921

Campbell’s Covered Bridge

Campbell’s Covered Bridge is located in Landrum and includes an easy and scenic .5 mile trail at the only covered bridge left in South Carolina. This hike is great for hot days as there is a perfect spot for wading near the bridge.

Campbell’s Covered Bridge
171 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd
Landrum, SC

Roper Mountain Science Center

Don’t forget about this Greenville gem, the Roper Mountain Science Center. There are paved nature trails through the grounds.

Roper Mountain Science Center
402 Roper Mountain Road
Greenville, SC
864.355.8900

Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve

The Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve is a beautiful 1.25 mile trail in Travelers Rest, SC. This heritage preserve was created to help protect the federally endangered bunched arrowhead plant. This trail is mostly level and shaded with some fun little wooden boardwalks.

See the SCDNR website for a map and directions.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park

The Natural Bridge-Raven Rock Trail is a really fun trail for kids. There are waterfalls and the hike overlooks Lake Keowee, which is beautiful. It’s about a four-mile hike in total and of moderate difficulty.

Toddlers will likely need to be carried for most of this hike, especially the Raven Rock Trail section. Take care at the overlook as the rock is smooth and has an abrupt drop-off.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park
108 Residence Dr
Sunset, SC
864.868.2605

Station Cove Falls

Station Cove is an easy trail less than two miles round trip that has a huge, beautiful waterfall. It’s located at Oconee Station State Historic Site and is an easy trail perfect for little kids.

Oconee Station State Historic Site
State Rd S-37-95
Walhalla, SC

Blue Wall Preserve

The preserve is close to Greenville, less than an hour away, and is a great trail for kids. There is hardly any elevation and if you take the Twin Ponds lollipop loop trail, you’ll see two ponds and a waterfall. The leaves here in the fall are stunning also. The trail is around 3.5 miles.

Twin Ponds Trail at Blue Wall Preserve
Landrum, SC

Cedar Falls Park

Cedar Falls is a Greenville County Park located in Fountain Inn that have both paved and nature trails. The longest is only 1.5 miles and includes a beautiful waterfall with a little sandy area for kids to play in (watch for trash and glass though). Don’t play in the water though as bacteria levels are high.

Cedar Falls Park
201 Cedar Falls Rd
Fountain Inn, SC

Chau Ram Park

There are several easy trails that are great hikes for toddlers across the bridge at Chau Ram Park in Oconee County. It’s a fun place to cool off in the summer as well since there’s a little sandy beach. There’s also a small entrance fee.

Chau Ram Park
1220 Chau Ram Park Rd
Westminster, SC
864.647.9286

Great Hikes for Toddlers and Young Kids in Western North Carolina

Catawba Falls Trail

Catawba Falls Trail is east of Asheville and is a fantastic trail for families because it’s not long and ends at a stunning waterfall, like spectacularly stunning. Total mileage is around 2.5 miles and it’s a fairly easy trail.

Catawba Falls Trailhead
3074 Catawba River Rd
Old Fort, NC

Glassy Mountain Trail at the Carl Sandburg Home

Located on the grounds of the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, NC, the Glassy Mountain Trail is easy to moderate and climbs about a mile to the top of the mountain. It’s a beautiful view. You can also hike along the other trails on the vast property and even pet and play with goats at the barn, all for free.

Carl Sandburg Home
1800 Little River Rd
Flat Rock, NC
828.693.4178

Moore Cove Falls

Take US 276 out of Brevard, NC and enjoy two waterfalls with easy access. Looking Glass Falls can be seen from the road, but you can also walk down the steps to get a closer look.

Drive a bit farther and you will find a small parking area by a stone bridge. Take the easy, 1.5 mile round trip trail to Moore Cove Falls where you can walk behind the waterfall!

Crabtree Falls

This waterfall right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in McDowell County is just stunning. It’s totally worth the drive up there and is about 2.5 miles round trip.

Hooker Falls

Located in Dupont State Forest in Cedar Mountain, NC, a .25 mile hike will take you to Hooker Falls, which is also a great spot to wade in the water. Dupont is very popular so it’s crowded. Get there early if you plan to go.

Dupont State Forest
1300 Staton Road
Cedar Mountain, NC

Pearson’s Falls

Located in Saluda, NC this trail to Pearson’s Falls is a moderate, .75 mile hike through a botanical preserve. Most of the trail is made up of a stone stairway going up to the falls. The falls and the pond at the base of the falls are not accessible to the public, but there are multiple wading pools among the rocks at the top of the trail that are perfect for cooling off little feet on hot days.

Pearson’s Falls and Glen
2748 Pearson’s Falls Rd
Saluda, NC
828.749.3031

Blue Ridge Parkway

There are lots of great, easy hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway like Graveyard Fields but during the winter, many parts close because of snow or ice – and that’s the best time to go hiking there! You’ll have to do a little research to find places to go but you can just walk along the Parkway and even run through the tunnels. It’s a lot of fun and super easy. Some our favorite places to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway are at Black Balsam Knob (incredible 360 degree views), Rough Ridge near Grandfather Mountain, and Frying Pan Fire Tower.

Tips for going on hikes with toddlers and young children

Go at their pace: let them wander, explore and stop.

Lower your expectations because unexpected things can happen on the trails – they get tired, they get cranky, you get cranky, the trail is closed, etc.

Be prepared to turn back if they get tired.

Make sure to bring snacks, water, and sunscreen.

Keep them within sight. Letting them explore is great but keep them close enough so if there’s a bear or loose dog or snake, you can be there to intervene.

Hike with others! Hike it Baby Greenville is a great way to find hikes or urban strolls, as well as meet other families who enjoy exploring the outdoors. For more information, check out Hike it Baby Greenville on Facebook.

Do you have a favorite hike to do with your kids?

Related Content: Best Hiking Trails in Greenville, Where to Find Waterfalls Near Greenville, Newbie Hiking Guide, and huge Hiking Guide.