Spanning 120 miles from the Georgia border to Gaffney, SC, Highway 11 is a scenic state byway that runs along the Blue Ridge Foothills in upstate South Carolina. Also known as the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, it takes drivers past lakes, mountains, and peach groves, with several stops worth exploring along the way. Here’s everything you should consider checking out along Scenic Highway 11, most of which is free!
Note: This list starts from the eastern end of highway 11 in Gaffney, SC, and works its way west. If you’re beginning from the end bordering Georgia and heading east, start from the bottom of the list.
1. The Peachoid
Time: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Address: Peachoid Rd, Gaffney, SC 29341
Who doesn’t love a good roadside attraction?
The Peachoid is a water tower shaped and painted after the fruit the region is known for. While you can get a good glimpse of it along I-85, it’s also right by Highway 11 if you want a closeup.
There’s a chain link fence surrounding it and the gate was closed when we stopped by, so the closest you can see it is from the parking lot of Fatz Cafe next door.
2. Cowpens National Battlefield
Time: 30 minutes-1.5 hours
Cost: Free
Address: 4001 Chesnee Highway, Gaffney, SC 29341
The victory at the Battle of Cowpens was considered a turning point in the war for America’s independence. And you can learn all about it at Cowpens National Battlefield. Walk the flat 1.3-mile guided loop around the battlefield and visit the small museum inside the visitor center. There’s also an 18-minute educational movie about how the patriots overcame the British that plays on the hour.
The entrance to the park is right on Highway 11.
3. Anchor Park at Lake Bowen
Time: At least 15 minutes
Cost: Free
Address: 8515 SC-9, Inman, SC 29349
Sitting along Lake Bowen is Anchor Park, a popular little spot for picnicking, boating and fishing. In addition to a public boat ramp there’s a playground and restrooms. There are also a few restaurants and an ice cream shop nearby.
Anchor Park is about a mile and a half south of Highway 11, right along Highway 9.
4. Campbell’s Covered Bridge
Time: 10 minutes
Cost: Free
Address: 171 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd, Landrum, SC 29356
This century-old covered bridge is the last in the state. You can’t drive across it, but you can walk it and explore the property of a former gristmill. There’s also a 0.8-mile nature walk if you’d like to take a stroll. Picnic tables are available, so this is a nice scenic spot to stop for a bite to eat. Campbell’s Covered Bridge is about 3 miles off of the byway.
5. Poinsett Bridge
Time: 10 minutes
Cost: Free
Address: 580 Callahan Mountain Rd, Landrum, SC 29356
It’s the oldest bridge still standing in South Carolina, and certainly one of the most unique. Built more than two centuries ago, this picturesque stone bridge is known for its iconic gothic archway over Little Gap Creek.
Poinsett Bridge is about 3 miles from Highway 11. The bridge will be on your right and a small gravel parking lot is directly across from it on your left, right after you cross the pedestrian walkway.
6. Wildcat Wayside Branch
Time: 10 minutes-1 hour (40 minutes minimum to see the falls)
Cost: Free
Address: 5500 Geer Hwy, Cleveland, SC 29635
Wildcat Wayside Branch is a little park along Highway 11 and a popular spot for cooling off in the summer. Two little waterfalls spill into shallow wading pools right at the entrance but venture a half mile up the trail and you’ll come across a much steeper waterfall. It took us 40 minutes to hike the whole loop that goes to the falls and back. Here’s a tip: if you’re not up for going upstairs and climbing over boulders, take the trail to the right when you reach the plaque that says “Who Lives Here?” just beyond the chimney. That trail is a little bit longer but will get you to the falls without any steep steps.
Fun fact: Wayside parks were created in the late 1930s by the National Park Service as a way to “serve as convenient short-time stopping places for the motoring public” along major highways. Wildcat Wayside, which is officially known as Greenville Wayside Park, was one of six trial areas in South Carolina. You can learn more about this on the plaque by the chimney.
7. Grant Meadow Overlook
Time: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Address: 35.034400, -82.684012 (or type in Grant Meadow Overlook in Google Maps)
Highway 11 has just one overlook and this is it! In fact, it’s brand new, having just opened in April 2022. Grant Meadow Overlook is just up the road from the entrance to Table Rock State Park and has a fantastic view of the mountain’s south face.
Want a drive with more overlooks? Follow my route along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
8. Table Rock Tea Company
Time: 45 minutes-1 hour
Cost: Free tours
Address: 118 High Hills Ln, Pickens, SC 29671
Table Rock Tea Company grows artisan tea right along Highway 11, including green, oolong, masala chai, and more. If you’re traveling on the byway at the end of the week, you can take a free tour of the farm. Table Rock Tea Company offers tours at 10 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. They just ask that you call in advance. I haven’t taken a tour yet, but they have nothing but 5-star reviews, so I’m looking forward to making a visit in the near future.
9. Hagood Mill & Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site
Time: At least 1 hour
Cost: Free*
Address: 138 Hagood Mill Rd, Pickens, SC 29671
This registered historic site is more than just a 19th-century water-powered gristmill. It’s also home to the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site, which houses prehistoric Native American carvings discovered in 2003. While its operating hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can visit the site any day during daylight hours. If you want to see the mill in action, stop by on the third Saturday of the month when it hosts its Folklife Festivals.
Hagood Mill Historic Site is located about 6 miles south of Highway 11 via US-178 East.
*The Mill does charge admission for festivals. Check the website for events.
10. Oconee Station & Waterfalls
Time: 30 minutes-2.5 hours
Cost: Free
Address: 500 Oconee Station Rd, Walhalla, SC 29691
Oconee Station Historic Site’s origins date back to the 1700s. First a stone house was built as a military compound in response to a series of raids by the Creek Indians in 1792. Three years later, an Irish immigrant named William Richards established a trading post at the site and later built a two-story brick home next to the original stone house in 1805. Both structures still stand and are open to the public.
But my favorite part about Oconee Station is Station Cove Falls. Right across the road from the historic buildings begins a 1.5-mile path (3-mile round trip) that will take you to the falls. If you’d like to shorten the hike, drive to the trailhead, which is about a quarter mile down the road from the entrance to the station — that will cut the hike to just 1-mile round trip. Either one is a pretty easy hike that will take you to the 60-foot-tall waterfalls.
Oconee Station is 2 miles off of highway 11. The site also has a picnic area and bathrooms.
11. Stumphouse Tunnel
Time: 30-60 minutes
Cost: $5 per vehicle (cash only)
Address: Stumphouse Tunnel Rd, Walhalla, SC 29691
Stumphouse Tunnel is an uncompleted, hand-chiseled railroad tunnel started by the Blue Ridge Rail Road Company in 1853. It was intended to connect Anderson, SC, to Knoxville, TN, but funding ceased in 1859. Afterward, it sat abandoned until Clemson University acquired it to cure blue cheese in the 1950s. Today, it’s part of Stumphouse Park, owned by the City of Walhalla, and about a quarter mile of it is available to explore. The park also has a waterfall and a picnic area with bathrooms.
Stumphouse Tunnel is about 7 miles from Highway 11. Upon entering the road to the park, you’ll see an unmanned pay station (there were orange cones directing us to it when we visited). Admission is $5 cash.
